Answered Prayers [Paperback]

Julia Cameron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2004

An original and inspiring work from the bestselling author of The Artist's Way.

This enlightening companion to Julia Cameron's bestselling Prayers Trilogy (Blessings, Heart Steps, and Transitions) is for anyone who has yearned for a more spiritual life, for anyone who has felt that their prayers have gone unheard. In this luminous book God answers our prayers with a prayer of His own: It is His greatest wish that we recognize the divine grace and goodness present within all of us.

In Answered Prayers, the divine creator who watches over us-regardless of religion or creed-reveals that He is with us in every moment, that He in fact never leaves our side. In a language that is at once simple and eloquent, He responds to all of our fears and all of our longings are understood, and are answered. Answered Prayers is truly a gift from God.

Award-winning writer Julia Cameron is the author of twenty books, both fiction and nonfiction, including the bestselling works on the creative process The Artist's Way, Walking in This World, The Vein of Gold, The Right to Write, and The Sound of Paper. A novelist, playwright, songwriter, and poet, she has extensive credits in theater, film, and television.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The prolific writer and well-known creativity guru best known for her Artist's Way method of developing creativity pens another prayer book for the spiritual-but-not-religious group. Although prayer is often understood as words spoken to God, these 250-word meditations are words from the divine, addressed to one who is praying. They offer reassurance to a soul experiencing anxiety, fear, loss, confusion, doubt, loneliness and the gamut of emotions. Addressed to the pray-er, they provide a sense of being acknowledged by the divine—hence the book's title. A perspective shift from "I" to "you" also lessens the tone of self-affirmation found in Cameron's previous prayer books. The prayers are deliberately short and also, as the author acknowledges, repetitive ("issues... are not often resolved with a single prayer"), psalm-like in their brevity, plainness and fervor. The language echoes some of the most resonant and abiding promises of time-honored religion ("I am with you always"; "All things come to the good"; "I am your rock, your fortress") as well, at times, of the 12-step self-help program and its promises ("you will not regret the past or wish to slam the door on it"). This book will be helpful for those who resist conventional prayer or scripture, providing a nondogmatic entry to the disciplines of prayer and devotional reading.
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About the Author

Award-winning writer Julia Cameron is the author of twenty books, both fiction and nonfiction, including the bestselling works on the creative process The Artist's Way, Walking in This World, The Vein of Gold, The Right to Write, and The Sound of Paper. A novelist, playwright, songwriter, and poet, she has extensive credits in theater, film, and television.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (October 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585423513
• ISBN-13: 978-1585423514
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia Cameron has been an active artist for more than thirty years. She is the author of twenty-eight books, fiction and nonfiction, including her bestselling works on the creative process: The Artist's Way, Walking in This World, Finding Water, and The Writing Diet. A novelist, playwright, songwriter, and poet, she has multiple credits in theater, film, and television.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Source of Comfort, January 4, 2005

By 

home "pitstopinpurgatory" (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Answered Prayers (Paperback)

I gave this book to a very sick friend who was facing surgery. She said reading it gave her peace of mind while she felt closer to God. The prayers are beautifully written. I highly highly recommend this book to anyone who is facing major changes in life, death, divorce, health crisis, middle age crisis or job loss. I was a big fan of the "Artist's Way" by Julia before, but now I am eternally grateful to her book for comforting my dear friend in a way I couldn't do myself. The best money I ever spent on a book!!!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every chapter is a prayer, November 25, 2005

By 

JAD (The Sunshine State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Answered Prayers (Paperback)

This book was one of the top selling religious books in 2004.

Why is it called "Answered Prayer"? Let us say that you are dealing with any of a number of personal challenges, and in the middle of them, you are hoping to hear some word from the Lord. Perhaps you are worried about diminished income, or you are wondering if you are a loveable person. You may have concerns about life being dull and humorless. You are weary. You are afraid to reach out to someone in friendship. You are afraid to take the risk of trusting another. Cameron addresses these and many more concerns, in her book.

The book is like a journal of prayer, but most prayer journals record the voice of the one who prays. Not this book. Instead of prayers that are addressed to God, these prayers are presented as responses to the one who prays, in other words, as if one is hearing back, from God. It sounds like this: "I am the peace that passes understanding." Or, "Open the door just a foothold. I can work with you as you are. You are not the first disillusioned one I have encountered." (Page 149).

Every chapter is a prayer. Every prayer is deeply steeped in Scripture. You will find these prayers to be in accord with God's many promises we find there. These "love letters from the Divine" allow us to hear what God longs to say to us, when we find ourselves in deep and troubled waters.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual Concept of God, February 17, 2005

By 

Inspired "Always searching" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Answered Prayers (Paperback)

I just love this book. It's for anyone who practices no particular "religion". The prayers are simple, in every day language, easily understood like God is speaking right to me. I find it inspiring every day and look forward to reading one prayer per day. None are more than a few paragraphs and all speak straight to the heart.