In my opinion, the best book on prayer is a small treasure written by Henri Nouwen entitled "With Open Hands." I have read many books and pamphlets on the subject, but none journey to the center of truth about prayer and spiritual life as Nouwen's work. The book has been around now for over forty years. It is still one of the best buys ever for under $10.
Here is a passage from Nouwen's chapter on Prayer and Compassion.
"If you are to have a future, it will be a future together with others. A prayer of hope is a prayer that disarms you and extends you far beyond the limits of your longings. Therefore, there can be no talk of prayer so long as praying is thought of as an activity which excludes our neighbor. "Anyone who says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother or sister is a liar," says Saint John (1 John 4:20). And Jesus says, "It is not those who say to me, "Lord, Lord,' who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but those who do the will of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21)
"Praying can never be antisocial or asocial. Whenever we pray and leave out our neighbors, our prayer is not real prayer. True prayer by its nature is socially significant. But that is not as simple as it sounds! Often people say: "Go out and do something for those who suffer instead of praying for them." Although there is little reason ti suppose that so little is done for people who suffer because so much time is spent praying for them, there is some reason to wonder whether the comment "I'll pray for you" is a sign of genuine concern.
"Dear God, as you draw me ever deeper into your heart, I discover that my companions on the journey are women and men loved by you as fully and as intimately as I am. In your compassionate heart, there is a place for them all. No one is excluded. Give me a share in your compassion, dear God, so that your unlimited love may become visible in the way I love my brothers and sisters. AMEN." (Henri Nouwen, With Open Hands, pages 81, 82, and 97)
Love One Another - Brian
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