This simple little book from a great spiritual giant attends to what we human beings are most inclined to forget, preparing for and engaging in prayer. It is an examination of what we ourselves must bring to the discipline of prayer – whatever form it takes – in order to make prayer authentic and real, a deep and profound part of our lives.

Prayer is the link to a life beyond the mundane, the daily, the routine, the immediate dimensions of life. It is the beginning of a relationship with the God who is closer to us than we are to ourselves. It is a relationship with both creation and the Creator. It helps us grow into the fullness of ourselves, both spiritually and psychologically.

But authentic prayer requires something from us, as well as from the God we seek. It requires that we bring to it an open heart, a good deal of self-knowledge, constancy in darkness, and a willingness to attend to the Light, even when all we can see is darkness.

None of the brief reflections in this book are ever finished, ever closed, ever fully resolved. They are all ongoing steps along the way, steps we retrace over and over again as we do all the other parts of life, until they become the very breath we breathe, the vision and energy of our souls.

This is great spiritual reading for every person who longs for prayer to be the the very breath of his or her soul.