Many spiritual writers recommend using a book to assist us in our mental prayer. We can read a few lines and then bring them to our conversation with Our Lord. Indeed, many saints have urged us to take the Gospels to our prayer. Saint Ambrose said, "We have been given Sacred Scripture so that God and man may talk together; for we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him when we read the divine saying." More recently, Saint Josemaria Escriva counseled, "Do you want to learn from Christ and follow the example of his life? Open the Holy Gospels and listen to God dialoguing with men-with you."