I’m taking a directed studies this semester that is called “Advanced Pastoral Ministry Experience” where I get to choose anything that I feel is a weakness in my pastoral ministry. (I realize there are MANY weaknesses in my life that could be worked on). So after talking with my advisor I’ve decided to do this class on “Prayer” (beyond just praying for good grades).
However, I have to actually pick a couple of books on prayer and read them, then write a critical review/response for each book before writing a final paper on my personal prayer journey — where I’ve been and where I intend to go and how I intend to get there. This should be a fun class. My only problem is actually finding any books that particularly focus on the pastoral ministry and prayer. This isn’t essential, but I feel would be very helpful.
There are a number of books that I’m considering (Karl Barth “On Prayer”;and Dietrich Bonhoeffer “Psalms: The Prayerbook of the Bible”), but I’d be interested in any proposals on what books anyone has read and would recommend as well as what particularly about the book has effected a beneficial change in your prayer life. I look forward to finding greater times with the Lord in prayer.
