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Talking to God: Personal Prayers for Times of Joy, Sadness, Struggle, and Celebration [Paperback]

Naomi Levy (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 21, 2003
After the publication of her best-selling book To Begin Again, Naomi Levy received a flood of feedback from readers telling her how much the prayers in it had helped and moved them. Many urged her to publish a collection of her prayers—and now she has.

In a time when we all need inspiration, comfort, and connection, Talking to God will help us reclaim prayer as an integral part of our lives, making it as natural and uninhibited as talking to our loved ones. Prayer is essential to the lives of millions, but many of us are searching for ways to supplement traditional prayers with ones that are less formal and more intimate.

Written in a simple and direct style, the prayers in this book—and the wonderful stories that accompany them—are for people of all faiths, and for all occasions large and small. Naomi Levy’s personal prayers address the anxieties and roadblocks we all face in contemporary life. There are prayers for facing a new day, realizing one’s potential at work, celebrating an anniversary or birthday, and going to sleep at night. And there are prayers for the more profound occurrences in life—love and marriage, pregnancy and childbirth, illness, loss, and death.

Rabbi Levy’s words, imbued with grace and empathy, touch on the entire range of human experience. Many of us will recognize ourselves in her prayers and stories and will be comforted by them, as well as challenged and uplifted. Perhaps most important, they are stepping-stones for us to go on and create our own prayers, to find meaning in our own lives, and to begin or renew our own relationships with God.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Talking to God: Personal Prayers for Times of Joy, Sadness, Struggle, and Celebration + To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times + Hope Will Find You: My Search for the Wisdom to Stop Waiting and Start Living
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Levy, one of the first female Conservative rabbis in the United States, offers perceptive prayers, personal stories, and some powerful thoughts on the efficacy of prayer in this heartfelt book. Remarkably, it is more directed toward blessing others than praying for oneself: in a particularly moving section, Levy encourages people to place their hands on their children's and parents' heads and pronounce blessings upon them. Although Levy draws primarily from Jewish traditions, these prayers will be welcomed by people of many faiths; in particular, those who are grieving will cherish Levy's lucid understanding of the depth of pain. This is not a simplistic, sound-bite prayer book, but a carefully considered manual for inviting God into every possible situation. (Aug. 25)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Those of us who have been deeply moved by Naomi Levy's book, To Begin Again, will welcome her new book, Talking to God . The beautiful, simple, and direct prayers she offers here will enrich the spiritual practices of persons of all faith traditions."
-Joseph C. Hough, Jr., President, Union Theological Seminary

"Talking to God is a beautiful and heartfelt collection of prayers. It's filled with wisdom, compassion and plenty of insight. I loved every page and will refer to it often."
-Richard Carlson, author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff

"The author challenges us to partner with God by doing all we can to answer our own prayers... Talking to God involves a lecture to self, then a prayer beyond self to One who calls you out of self."
-Rev. Cecil L. Murray, Senior Minister, First A.M.E. Church

"I hope that all the people who feel detached from God because they cannot pray will read Naomi Levy's book and learn to re-connect."
-Rabbi Harold S. Kushner


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Image (October 21, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385510039
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385510035
  • Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 7.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #287,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

NAOMI LEVY, author of the national bestseller To Begin Again and Talking to God, is the founder and leader of NASHUVA, the Jewish spiritual outreach movement. Named one of the 50 top rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine, she was in the first class of women to enter the Conservative rabbinical seminary. Naomi has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show and NPR. She lives in Venice, California, with her husband, Rob Eshman, and their children, Adi and Noa.

 

Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (15)
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2 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Prose Prayers with Purpose, a must read, September 11, 2002
The author of the best selling, tear jerking, hope-filled, "TO BEGIN AGAIN," offers us this collection of personal prayers for people of all faiths, for all occasions. True prayers lead to action. Some find that traditional prayers are unfulfilling or worse, alienating. This book provides simple, direct and intimate prose, as if you are chatting with a loved one, God. Many of the prayers are preceded by a poignant story from Rabbi Levy's life in the rabbinate.

In Part 1, there are Daily Prayers for Morning, Driving, Difficult Days, Food on Our Table, Seeking the Ability to Pray, Finding Mentors in the least likely places, Nighttime, and a Prayer for the Parent to say to a Child at Night. You think you had bad days, consider her story prior to one prayer for Bad Days, when she recounts that the day she moved homes, she had a car accident, had to bid farewell to a dying congregant, and found the tallis given to her by her dean being used as a drop cloth by painters.

Part 2 contains prayers for love and marriage, including prayers for finding love, sexuality, rekindling passion, breakups, marriage, troubles, anniversaries, guidance after unfaithfulness, healing from divorce, preparing for the wedding ceremony, and the second marriage. The prayer for fighting sexual temptation is preceded by a hilarious story about how the rabbi's phone number became confused with that of an internet prostitute. You'll have to read the book to learn about how the problem was resolved. In Part 3, there are prayers for Pregnancy and Childbirth, including prayers for Conception, Pregnancy and Strength, and Birth. In Part 4, there are prayers for parenthood and adoption, and a story about how the rabbi learns to face the challenges of parenting a special needs child.

In Part 5, there are prayers for healing, healers, overcoming illnesses and addictions, overcoming breast cancer, surgery, and living with disabilities. Part 6 contains prayers for work and employment unemployment, career changes, interviews, and the incumbent challenges. The Prayer Before a Big Challenge is preceded by a Talmudic story of Rabbi Eliezer and his mentor Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai. Part 7 contains prayers for comfort and strength in difficult times, embracing silence, and being resilient. A prayer to be said after losing a pet is preceded by a story about pets and Martin Buber. In Part 8, there are prayers for special occasions, new homes, birthdays, rests, and brushes with death. In Part 9, there are prayers for Aging, including retirement, menopause, the fear of retirement, the fear of becoming dependent or a burden to others, and a prayer for the child who must care for an aging parent.

In Part 10, there are prayers of Death and Mourning, including prayers for those who succumb to violence and prayers for those murdered on 9/11/2001. Part 11 contains prayers for Living Up to the Best in Our Souls, including a prayer to abstain from gossip, overcoming jealousy, prayers for wrongdoing and repair, healing troubled relationships, and for guidance and wisdom. The final chapter, Part 12, has prayers for Peace, Tolerance, our Country and the World. After each chapter, there are a couple of pages in which to joy down your own words and prayers for yourself and posterity. This book is well conceived, well designed and well written.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Find a Personal Prayer for Your Specific Need, September 27, 2002
By 
CHANA BELL (Venice, California United States) - See all my reviews
I just purchased "Talking to God" recently, and immediately I found prayers that moved me and that I could share with friends for their specific needs. For example as we approached September 11th I wanted to find a prayer for my neighbor who had lost her brother in the Towers. I shared with her the prayer on loss through tragedy. Her comment was that the author of this prayer had obviously gone through a tragedy herself. This neighbor stated that she keeps reading the prayer and finds comfort from it. On another occasion I read the prayer which is for the parents of special needs children to my close friend who is the parent of a special needs child, and we both cried. She immediately wanted a copy of the prayer and the book. Before my family Rosh HaShannah dinner I read the prayer for the New Year to my guests, and everyone wanted a copy of the book. I know that this book will be a continual resource for me, my family, and my friends.

There is a light that shines from the prayers and the annecdotal material. This book models the possibility of prayer as a personal conversation with God. Every household needs a copy of
"Talking to God" by Naomi Levy

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Practical grace., November 7, 2002
Rabbi Levy's new book sparkles in the sea of self-help and spiritual books out there in the big wide world. She has the talent and the inclination to do bring spirituality to us in practical ways, helping us to heal the painful split between spiritual belief and "real life."

Might as well order 5 copies for starters because you are going to want to give this one away. Naomi Levi is the voice of practical grace, and I can't think of a better gift than that.

- Thom Rutledge, Author of Embracing Fear (HarperSanFrancisco)

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Daily prayer is the hardest form of prayer. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
May God, Island Girl, Desert Island
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