How to Pray: Reflections and Essays

by C. S. Lewis

Overview

The great C.S. Lewis said, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.” The act of praying demands an impossibility that we request and Lewis’s insights on Christianity, reflections, and teachings are cultivated from essays, articles, letters, and his classic words in How to Pray.

Lewis provides a deeper understanding of the personal tradition of prayer, faith, and what it means to be a Christian. This compilation addresses commonly asked questions related to prayer such as:

·       Can prayer be proven to work?

·       Why should we pray if God already knows what we need?

·       How does prayer fit with the idea of God’s providence?

·       How can prayer become a regular practice?

·       How should we pray when we’re grieving?

·       Can we pray to avoid suffering?

·       How should we handle unanswered prayers?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God or you’re searching for ways to strengthen your prayer life, How to Pray is the practical wisdom you need. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062847133
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/05/2018
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	126,559
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.12(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and have been transformed into three major motion pictures.

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) fue uno de los intelectuales más importantes del siglo veinte y podría decirse que fue el escritor cristiano más influyente de su tiempo. Fue profesor particular de literatura inglesa y miembro de la junta de gobierno en la Universidad Oxford hasta 1954, cuando fue nombrado profesor de literatura medieval y renacentista en la Universidad Cambridge, cargo que desempeñó hasta que se jubiló. Sus contribuciones a la crítica literaria, literatura infantil, literatura fantástica y teología popular le trajeron fama y aclamación a nivel internacional. C. S. Lewis escribió más de treinta libros, lo cual le permitió alcanzar una enorme audiencia, y sus obras aún atraen a miles de nuevos lectores cada año. Sus más distinguidas y populares obras incluyen Las Crónicas de Narnia, Los Cuatro Amores, Cartas del Diablo a Su Sobrino y Mero Cristianismo.

Date of Birth:

November 29, 1898

Date of Death:

November 22, 1963

Place of Birth:

Belfast, Nothern Ireland

Place of Death:

Headington, England

Education:

Oxford University 1917-1923; Elected fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1925

Website:

http://www.cslewisclassics.com

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Can Prayer Be Proven to Work? 1

Why Make Requests of God If He Already Knows What We Need? 15

Do Our Prayers Depend on How Deeply We Feel or Mean Them? 23

Isn't It Presumptuous for Us to Bring Our Concerns Before God? 33

How Does Prayer Fit with the Idea of God's Providence? Are We Asking for Miracles When We Pray 41

Does Prayer Require Morbid Introspection of Our Sins? 59

What are Tips for Avoiding God and Prayer Altogether? (A Devil's Perspective)

Part 1 Make Sure Your Prayers Are Especially "Spiritual" 66

Part 2 Believe You Are Not a Very Good Christian 74

Part 3 Treat Prayers as Tests of God 80

Part 4 Focus On Your Own State of Mind 85

How Does Prayer Become a Regular Practice for Us? 89

How Can We Get Out of Our Own Way and Pray? 95

How Do We Make Sure it is the Real "I" Who Stands Before the Real "Thou" in Prayer? 105

How Can We Be Like David and Pray with Delight? 111

How Do We Make Sense of What the New Testament Teaches About Prayer? 123

How Do We Pray While Grieving? 131

Can We Pray to Avoid Suffering If It Is Good for Our Soul? 137

How Do We Stay Hopeful When God Repeatedly Says No to Our Requests for Relief? 145

Source Works 155