Prayer is often identified by people of faith as of first importance in the life of faith, at the same time, it is one of the least understood and least consistently used of spiritual practices among ordinary Christians. Prayer: A Primer, clears up misconceptions and myths about prayer that often stand in the way of actually praying, and offers the reader "a way in" to a life grounded in and enriched by daily prayer. A variety of forms of verbal prayer, meditation, and contemplation (or the prayer of silence) are clearly described with the needs and questions of beginners at prayer in mind. The book aims — through prayer — to move beginners at prayer to a growing and deepening awareness of God's presence in our complex and often morally ambiguous world.

Henry French is a retired Lutheran pastor.