Henri JM Nouwen led such an active prayerful life. I enjoyed reading about his practice of using prayer in his everyday life. It inspired me to take a closer look into my own prayer life. My favorite part was when he referenced a trapeze artist and his catcher to God and us.

A real gift of a book. One I will readily return to often. It’s a compilation of writings from Henri about prayer. Beautiful and thought provoking!

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This is the way to read Nouwen. As much as I love and have benefited from Fr. Nouwen over the years, I have often found myself thinking that his books could be consolidated into a collection of essays (with the exception of “Return of the Prodigal Son.” I want every word of that one.). This collection of excerpts from his other works, organized by theme/topic, is a great way to be introduced to Fr. Nouwen’s writing. Bite-sized chunks of text that got me thinking and praying.

The only disappointing thing about this book is that it is literally a collection of snippets from Nouwen's writing. They are very well chosen, it seems to me, but still having an editor between me and the author listed on the cover seems deceptive. Profound thoughts on the importance of prayer and meditation in the spiritual life, however, and worth owning.

I cannot recommend this book enough. A compilation of works that redirected my heart and mind to the loving character that is not merely a part of God, but is all of who God is. If you desire to deepen your understanding of what it is to live a prayerful life I would encourage you to include this book in your research.

A bunch of excerpts with no real flow. Good if you want short nuggets.

This book is a well organized and presented compilation of the writing and teaching of the wonderful spiritual director, pastor and author. The content is gleaned from his many books and reflections on the topic of prayer, fasting and solitude. Henri writes from his own experiences, so this is not theory. I’ve read over 40 of Henri’s books, so there was nothing particularly new here, but it is a convenient resource for my own growth and sharing with others.

it was just quotes taken from his other books about prayer which i felt like i had read half of the book before. his thoughts on prayer are good but the book itself just wasn’t what i expected.

Absolutely outstanding. I love everything I've read so far by this God-passionate priest. His honesty, his depth of perception is so refreshing.

3.5 stars

It was good and has good quotes in there but I didn't realize it was a collection of thoughts and quotes from his other writings, so I was a bit disappointed. It's still a good read but when you've read the other books that he's quoting from, it is a bit redundant.

Great book for small group study with others...whats the point of reading about prayer if you can't pray with friends?!!? Each chapter is interesting and you feel connected to the writing, not just a Christian self-help book.