Get in the race. Put on your protective gear and take your place in the pit stall. Start your engines prayer warriors because this will be the read of your life. Whether you are a new believer or not, you will enjoy reading about the issues pastors face in this fast-paced format. Numerous pastors share their heart wrenching stories in Pit Crew: Praying Our Pastors Will Finish the Race. Like the apostle Paul, these ministers want to be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). NASCAR nut Sally U. Smith will keep it fun with some great stories from racing and metaphors on how to compare praying for your pastor to a pit crew. Writing from the pew on this issue, Smith will fill your tank with prayer tips on how to intercede for your pastor, how to be an instrument of renewal, and how to lead and start a prayer group. Pit Crew comes loaded with prayer lists for you and your prayer huddle.

The Leader's Guide combines practical exercises with inspiring reflections on the experiences of individuals involved with baptism. Clergy and lay people will find a wealth of ideas, tips, and discussion starters to help parents and godparents make informed and committed choices on behalf of their infant or young child.

Christ's Own Forever is a unique resource developed with the varying needs of Episcopal communities of all sizes in mind. Flexible session plans are ideal for both one-on-one conversations with parents or meetings that include several families together.

Includes background on baptism and Christian initiation, as well as guidance on preparation for baptism in the Episcopal Church today. Guidance is provided for preparation and follow-up with parents who are parish members and those who are unchurched.

This book examines in detail the concept of "abrogation" in the Qur'an, which has played a major role in the development of Islamic law and has implications for understanding the history and integrity of the Qur'anic text. The term has gained popularity in recent years, as Muslim groups and individuals claim that many passages about tolerance in the Qur'an have been abrogated by others that call on Muslims to fight their enemies. Author Louay Fatoohi argues that this could not have been derived from the Qur'an, and that its implications contradict Qur'anic principles. He also reveals conceptual flaws in the principle of abrogation as well as serious problems with the way it was applied by different scholars. Abrogation in the Qur'an and Islamic Law traces the development of the concept from its most basic form to the complex and multi-faceted doctrine it has become. The book shows what specific problems the three modes of abrogation were introduced to solve, and how this concept has shaped Islamic law. The book also critiques the role of abrogation in rationalizing the view that not all of the Qur'anic revelation has survived in the "mushaf", or the written record of the Qur'an. This role makes understanding abrogation an essential prerequisite for studying the history of the Qur'anic text.

2013 Christian Resources Together Devotional Book of the Year Do you sometimes find yourself searching for a way to approach God or wondering how to get out of a devotional slump? Do you long for spiritual guides you can trust? This guide to prayer is rooted in centuries of Christian tradition. In each chapter you'll meet a figure from church history, such as St. Benedict, Martin Luther, John Calvin, St. Ignatius, Teresa of ?vila and Andrew Murray. You'll learn how each of these spiritual giants uniquely connected to God through prayer. Each chapter provides an opportunity to practice a different method for prayer, including the divine office, the Lord's Prayer, the Jesus Prayer, healing prayer and meditation on the Psalms. In the process your own prayer practice will be refreshed and renewed. Journey into church history and enliven each day of your prayer life. A complimentary companion volume is included in the e-book edition of Kneeling with Giants. The Reader has a full chapter of primary source material corresponding to each of the ten chapters of Kneeling with Giants, with selections chosen to clearly introduce each approach to prayer in its original context. It includes the best modern translations of non-English works, hard to find works, including three Puritan texts and four complete "hours" of the pre-Vatican II Benedictine daily office so that readers can experience the cycle of Benedictine prayer with ease.

The Imitatio Christi is considered one of the classic texts of Western spirituality. There were 800 manuscript copies and more than 740 different printed editions of the Imitatio between its composition in the fifteenth century and 1650. During the Reformation period, the book retained its popularity with both Protestants and Catholics; with the exception of the Bible it was the most frequently printed book of the sixteenth century. In this pioneering study, the remarkable longevity of the Imitatio across geographical, chronological, linguistic and confessional boundaries is explored. Rather than attributing this enduring popularity to any particular quality of universality, this study suggests that its key virtue was its appropriation by different interest groups. That such an apparently Catholic and monastic work could be adopted and adapted by both Protestant reformers and Catholic activists (including the Jesuits) poses intriguing questions about our understanding of Reformation and Counter Reformation theology and confessional politics. This study focuses on the editions of the Imitatio printed in English, French, German and Latin between the 1470s and 1650. It offers an ambitious and comprehensive survey of the process of translation and its impact and contribution to religious culture. In so doing it offers a fresh analysis of spirituality and devotion within their proper late medieval and early modern contexts. It also demonstrates that spirituality was not a peripheral dimension of religion, but remains at the very heart of both Catholic and Protestant self-perception and identity.

Do you ever sit down to pray and struggle to find the right words? You want to spend time with God, but you don't know where to begin? 365 Days of Prayer for Women is a beautiful book of topically arranged, guided prayers and complementary Scriptures that will enhance your prayer life and offer you peace, joy, and strength every day. God hears your voice when you direct it to him. He will step into every struggle and be your very present help in trouble. He will give you the words to say even when you find yourself lacking.

'All we can do is pray.' How often we hear these words in the wake of a disaster or a tragedy. At certain moments of great sorrow - or great joy - praying seems as natural as breathing. The Nation's Favourite Prayers brings together a selection of prayers - both classic and modern - that can be used in a wide range of situations. In the first part of the book, David Winter explores the importance of prayer and offers guidance on different approaches. The second part of the book contains 40 prayers, giving the background to each prayer as well as the full text. Famous prayers featured include: the Lord's Prayer, the prayer of St Francis of Assisi, the Serenity Prayer, a Gaelic Blessing, a Kitchen Prayer and the prayer of General Lord Astley before the battle of Edgehill.

The 25th anniversary edition of this favorite companion reconnects a new generation with timeless Catholic spirituality with refreshing changes that create a powerful contemporary resource.

This Roman Missal for the Masses of the Blessed Virgin

Mary from Catholic Book Publishing contains the

Eucharistic Prayers, so that no other book is needed to

celebrate these 46 Masses in honor of the Blessed

Virgin. Includes useful, functional tabs for the

Ordinary of the Mass, ribbon markers, and liturgical

drawings that introduce each main section. The

Roman Missal for the Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A devotional prayer book focusing on one year with the Psalms, the most sensitive and honest words written about daily stress and daily blessings.

This compact liturgy provides alternative services and prayers for many occasions. It includes: Prayers before Worship; Early Morning Prayer; Morning Prayer; Evening Prayer; Night Prayer; A Service of Marriage; In Praise of Creation; A Funeral Service; A Service of Healing; Prayers of Intercession; A Celtic Calendar of the Lives of the Saints; Selected Psalms, and an Historical Overview.

Life is a precious gift, yet daily demands can cloud your vision, making it look like a never-ending cycle of obligations and appointments. Through this insightful devotional, reclaim your passions, your relationships, and your joy through the daily reminders of what really matters. It's never too late to live the wide-awake, passionate life you once envisioned. Embrace what really matters most, and start living a life rich with purpose, delight, and eternal meaning.

Advent-the season in which we prepare for the coming of the Savior-provokes a certain ambivalence among modern believers. We know that Christ has come in the historical person of Jesus of Nazareth, and we live anticipating his return, knowing that our true home is one which he has gone ahead to prepare for us. In the meantime, we are left living between those two worlds. Moorehead uses the witness of the scriptures, her wealth of experience in long years of ministry, and the wisdom of her own life of prayer to guide us in praying the ambiguity of living faithfully between "here and now" and "there and then.

When you talk to God, do you ever feel as if you are not getting through? You're not alone. At some point, most believers find themselves grappling with difficult questions like Would God really talk to me personally? and How do I know it's truly God talking, and not my own thoughts? But here's the good news: Hearing God is simpler than you think. It's possible to have a relationship with God that involves both speaking and listening. In fact, it's God's desire; He wants to talk to you. In this revised and expanded edition of a classic work, author and teacher Steve Sampson shows you how to pray not just wishing you'd hear God's voice--but expecting to hear it. Sampson's uncomplicated, practical perspective will help you cultivate the two-way conversation with God you've always longed for. Before long, you'll hear Him speaking into your circumstances and relationships, expressing His love for you and showing you the next steps to take in your life. Don't settle for a one-sided conversation with God. Break through this barrier and develop a sensitive heart that hears--and responds to--God's still, small voice. "With clarity and humor, Steve takes you on a journey to the place of profound simplicity in Christ where hearing Him is as natural as breathing."--Bishop Mark J. Chironna, M.A., Ph.D., Church on the Living Edge, Orlando, Florida

FOR DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE THE USA. Common Prayer helps today's diverse church pray together across traditions and denominations. With an ear to the particulars of how various liturgical traditions pray, and using an advisory team of liturgy experts, the authors have created a tapestry of prayer that celebrates the best of each tradition. The book also includes a unique songbook composed of music and classic lyrics to over fifty songs from various traditions, including African spirituals, traditional hymns, Mennonite gathering songs, and Taize chants. Tools for prayer are scattered throughout to aid those who are unfamiliar with liturgy and to deepen the prayer life of those who are familiar with liturgical prayer. Ultimately, Common Prayer makes liturgy dance, taking the best of the old and bringing new life to it with a fresh fingerprint for the contemporary renewal of the church. Churches and individuals who desire a deeper prayer life and those familiar with Shane Claiborne and New Monasticism will enjoy the tools offered in this book as a fresh take on liturgy.

Pray the Rosary by Catholic Book Publishing is the most popular and comprehensive pocket-size Rosary booklet. With a flexible, illustrated blue cover and magnificent full-color illustrations of each Mystery, this Pray the Rosary by Rev. J. M. Lelen is ideal for praying Rosary Novenas, Family Rosaries, and the Five First Saturdays. Pray the Rosary is also perfectly suited for Private Recitation during quiet, personal prayer-time. Available individually, the conveniently-sized bo ...

The pain and the surprise of disease deeply affects us. It affects our capacity to think and pray. Our relationship with God is affected, sometimes for better, sometimes apparently for worse. We feel new emotions. Disease is truly all encompassing. It is not always easy to know which part of us being most affected.' FROM THE AUTHORS' INTRODUCTION Jointly written by the director and a former chaplain of Burrswood, the renowned centre for the Christian healing ministry, Prayers for Healing is offered as a support for all who are affected by disease, in themselves or in a loved one. Prayers and readings for morning and evening for thirty-one days reflect on a wide range of the bewildering emotions that are experienced at such a time and aim to bring comfort, hope and strength. Every individual's experience of disease is unique, yet the hopes and fears that are the common language or suffering are explored with understanding and compassion.The authors - a priest and a doctor -have accompanied many in their journey through this unfamiliar and often frightening landscape and here is a prayerful distillation of the experience and wisdom they have gained in ministering to those who seek God's healing.

This finely crafted pocket-sized book provides a practical and permanent way to record the birthdays and anniversaries of friends and loved ones. A spiritual thought, inspired by the Saint-of-the-Day, appears on each page for every day of the year. There is ample space to include personal reflections or note .

This finely crafted pocket-sized book provides a practical and permanent way to record the birthdays and anniversaries of friends and loved ones. A spiritual thought, inspired by the Saint-of-the-Day, appears on each page for every day of the year. There is ample space to include personal reflections or note .

Hundreds of traditional prayers are here, all in a compact and durable volume that slips easily into a purse or pocket.

Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, was also a man of prayer. His sermons on prayer contained within this Pure Gold Classic will lead you to the very throne of grace where you will obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need.

Spurgeon said:

"One night alone in prayer might make us new men, changed from poverty of soul to spiritual wealth, from trembling to triumphing."

"Sometimes we think we are too busy to pray. That is a great mistake, for praying is a saving of time."

"We cannot all argue, but we can all pray; we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders; we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer."

"Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom."

"Saints of the early church reaped great harvests in the field of prayer and found the mercy seat to be a mine of untold treasures."

Spurgeon's words will change the way you think about prayer and the way you pray.

For tens of thousands of Christians, Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Morning and Evening has been a daily devotional guide through life's ups and downs. But as time has passed, younger generations, nurtured on contemporary versions of the Bible and less familiar with Spurgeon's beautiful but sometimes difficult prose of the nineteenth century, have needed a devotional guide that made sense to them, written in their language, using the Scripture with which they are familiar. To that end, this new revised edition of Morning and Evening offers readers the best of the past - Spurgeon's insight and wise counsel - and the best of the present - the fresh, meaningful prose of the New International Version. Special Features: * Each day's devotions are presented on a two-page spread for complete ease of use * Each of the 732 devotions - one for every morning and evening of the year - provides inspiring meditations on portions of Scripture drawn from every book of the Bible * A new topical index helps readers discover Spurgeon's thoughts on various topics important to Christian life * An index of texts lets readers find what Spurgeon had to say about a particular Bible verse. Spurgeon has penned meditations, expressed simply but eloquently, that continue to draw readers to faith and obedience. Though Spurgeon published thousands of sermons and many books, Morning and Evening remains by far his most popular work. This attractive, contemporary edition makes it easier than ever to enjoy it.