Experiencing God Through Prayer [Paperback]

Madom Guyon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1984

Esteemed as one of the greatest Christian works in history, this book effectively explains short and easy methods of prayer for those who hunger and thirst after God's presence.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte-Guyon (commonly known as Madame Guyon) (1648–1717) was a French mystic and one of the key advocates of Quietism. Quietism was considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church, and she was imprisoned from 1695 to 1703 after publishing a book on the topic, A Short and Easy Method of Prayer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 94 pages
• Publisher: Whitaker House (June 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883681536
• ISBN-13: 978-0883681534
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #676,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars God delights when we come to Him in childlike confidence., December 10, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Norcross, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Experiencing God Through Prayer (Paperback)

Madame Guyon teaches the simple truth. You must learn to pray from your heart not your head. She explains how to sit quitely (while being active) and wait on God. Col. 1:27 "Christ in you, the hope of glory." As a result of this short book, I could sense the Holy Spirit leading me back to a personal relationship with God - through His Word the Bible. As written on page 88, Romans 8:14 "Follow the example of Paul, allowing yourself to be 'led by the Spirit of God' He will lead you to the ultimate goal of enjoying God forever.....You are called to enjoy God - not only His gifts to you....The whole desire of our heavenly Father is to give Himself to every creature according to the capacity in which we will receive Him." This book is written for everyone to be able to read and follow.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Definition of "Inner Silence", March 26, 2001

By 

Christopher C. Alsruhe (Baltimore, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Experiencing God Through Prayer (Paperback)

Although this book does not speak in the expicit terms of "inner silence" and "monastic silence," it does speak of these things implicitly (and so at times not as straightforward as she could have), and she does a good job. The author speaks concerning a way of life and prayer which has been lost for the most part in conservative Protestant circles. To explain, and using the terms I've introduced, she speaks of inner silence. This does not mean what is meant by the meditations of eastern religions. Rather, this term refers to an inner lack of struggle---a lack of struggle with numerous voices and desires, because of the absence of the multiplicity of voices calling for one's attention. "Monastic silence" better explains this, for monastic has the form "mono" meaning one. The inner silence to which Guyon speaks is that silence of peace which comes when one is only hearing ONE voice, and that voice is God's.

The one who has come to experience what Guyon is speaking of has learned to allow only one voice (God's), and thus there is no competition or multiplicity of voices calling for one's servanthood. In addition, she speaks implicitly of not regretting such a dedication to God. That is to say, one may choose to hear and enjoy only God, but they may wish that they could have some other voices and enjoyments, thus they regret to some extent that God is all they have chosen. Guyon states that when we choose God and God alone as our desire and the voice to whom we listen, and we do not regret what we have abandoned, then we have inner silence, peace within ourselves. Again, this is what others call monastic silence, the silence/lack of struggle with the decision of choosing only one.

Luke 11:34 speaks of having a single (literally "unified") eye for God, and Philippians 3:7 - 15 speaks of this singleness of desire for Christ Jesus as God as the attitude and condition of a mature believer in Christ Jesus. Guyon speaks to this issue and does a fine job, though if she had explained certain things a little more, I would have rated the book with 5 stars.

This is an excellent book for learning how to seek the Biblical communion with God that is available to His people, without being superstitious in approach or speaking of weird things. Guyon speaks of going beyond "experiences" (spiritual signs, bells and whistles, ooh's and ah's, if you will) to rather reach the point of simple, intimate fellowship and satisfaction with God (satifaction with the Mono, the One). She speaks of simple abandonment of what perishes in preferment of the One who never perishes. She speaks of focusing on and enjoying the Giver rather than the gifts.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Consider the edition edited by Gene Edwards, March 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Experiencing God Through Prayer (Paperback)

This is a useful basic book from a woman who understood how to dwell in God's presence and to appreciate that, while we are not God, we do have the kingdom of heaven living inside us in the form of the Holy Spirit if we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord. However, this is an abridged and highly paraphrased version of the translation which Gene Edwards was the editor of, <i>Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ</i>, so much so that it seems an almost wholly different book at times. You may want to compare the two.