A Book of Simple Prayers

Gloria Gaither

• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Year: 2008
• eBook ISBN: 9781441266279
• Topic: Theology & Religion

Life greets us in different ways each day: We experience joy, confusion, doubt, and grief. We walk through seasons of loneliness and times of closeness with God, family, and friends. Each event, the birth of a new baby, the death of a loved one, the sound of a familiar melody, can be an occasion for prayer. In A Book of Simple Prayers, beloved songwriter Gloria Gaither shares the prayers she has prayed in moments like these. At times questioning, playful, trusting, or anxious, this collection of Gaither's prayer poetry is a medley of honest and openhearted conversation with God. With her renowned mastery of language and matchless instinct for just the right turn of phrase, she invites us to pray along with her, expressing our hopes and heartaches to the God who listens.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Copyright
• Title
• Dedication
• Author’s Note
• 1 Restore my soul, O God
• 2 I praise You, O God
• 3 Come when my lips tell You to go
• 4 Make me sensitive to the vibrations
• 5 You can only produce good things
• 6 Bless the children
• 7 Forgive us all for the damage we’ve done
• 8 The world is in turmoil
• 9 We thought we needed more information
• 10 Thank You for making peace portable
• 11 There is water in the basement
• 12 Sometimes I can’t sleep
• 13 Thank You for friends
• 14 O God, Creator of all that is
• 15 There is a ship on the horizon
• 16 These words are ineffective today
• 17 I get so oblivious to the wonders
• 18 I watch the children on the carousel
• 19 We’ve been driving through the mountains
• 20 We need to choose roads we can trust
• 21 I walked down to the water
• 22 Sometimes I feel guilty for being still
• 23 Will starts to school today
• 24 The second plane behind us
• 25 Thank You for the sermons of the sea
• 26 Our church has started a “banner” ministry
• 27 Just as the day slips off the western horizon
• 28 It’s morning and my senses are rested
• 29 I love these little cafés in the morning
• 30 Thinking about the young African-American policeman
• 31 How thankful I am for the morning
• 32 You know I have always wanted to sing
• 33 You are teaching me the importance of finishing the race
• 34 Where could I go from Your presence?
• 35 This island is the arsenal of memories
• 36 It is so easy to take things into our own hands
• 37 My friend is depleted
• 38 Thank You
• 39 The gift I bring You today
• 40 There was a time when I was happy
• 41 Help me not focus so much on the distance
• 42 I’ve heard and read all my life that You are light
• 43 So often I pray for direction
• 44 Someone I love is dying
• 45 Today I don’t Know what to say to You
• 46 Again I say “thank You” for morning
• 47 Panic rises in my throat
• 48 Our country is in danger
• 49 It is harvest time
• 50 This day of national Thanksgiving
• 51 It is Advent
• 52 My body is throbbing from fatigue
• 53 On this new day of the New Year
• 54 It’s a new day
• 55 This second day of the New Year
• 56 How I love the starkness of January
• 57 Thank You for this rare week of listening
• 58 Thank You for my family
• 59 Where could I go from Your presence? (II)
• 60 My daughter is in labor
• 61 Father of the rain
• 62 Your Word says that in You we live
• 63 There are glimpses of Your Body united
• 64 The aspens are still
• 65 The news is full of the huge power outage in New York
• 66 I’ve been alone for a week
• 67 The laughter of children
• 68 For the tastes of summer I give thanks
• 69 These last few days have been a joyous celebration
• 70 I thank You for this most amazing day
• 71 There is a stirring in my soul
• About the Author
• Index of Titles and First Lines
• Topical Index