Near to the Heart of God

Like devotional material? Like brief readings? Like snippets packed with non cliche wisdom? Like the mystics. Yes to any of those makes this a book you should have. Accessible and stimulating - a ready companion. Excellent for a man or woman. I miss this when I don't read it

I've often wanted to read the wisdom of Christians through the ages, but have not known how to get a hold of their writings, or have been overwhelmed by the effort required to decipher the language-usage of the past. Bernard Bangley has taken care of all that in a daily devotional where he has translated the wisdom of the ages into modern language. For example: To read what a Greek monk who lived in 355 A.D. wrote about prayer and have it pertain to my prayer life is astounding. . ."Relax your prayers. Do not work so hard to have your request granted...prayer that is not distracted with a wish list is the highest achievement of the intellect." Beyond the knowledge and insight that this book has given me (and it's only January 4!) I find comfort in the continuity of the ages. Mankind hasn't changed that much after all. We still seek God and we still struggle . . . Get this book!