Had a really hard time plugging through this one

The chapters on Solitude, Belovedness, and Forgiveness are especially beautiful and helpful. “The voice that calls us the Beloved is the voice of freedom because it sets us free to love without wanting anything in return. This has nothing to do with self-sacrifice, self-denial, or self-deprecation. But it has everything to do with the abundance of love that has been freely given to me and from which I want to freely give.”

Full disclosure: I never finished this book. I love Nouwen, but found this just a collection from other places and it didn’t have the cohesiveness of other things I had read by him, so I put it to the side and opted to use my time on things I enjoyed.

One to read slowly, little chunks at a time, in order to ponder and reflect.

This is a compilation of very many different works of Nouwen (both published and unpublished), all focusing on prayer. As is sometimes the case with Nouwen the theology is not always excellent, but as is always the case with Nouwen there is still profound encouragement from a great and godly man.

A well put together collection of writings from Henri Nouwen on many different aspects of prayer.

As a big fan of Nouwen this is a good compilation. But it does not serve the author or reader in arriving and journeying with both God and author. It felt like facebook Nouwen. Do not make this your first read of the author.

This is a great book to meander through slowly-just a few paragraphs a day. It’s broken up throughout the book with various excerpts from Nouwen’s various books. He has a beautiful way of looking at life with God, and these writings center on prayer. He always does a good job of focusing us on the importance of spending intentional time getting rid of distractions, spending time in quiet, and communing with God & others in heart relationship.

This is an excellent review of the spiritual life. Nouwen reminds us of the really important aspects of our faith.

This was an excellent little book to pick up for short bursts when I needed encouragement to keep praying and seeking to live more closely with God. May we take time to be in solitude with God and "discover how deeply we are loved by God" (p 43).

It was a helpful time in my life to hear that "actions that lead to overwork, exhaustion, and burnout can't praise or glorify God" (p 142).

Why is prayer both something we long for and something that is so difficult? Because it "is the act by which we divest ourselves of all false belongings and become free to belong to God and God alone. This explains why, although we often feel a real desire to pray, we experience at the same time a strong resistance.... We realize that the closer we come to God the stronger will be God's demand to let go of the many 'safe' structures we have built around ourselves" (p 39).

Also, I was also struck by the idea that one reason praying for our enemies is so valuable is that it is an "event of reconciliation" since they "receive a place in our hearts." For "each time you pray, really pray for your enemies, you'll notice your heart is being made new. Within your prayer, you quickly discover that your enemies are in fact your fellow human beings loved by God just as much as yourself.... I find it difficult to conceive of a more concrete way to love than by praying for one's enemies" (p 154 - 155).

Being vs Doing.
"A life without a quiet center easily becomes destructive. When we cling to the result of our actions as our only way of self-identification, then we become possessive and defensive.... In solitude [with God] we can slowly unmask the illusion of our possessiveness and discover in the center of our own self that we are not what we can conquer, but what is given to us.... It is in this solitude that we discover that being is more important than having, and that we are worth more than the result of our efforts" (p 42 - 42).

I finished this book this morning, though I am sure I will go back to it many times. What a marvelous collection of Nouwen’s writings on prayer! I recommend it to all who might want to explore prayer more deeply.

Good devotional reading. I read it over and over again. Also useful reading if leading a group devotional.