In this upbeat, abridged edition of the classic, Jeanne Guyon explains short, easy, and effective methods of prayer.She discovered the great difference between praying to God and experiencing God through prayer. She shares secrets of this higher plane of fellowship with God.In addition, she shows you how to enjoy God's presence, grow in your knowledge of the Word, experience rest from worry, and gain wisdom and understanding. You will discover the joy of a quiet heart and mind, learn how to survive your "dry" periods of prayer, and become content where God has placed you.The sparkling gems of truth in this book were never meant to be read and put back on the bookshelf. They will compel you to share them with the world.

A collection of five inspiring essays by three closely linked mystical thinkers of the seventeenth century Fran ois F nelon, Madame Guyon, and P re Lacombe whose focus on the availability of intimacy with God made them scandalous in their day. Christian Counsel and Spiritual Letters, by Archbishop F nelon, offer wise advice on how to find the keys to true devotion and peace. Method of Prayer and On the Way to God, by F nelon's close friend, Madame Guyon, demonstrate the critical importance of constant prayer. Spiritual Maxims, by P re Lacombe, the spiritual mentor of Madame Guyon, emphasizes the importance of expressing a passionate love for God. Each stirring work is divided into short chapters, making Spiritual Progress ideal for morning or evening devotions, or for Bible study. This treasured collection of classic Christian wisdom is certain to lead readers closer to the heart of God.

Guyon's theology and spiritual writing opened new doors to people from all walks of life who yearned for spiritual joy and wisdom. These new translations include her popular "A Short and Easy Method of Prayer," as well as her biblical commentary on the Song of Songs, where poetic imagery comes to life with its refreshing sense of God's desire to join with all humanity. Guyon always writes of the pure love of God, like a human kiss, that leads to the fulfilling union with the divine. "The Complete Madame Guyon" also presents examples of her passionate poetry, some of which has never before been translated into English. Guyon expresses the range of feelings involved with living in a relationship with God and her ideas about the real involvement of the divine within the human heart. Nancy James's historical introduction explains the events of Guyon's life first as an aristocratic wife and mother of five, and later as a widow traveling around Europe as an author, who ended up incarcerated in the Bastille by the direct order of Louis XIV. Guyon suffered ten years of incarceration, along with accusations of heresy. Cleared of all of charges at the end of her life, in all of her writing Madame Guyon testified to the goodness and holiness of God.

"Thanks to Nancy James's scholarly labors, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Mothe, more widely known as Madame Guyon (1648-1717) will hopefully become a household word, at least among students of mysticism. By no means an uncontroversial thinker, twice imprisoned for her allegedly heretical ideas, and defended by one bishop (Fenelon) and attacked by another (Bossuet), Madame Guyon's ideas, especially her concept of self-annihilation in the soul's union with God, will likely arouse challenge, even today. We owe Dr. James an enormous debt for her translation of Madame Guyon's works and popularization of her ideas. Through Dr. James's work we can gain insights into not only mystical theology but also seventeenth-century French secular and ecclesiastical politics."
-- Dr. Peter C. Phan, The Ignacio Ellacuria Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Theology Department, Georgetown University