[CME]∎ [PDF] Free A Year of Living Prayerfully How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope Walked on Coals Danced with Rabbis and Revived His Prayer Life Jared Brock Mark Buchanan 9781414392134 Books

A Year of Living Prayerfully How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope Walked on Coals Danced with Rabbis and Revived His Prayer Life Jared Brock Mark Buchanan 9781414392134 Books

Download As PDF : A Year of Living Prayerfully How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope Walked on Coals Danced with Rabbis and Revived His Prayer Life Jared Brock Mark Buchanan 9781414392134 Books

A Year of Living Prayerfully How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope Walked on Coals Danced with Rabbis and Revived His Prayer Life Jared Brock Mark Buchanan 9781414392134 Books

Jared Brock, a twenty-something author and beard enthusiast, took a year to go on a "prayer pilgrimage, for all those who, for whatever reason, can't go on on for themselves." He sets out on a year-long, globe-trotting adventure, exploring prayer and pray-ers all over the world. With good humor and a bit of spiritual insight, he chronicles his year in A Year of Living Prayerfully: How a Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life.

Brock's book is first of all an entertaining travelogue, second, a personal, spiritual memoir, and third, a book on prayer. If a reader were to pick up A Year of Living Prayerfully with the expectation of deep, detailed, systematic teaching on prayer, he would be sorely disappointed. Brock writes in such a way that among his funny stories of travel and the interesting people he meets, he sprinkles in things he has learned about prayer, making the lessons learned much more effective and memorable.

As the subtitle says, Brock did meet the Pope, who asked Brock to pray for him. (If Brock was a fan of Pope Francis before meeting him, he was a die-hard super fan afterwards.) He didn't get to meet Billy Graham, even after stalking him at his secluded home. . . . Much the worse for Reverend Graham. Brock has a skill for meeting folks and finding places. Well, skill and a fair amount of luck. Readers will envy the adventures and opportunities he writes about.

Well, what about prayer? I was most impressed by the fact that after galavanting around the world, he discovered that one of the most important spiritual movements in the last few centuries had its origins, in part, in his own Canadian town. It made me wonder about the natural impulse to seek the distant and exotic for inspiration, when what we are seeking might be right in our neighborhood. I can read about prayer warriors from centuries past, but I can probably meet awesome prayer warriors in my own church. I can visit the site of a famous revival on another continent, but there is probably much to learn about the history of the church in my own town.

One method of prayer Brock picked up along the way is holding someone in the light. As a Quaker lady described it to Brock, "To hold someone in the light is to picture that person in the light of God's grace. . . . We try not to say anything or add our agenda. Just by holding people in the light, God can do whatever He needs to do in their lives." To me that sounds like a beautifully perfect, God-centered means of praying for someone.

I also liked his description of prayer as "hanging out with Dad." Brock laments that most Christians view God in prayer as "a needs-and-wants fulfillment service." By contrast, he describes a teenager who comes home from school "and flops down on the couch in his dad's study." He doesn't talk about his day or ask for anything, he "just wants to sit there--to be in his dad's presence." Sometimes sitting silently in the presence of God is the best kind of prayer.

I don't think I'll be able to take a year off to explore the world and see what I can learn about prayer. But I enjoyed vicariously living Brock's year of living prayerfully through his book. He meets some remarkable people, and picked up plenty of practical wisdom about prayer to pass along to us. No matter what kind of prayer life you currently have, it will be enriched by sharing Brock's experiences.

Thanks to the Tyndale Blog Network for the complimentary review copy!


Tags : A Year of Living Prayerfully: How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life [Jared Brock, Mark Buchanan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div><b>Follow Jared on a 37, 000-mile trip around the world as he...</b><div>* Dances with Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn</div><div>* Discovers the 330-year-old home of Brother Lawrence</div><div>* Burns his clothes at the end of the Camino de Santiago</div><div>* Attends the world's largest church in Seoul</div><div>* Visits Westboro Baptist Church</div><div>* Tries to stay out of trouble in North Korea<br />* Meets the Pope and has lunch at the Vatican</div><div>* Attempts fire walking (with only minor burns) </div><div>  <br /><div><b>Watch the trailer</b>: LivingPrayerfully.com <br /><br />While filming a documentary about sex trafficking,Jared Brock, Mark Buchanan,A Year of Living Prayerfully: How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life,Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,1414392133,Prayer,Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages,Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages.,Prayer - Christianity,Prayer;Christianity.,Travel,Humour,Christian,Memoir,Christian Life - Prayer,Essays & Travelogues,RELIGION Christian Life Prayer,RELIGION Christian Living Personal Growth,RELIGION Christian Living Prayer,RELIGION Prayer,Special Interest - Religious,TravelEssays & Travelogues,TravelSpecial Interest - Religious,Religion - Christian Life,Christianity,Religion,Religion,Christian life & practice

A Year of Living Prayerfully How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope Walked on Coals Danced with Rabbis and Revived His Prayer Life Jared Brock Mark Buchanan 9781414392134 Books Reviews

Jared Brock makes prayer seem like an adventure, an exciting journey full of discovery that not only deepens one's experience of God but changes you and changes the world in which we live. If you've been frustrated by dry explications of prayer, you will be delighted by Jared's fresh way of looking at things. His book is deeply inspirational but will also make you laugh--he manages to have a contagious sense of humor intermingled with reverence, as well as a sense of the importance of prayer both through history and for our future.

The book looks at a broad spectrum of Christianity both historically and geographically. To understand Christian prayer, one could not do better than to read what he learned during his "year of living prayerfully" about Jewish prayer (since Christianity's roots, after all, are in Judaism), Orthodox prayer, Catholic prayer, Quakerism, Taize, Protestant prayer (largely via exploring the roots of America's Great Awakenings), Korea, and the rest. Even when he looks at fringe groups, he is open minded enough to try to understand the lessons they may offer, while correctly pointing out where they fall short of or violate the gospel of Christ.

For me, the emphasis on silence and Brother Lawrence was perhaps the most resonant part. I also loved the chapter where Jared and his wife actually get to meet Pope Francis and ask him about prayer. The pope's response may be the most enlightening passage in the book. You'll have to read it for yourself--no spoilers from me.

And I do recommend that anyone who is serious about prayer read this book. I suspect that you will love it, that you will want to give it to friends, and that you will want to read it again.
The author and his wife sensed a deeper need to connect with God through prayer, after becoming aware of some horrific realities in the world while filming a sex trafficking documentary. The author states, “These issues towered over us and exposed the gaping holes in our spiritual walk”….”We wanted to be prayer warriors, but we felt like prayer wanderers.”

They were raised in the church and prayer had become a mechanical routine. The author admits, “If I’m really honest, God was my Santa Clause.”

The author says, “For our year of living prayerfully, I compiled a list of Judeo-Christian faiths, sects, and denominations. The plan was to research their prayer methods, traditions, and beliefs. We’d travel the world to meet religious leaders, prayer experts and everyday people who have made prayer a vital part of their lives.”… “This book is simply an old-school record of a prayer pilgrimage, for all those who, for whatever reason, can’t go on one for themselves.”

I liked how they systematically went about getting answers about prayer. I enjoyed the many quotes that started the chapters. This is one of my favorites, “Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God.”

I felt like I was walking with them on their journey and saw things through their eyes I’d most likely never see in person. I also loved the authors sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud several times. There was an amazing turn of events that allowed Jared and his wife to get a face to face meeting with the Pope. It was a divine appointment. Here’s an example of his well-timed humor and wit.

He says, “While it’s of little importance in the grand scheme of things, you might be interested to know what we wore for our papal visit….”On such short notice, we didn’t have time to make a shopping stop….”

“I had asked our host in Rome if I could borrow a few items….The shirt was enormous, reminiscent of billowing ship sails. The pants, on the other hand, were 4” too short, exposing both my white socks and my pasty white ankles.”

“I pulled my pants lower, not unlike a Brooklyn gangster whose arrest we had witnessed a few months earlier. I looked in the mirror. I looked like a mafia bodyguard in a parachute at a funeral.”

“I had kept the shoes and shirt, but switched back to denim. My wife, on the other hand, had no alternate clothing options. They say that success in life is doing the best you can with what you’ve got, and we had tried our best.”

“We met the Pope in jeans and yoga pants.”

It still makes me laugh. I liked how the book was divided into various places their research took them. They started in Hamilton, Ontario, then they traveled to New York. City, Israel, Mount Athos, Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Eastern USA, the Outer Limits, Korea and England.

This is about a young couple’s search for a deeper, more alive prayer life, that made me think about my own faith walk and how I prayed. I was inspired not only by what they discovered on this adventure but also by how the Lord orchestrated many “divine” moments for them. This book was fun, informative, honest, inspiring, and entertaining. It was a breath of fresh air. I couldn’t get enough of. Great for your book club to experience. It’s a keeper.

Disclosure of Material Connection I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog
Book Fun Magazine
SVP Promotions
Jared Brock, a twenty-something author and beard enthusiast, took a year to go on a "prayer pilgrimage, for all those who, for whatever reason, can't go on on for themselves." He sets out on a year-long, globe-trotting adventure, exploring prayer and pray-ers all over the world. With good humor and a bit of spiritual insight, he chronicles his year in A Year of Living Prayerfully How a Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life.

Brock's book is first of all an entertaining travelogue, second, a personal, spiritual memoir, and third, a book on prayer. If a reader were to pick up A Year of Living Prayerfully with the expectation of deep, detailed, systematic teaching on prayer, he would be sorely disappointed. Brock writes in such a way that among his funny stories of travel and the interesting people he meets, he sprinkles in things he has learned about prayer, making the lessons learned much more effective and memorable.

As the subtitle says, Brock did meet the Pope, who asked Brock to pray for him. (If Brock was a fan of Pope Francis before meeting him, he was a die-hard super fan afterwards.) He didn't get to meet Billy Graham, even after stalking him at his secluded home. . . . Much the worse for Reverend Graham. Brock has a skill for meeting folks and finding places. Well, skill and a fair amount of luck. Readers will envy the adventures and opportunities he writes about.

Well, what about prayer? I was most impressed by the fact that after galavanting around the world, he discovered that one of the most important spiritual movements in the last few centuries had its origins, in part, in his own Canadian town. It made me wonder about the natural impulse to seek the distant and exotic for inspiration, when what we are seeking might be right in our neighborhood. I can read about prayer warriors from centuries past, but I can probably meet awesome prayer warriors in my own church. I can visit the site of a famous revival on another continent, but there is probably much to learn about the history of the church in my own town.

One method of prayer Brock picked up along the way is holding someone in the light. As a Quaker lady described it to Brock, "To hold someone in the light is to picture that person in the light of God's grace. . . . We try not to say anything or add our agenda. Just by holding people in the light, God can do whatever He needs to do in their lives." To me that sounds like a beautifully perfect, God-centered means of praying for someone.

I also liked his description of prayer as "hanging out with Dad." Brock laments that most Christians view God in prayer as "a needs-and-wants fulfillment service." By contrast, he describes a teenager who comes home from school "and flops down on the couch in his dad's study." He doesn't talk about his day or ask for anything, he "just wants to sit there--to be in his dad's presence." Sometimes sitting silently in the presence of God is the best kind of prayer.

I don't think I'll be able to take a year off to explore the world and see what I can learn about prayer. But I enjoyed vicariously living Brock's year of living prayerfully through his book. He meets some remarkable people, and picked up plenty of practical wisdom about prayer to pass along to us. No matter what kind of prayer life you currently have, it will be enriched by sharing Brock's experiences.

Thanks to the Tyndale Blog Network for the complimentary review copy!