Henri is awesome

This book pierced into parts of my soul and shedding grace and mercy where I didn't even realize I was hitting, convicted me in places I had long shut off, and brought about hope for the future. As one seasoned pastor put it to me, "There's a reason why Nouwen still is read." If you are a Christ follower, I highly encourage you to read this book. Even if you have read other books on pretty- read this book.

This is the prayer book I have been praying for. It's not about finding the right words for prayer or the right space on your calendar and in your home, or persisting when you don't get what you asked for. It's about opening your hands to receive, unclenching your fists to be vulnerable, loosening your grasp to let go. This is one I will read again and again -- maybe continually and unceasingly.

I never ever regret the time spent reading Nouwen.

I love anything by Nouwen - he’s gentle and human and full of grace in his writing. This lovely little book is about prayer as a posture being open (as opposed to praying with clenched fists) - it’s an anti “Santa Claus” approach, and filled with wisdom.

With Open Hands by Henri J. M. Nouwen, a Dutch-born Catholic priest, is a broad framework to show the necessity of prayer in our lives and to show the characteristics – silence, acceptance, hope, compassion, and prophetic criticism – by which we should approach prayer. The metaphor of the clenched fists and open hands anchors the book. The book is based in Christian theology; however, the concepts are more universal in nature.

Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014...

a simple book about prayer. easy to read.

In the CommUnity thrift store today in Clarkesville, GA I picked up a paperback of Henri Nouwen's With Open Hands: Bring Prayer into Your Life. It cost me .50 ... it has a coffee stain on the top of it. It was bent up on the cover. I normally would not have entertained buying a book in that condition, but it's Henri Nouwen and it's about prayer. And it's worth a million dollars. Read it this afternoon. Highly recommend you find you a .50 copy and feel rich!

Just what I needed to read. It's hard to articulate what I liked about this book. He speaks my language.

كتاب صغير و خفيف
مناسب للخلوات جدا
فيه صلوات جميله جدا

Nouwen met with 25 of his students to discuss the topic of prayer and this is the output of those discussions.

It's beautiful how he uses the image of the title - "With Open Hands" - to convey the essence of prayer. Prayer is as much about our attitudinal position as what it is we pray about. To many of us we struggle to spend time in prayer because we're tight fisted on matters we're struggling with and/or prayer is not really a sufficient enough priority in our life to spend the time with the Lord. We send off prayer requests haphazardly rather than sitting down with the Lord and allowing His presence to sooth and comfort us.

In reflecting on certain aspects associated with coming to pray "With Open Hands", Nouwen encourages the reader to do just that: let go and Let God! Hand over your troubles, your cares, your passions and distractions and let the one who loves you like crazy minister to you as wait upon Him.

A good quick read especially for anyone who is struggling to grasp prayer's power and criticality to living well.

I have just recently discovered author Henry J. M. Nouwen when reading Return of the Prodigal Son. I am mesmerized by the depth of his understanding and his ability to connect with such simplicity on such a challenging topic. There were parts of the book that really reached out to me and made me say a resounding "YES". I plan on rereading it again.