Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit: 52 Prayers for Today

Keep this book where you do your devotions! It is a wonderful prayer resource. The prayers reflect the content of varioius John Wesley sermons. I pick one every day and continue to go back to the beginning after 52 days.

"That's me", is what I get from anyone I read a passage of this book. 52 prayers accompanied by scripture and the words of a hymn. The prayers are based on the doctrinal writings of John Wesley and read like poetry. Their succinct messages hit home with readers as the prayers take on contemporary issues like bigotry, fear, types of people, Christianity, etc. I have ordered additional copies to give to friends and plan to use one of the prayers as the base for a service we'll be doing this summer.

Each prayer is wonderfully written and Paul Chilcote captures the essence of Wesley's teaching. Praying is not easy for me, and it has been a delight to incorporate the reading of a single prayer from this book both when I first awake and last thing before I sleep. Paul Chilicote manages to write as though his very words are my own thoughts and struggles and brings me to an attitude of reflection and thoughtfullness as I prepare to offer my personal prayers to our Lord. I expect this book will be read many times over.

In the 18th century John Wesley took church to the people. He preached at British coal fields as well as in urban centers. 53 of his sermons became known as the Standard Sermons and were used as teaching tools.Paul Chilcote distilled the 18th century language of Wesley's sermons (which might take an hour or more if read aloud) into 53 lyrical prayers. Very accessible. Very real. Very much in tune with the language of today's heart. These are prayers to pray daily and weekly, prayers to let grow from the lips and travel to the mind and the heart, prayers to become a part of the soul. Chilcote's work updates Wesley and continues to speak to Wesley's concern for the spiritual formation of all people.