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pattydsf's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. It lives on my bedside table and so I will never be done reading this, but I have finished it more than once.
haveyoumetlisa's review
4.0
I loved the idea behind this book - prayers written by women from different faith backgrounds and walks of life from all over the world. There were some really amazing prayers, poems, and meditations, but like most collected works, there were plenty of misses as well. As much as this book tries its darndest to be diverse, the content produced by these definitely diverse women is all very similar. And that's ok, but don't expect something else from this book. I appreciated Bessey's interspersed thoughts and meditations, and her wonderful benediction at the end. She did a fantastic job editing and collecting these writing prayers. It was both encouraging and challenging, as well as affirming, and I'm glad I read it. I will be adding some of the writings into my regular prayer time, and this book has inspired me to go look for other prayer collections as well.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, opinions are my own.
ms_quoted's review
5.0
It feels strange to say I am finished with this book because it is definitely a book I will be going to time and time again.
readsewknit's review against another edition
4.0
Sarah Bessey writes in the introduction of A Rhythm of Prayer that her goal was to offer a range of prayers that were "equal parts example and invitation, permission and challenge, to acknowledge the heaviness of our grief and at the same time broaden our hope."
During a year of uncertainty, of confusion and frustration and exhaustion, I would find myself seeking calm and quiet, and these pages could offer consolation, as I read this collection of prayers penned by women.
Words like these, from Laura Jean Truman, articulated what I, too, seek:
"Keep our anger from becoming meanness.
"Keep our sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.
"Keep our hearts soft enough to keep breaking.
"Keep our outrage turned towards justice, not cruelty."
This is a thoughtful, relevant collection of prayers that I found solace in, and I know I will seek it out time and again when I find need of prayer but struggle to put to words the feelings I'm experiencing.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
During a year of uncertainty, of confusion and frustration and exhaustion, I would find myself seeking calm and quiet, and these pages could offer consolation, as I read this collection of prayers penned by women.
Words like these, from Laura Jean Truman, articulated what I, too, seek:
"Keep our anger from becoming meanness.
"Keep our sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.
"Keep our hearts soft enough to keep breaking.
"Keep our outrage turned towards justice, not cruelty."
This is a thoughtful, relevant collection of prayers that I found solace in, and I know I will seek it out time and again when I find need of prayer but struggle to put to words the feelings I'm experiencing.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
smbcoffee's review
5.0
Loved. This. Book. I wish I had read it on paper with a cup of tea in the mornings, instead of listening to it.
coorebeek's review
5.0
I read this slowly to really take in every prayer. I went in unsure of how this book would be but it was so raw and each prayer felt like an on your knees cry out to God. It helps me to remember that I am constantly in prayer. Two of my favourites were “A prayer for the tired, angry ones” and “For all the so-called lost”.
mommasmittle's review
5.0
This book quiets the mind, body, and soul. Thankful for Sarah Bessey and all the wonderful ladies who made this book possible.
erika_is_reading's review
2.0
Everyone's mileage will vary. I am not sure there is much more to be said.
But try I will.
It's a collection of pieces, some short quotes (whether from Gandhi or from the Bible), some reflections that might be considered essays, and some presenting as prayers. I listed to this one on Audible, which I think might be a good way to experience it, and a group of women narrators with distinct voices read through them. The biblical verses are taken from "The Message," which is a paraphrasing (that's my word choice, YMMV) of the Bible published in the 1990s.
I am disinclined to give it a rating based on LIKING or DISLIKING, because I think my review needs to be informative for others, and how this aligns (or doesn't align) with my personal theology is not really the point. The most helpful thing I can say is this: if it will bother you to hear a prayer that is oriented around, and repeats, "Lord, help me to hate white people," or if it will make you twitch to hear God referred to as a "she," or if it will make you stare at your dashboard in disbelief when you are instructed that the wisdom of your ancestors is embedded in the deoxyribonucleic acid in your cells, ... then these are not the robots you are looking for. If, on the other hand, you will draw inspiration from stories about generations of women forming prayer circles in mutual support, and you will find it restorative to listen to guided meditations about sitting next to rolling waters, then this will definitely be your morning moment.
If both are true, then ... God help you (with the decision whether to pick this one up). I can't.
But try I will.
It's a collection of pieces, some short quotes (whether from Gandhi or from the Bible), some reflections that might be considered essays, and some presenting as prayers. I listed to this one on Audible, which I think might be a good way to experience it, and a group of women narrators with distinct voices read through them. The biblical verses are taken from "The Message," which is a paraphrasing (that's my word choice, YMMV) of the Bible published in the 1990s.
I am disinclined to give it a rating based on LIKING or DISLIKING, because I think my review needs to be informative for others, and how this aligns (or doesn't align) with my personal theology is not really the point. The most helpful thing I can say is this: if it will bother you to hear a prayer that is oriented around, and repeats, "Lord, help me to hate white people," or if it will make you twitch to hear God referred to as a "she," or if it will make you stare at your dashboard in disbelief when you are instructed that the wisdom of your ancestors is embedded in the deoxyribonucleic acid in your cells, ... then these are not the robots you are looking for. If, on the other hand, you will draw inspiration from stories about generations of women forming prayer circles in mutual support, and you will find it restorative to listen to guided meditations about sitting next to rolling waters, then this will definitely be your morning moment.
If both are true, then ... God help you (with the decision whether to pick this one up). I can't.