Customer Reviews

Prayerfulness: Awakening to the Fullness of Life

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"Prayerfulness" is an original, hands-on guide on integrating mindfulness into spiritual practice, tailored for a Christian reader. The book's mandate is expressed as follows: "even if we claim to be religious, a healthy spiritual perspective is neither automatic nor assured unless we are spiritually mindful." Thus, Dr. Wicks suggests that a mere doctrinal commitment is insufficient and that meaningful spirituality is contingent on a habit of awareness and real-time spiritual application. Towards this aim, Dr. Wicks offers a unique 30-day personalized spiritual staycation which involves a curriculum of thought-provoking quotes, questions and spiritual themes. The book models a psychologically healthy, existentially balanced, self-accepting attitude towards one's spiritual growth and, as such, effectively preempts spiritual perfectionism.

Pavel Somov, Ph.D., author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (2008) and "Present Perfect: a Mindfulness Approach to Letting Go of Perfectionism and the Need to Control."

As other reviewers have said, this is a quick read, and if you are already practicing any type of prayer or meditation in your life, it will most likely leave you disappointed. The book describes why we need to be more mindful in the face of our hurried lives, and the month-long "retreat" with a month's worth of quotes, questions and themes was useful, but I would think that most people who are already interested in this subject, would already have a practice like that in place. Many books on mindfulness that I've seen do not come from a Christian point of view, so that was interesting to me, and it was nice to have reminders of the importance of a meditative practice, but all in all, I was left somewhat disappointed.

At first glance you might think this is a book about prayer but instead it lies in the vein of books that talk about praying without ceasing or practicing the presence of God. In this book the author Wilkes focuses on practices/mindsets and activities that will develop a sense of spiritual mindfulness or awareness. Topics include "Creating simple rituals", "Softening the soul", and "Befriending anger and other negative emotions". From the titles of those chapters I think you can get an idea of the direction of this book. The book is more about finding a way of connecting with God via small actions and changes in mindset that allow for a life of "Prayerfulness".

The book is not heavy on the use of scripture, but instead pulls regularly from life experiences of the author. Also Wickes views Christianity from a Catholic perspective while not being overtly catholic in his recommendations or practices.
I found some of the recommendations and thoughts in this book to be useful and interesting; and I have been challenged in my thinking on dealing with some of my emotions and thoughts about my relationship with God. If you are open to this style of spiritual writing then I think you may be able to get something out of this book. However, if are looking for principles firmly based in scripture and consistent references to the Bible and reformed theology this book is definitely not for you.

Decide on getting this book with that in mind. If you have a question feel free to leave a comment and I would be happy to answer.

There are several things to know about Prayerfulness up front.

First, it is a relatively small, short book. This isn't a giant tome to portion out chapter by chapter. Instead, it's meant to be carried with you, read several times, referred to when you get stuck.

Next, this is written with a very Christian focus. You are told to "Love God deeply", references to Jesus and Biblical passages abound. Non-Christians who read this should be aware of this.

Third, the book also has a focus on mindfulness and "take care of yourself". This could upset devout Christians who feel a person's path should have nothing to do with Japanese meditation gardens and looking inward.

So the book almost needs a disclaimer, so those who would be upset by its content know to review it thoroughly before purchasing.

So,that being said, what IS in the book?

The book states clearly in its introduction that people should: "Love God deeply, Do what you can for others, And, please, take good care of yourself." Seems fairly straightforward, and something that most of us should agree with wholeheartedly. Author Wicks instructs us to live what we preach. If we feel our religion or path tells us to be calm and supportive, then we should strive to BE that way every day. Practice and perfect your skills in being that way.

Create short, meaningful rituals for yourself that help you focus on your goals and keep on on your path. Be IN the moment, rather than always worried about the past or dreaming about the future. Treasure the special world you are experiencing right now. Don't be a "gargoyle on roller skates", damaging the fragile world around you. Life is precious. See and appreciate it.

Life can't always be happy. Be aware of the sadness, and know that it can bring wisdom to you if you accept and work through it.

Meditation is not just an Eastern task - many famous Christians have advocated meditation and prayer as ways to become more close to God and to find serenity. Wicks quotes a Vietnamese monk who, when asked why he meditates, replies, "I meditate to be happy. When I am in the present moment, I am happy. If I think on the past, then I am often sorry. If I think about the future, I often worry. So then I am often sorry, worry, sorry, worry, sorry, worry. But when I meditate, I am in the present, and I am happy."

Wicks talks about this being a process that requires patience. "Be the apple slowly ripening". It is about learning to understand yourself, and to understand others. For example, think about anger not in terms of who MADE you angry, but "who did I get angry with." The change is subtle but very important.

Yes, you can enjoy beautiful things, but you should not crave and obsess over them.

There's an interesting questionnaire. What do you believe robs you of your joy and peace? Do you listen to people, or are you simply waiting your turn to speak? What are your most annoying situations, and what can they teach you? When do you feel most alive?

Certainly people who meditate already will find much of this old hat. Even people who haven't meditated but who have studied Christian doctrine seriously will find this very beginner's material. But clearly the book is written for people who have not attempted meditation and who have taken a gentle approach to Christianity without delving into its more serious side. I think the book provides an easy to understand, friendly introduction for this group of people and it does offer a reading list for people to move on from here and take on the subject in more depth.

I think the book does what it set out to do, and lays the basic groundwork very admirably.

Let me say right up front, this book is based in Christian doctrine. I am not enamored of such books, and didn't realize that this was one of those. Still, I really loved it. It offers ways of practicing a spiritual life, regardless of whether you practice a particular religious methodology.

There's a section that offers daily reflections for meditation. Very cool. The book is small enough to fit in my bag. I would put it on my Kindle, but 1) I don't know if I CAN, and 2) some books are just better in your hand so you can flip around to the page that speaks to you.

It's, well, sweet. I like sweet sometimes.

This is one of the best books I have ever found through the Amazon Vine program. There are books that you love, books that you can't put down, and books that transport you to a different time or place. This book does not neatly fit any of those categories, yet it is a book that I will keep near, treasure and reread in the future.

The author writes clearly, concisely and authoritatively about his subject: living in the present, being mindful of the constant presence of God, and being prayerful. Although I did not anticipate my fascination with this subject, as I read I became drawn into it, almost against my will.

This book is similar in some ways to Eckhart Tolle's popular book The Power of Now. Both authors are gifted writers who can tell fascinating stories. Both authors tap into the awesome joy and peacefulness that comes through cultivation of our inner lives. If you don't know what that means, pick up this book and read. Wicks explains it far better than I ever could. The key difference between Tolle and Wicks is that Wicks is a Christian who believes in God, and uses prayer and meditation to become closer to and more aware of his creator. Tolle tries to avoid the very mention of God in his book.

There are books that I have read, enjoyed, and put aside. I don't usually read a novel twice, unless it is extraordinary. This is a book that I will save and re-read again and again. For as Wicks explains, "true prayerfulness is not captured once and for all but must be continually embraced." We never overcome all the obstacles to prayerfulness in this life. We are always striving for closeness to God. This book will serve as a useful guide to some of life's amazing journeys.

I am a New Thought Christian and, frequently, I hesitate to read Christian books because they are generally far more conservative in their views of everything. I'll just say I have theological differences with the authors.

Prayerfulness is an exception. There are a number of authors these days who write about the concept of living "in the now" so Wicks is not alone. I believe he has a unique perspective and approach to both prayer and mindfulness, thus prayerfulness.

For readers who are not Christian, it is not terribly difficult to take the premise of the Christian God out of the book and use whatever is your own belief. The principals are still valid and useful. Being in the presence of the divine is the key, not what you choose to call that divinity. Wicks writes from a Christian perspective, using the Bible and Scripture and the like, but he isn't heavy handed with it.

If you are looking for an introduction to mindfulness that incorporates spirituality, Prayerfulness is an excellent choice.

Each chapter gives the reader things to think about and things to do to open themselves to experiencing the divine in their own daily life. Wicks uses quotes from other authors, from other faith traditions to clarify and make the concepts practical as well as simple to understand.

Title 2: Quasi-Christian mystical mindfulness
Title 3: Living as a Zen-Catholic or Zen-Christian

This is a smoothly-written, at times interesting and helpful little book that purports to deal with prayer or "prayerfulness." There are constant anecdotes, and the prose follows an organized path, but the content--at least to me--is vague. To a degree like that college text book that you wished would come out and say what it means, but instead "beats around the bush.".

But as far as I can pin it down-and that is not easy task since there aren't a lot of definitions of key terms-prayerfulness includes mainly mystical meditation, interacting with other people (being social)and things, and being aware of God in some way.

The book claims to be Christian (for example, page 197), but it is only partially biblical at best. It is more a rehash of Zen-Christianity. The title "Prayerfulness" is an obvious rewording of the "mindfulness" of the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (see his "The Miracle of Mindfulness" and Peace is Every Step," for example). I think I noticed Jesus mentioned very few times in 175 pages, and there are a few quotes from Scripture. There are quotes from Catholic writers and stories about Catholics.

What is spirituality to this author? I would think it is just about anything that involves living. I beg to disagree. It's more that being meditative or mystical or thoughtful or even kind to our fellow beings. It certainly involves being aware of God's presence and praying, but it also involves truth, biblical truth. Jesus: "true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).

What is prayerfulness to this author? Well, fortunately we get close to a definition on page 107: "prayerfulness (what some people call mindfulness or awareness)." Note the implied direct link to Thich Nhat Hanh's work.

In conclusion, if you are looking for some stories and meditations in the context of a rather broad definition of prayer, with guidelines that are often not biblical in source, try this book. But if you are hoping to learn more about Christian prayer, look elsewhere.

"Prayerfulness" is a book of paths towards a kinder, gentler way of living in the "now," and while it perhaps does not have any earth-shattering revelations that you've never heard before, it has proven eternal truths and includes quotes from a wide range of spiritual disciplines from Christian (Thomas Merton) to Tibetan Buddhist (the Dalai Lama) to many more theologians and thinkers, and emphasizes things like living a "non ego-centered approach to life" and having an attitude of gratitude.

There are chapters on dealing with sadness, anger and illness, and how to directly face "the dark night of the soul" that must inevitably be encountered in life with compassion to those around us as well as ourselves.

In Part Two, you get "A Month of Quotes, Questions, and Spiritual Themes," 30 days of a thought/question to meditate on and live with throughout the day, a sort of "retreat" while at the same time working and doing our daily tasks. You also get a "Spiritual Mindfulness Questionaire" which "is designed to help you gain a clearer sense of how open, present, and prayerful you are in your daily life."

With a nice layout , sturdy construction, and a readable font size, "Prayerfulness" is a book of reminders about how to "Live each moment as a gift from God,' and sometimes we simply need a reminder, to get us on the path we already know we should be traveling on.

A simple, readable, gently challenging invitation to recognize the presence of God in all that life offers. The difference between "prayer" and "prayerfulness" is discussed ~ a distinction that is important to spiritual development ~ as well as the points at which they intersect. Self knowledge is intimately connected to our relationship with God and Wicks does a good job of weaving psychology with practical spirituality. Each chapter ends with a list of suggestions for reflection and while they are beneficial, I found them to be a bit too lengthy as well as of limited value without support from a group or individual director. My sense is that this book is best suited for people who are more in the beginning stages of their seeking and would be a good resource for those who do Spiritual direction. The 30 days of quotes and thoughts to ponder provide a habit forming structure that again would be of greater value to those new to such pursuits. All in all it is a solid book but for the right audience.