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Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home
Best-selling author Richard J. Foster offers a warm, compelling, and sensitive primer on prayer, helping us to understand, experience, and practice it in its many forms-from the simple prayer of beginning again to unceasing prayer. He clarifies the prayer process, answers common misconceptions, and shows the way into prayers of contemplation, healing, blessing, forgiveness, and rest.
Coming to prayer is like coming home, Foster says. "Nothing feels more right, more like what we are created to be and to do. Yet at the same time we are confronted with great mysteries. Who hasn't struggled with the puzzle of unanswered prayer? Who hasn't wondered how a finite person can commune with the infinite Creator of the universe? Who hasn't questioned whether prayer isn't merely psychological manipulation after all? We do our best, of course, to answer these knotty questions but when all is said and done, there is a sense in which these mysteries remain unanswered and unanswerable . . . At such times we must learn to become comfortable with the mystery."
Foster shows how prayer can move us inward into personal transformation, upward toward intimacy with God, and outward to minister to others. He leads us beyond questions to a deeper understanding and practice of prayer, bringing us closer to God, to ourselves, and to our community.
Coming to prayer is like coming home, Foster says. "Nothing feels more right, more like what we are created to be and to do. Yet at the same time we are confronted with great mysteries. Who hasn't struggled with the puzzle of unanswered prayer? Who hasn't wondered how a finite person can commune with the infinite Creator of the universe? Who hasn't questioned whether prayer isn't merely psychological manipulation after all? We do our best, of course, to answer these knotty questions but when all is said and done, there is a sense in which these mysteries remain unanswered and unanswerable . . . At such times we must learn to become comfortable with the mystery."
Foster shows how prayer can move us inward into personal transformation, upward toward intimacy with God, and outward to minister to others. He leads us beyond questions to a deeper understanding and practice of prayer, bringing us closer to God, to ourselves, and to our community.
275 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1992
823 people are currently reading
5801 people want to read
About the author
Richard J. Foster
93 books524 followersRichard J. Foster is the author of several bestselling books, including Celebration of Discipline, Streams of Living Water, and Prayer, which was Christianity Today's Book of the Year and the winner of the Gold Medallion Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He is the founder of Renovaré, an intrachurch movement committed to the renewal of the Church in all her multifaceted expressions, and the editor of The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
February 16, 2013
Because of my training in the history of Christianity, I have been privileged to be introduced to many of the mystical or devotional classics, from Julian to Tozer, from Bonaventure to Hilton, from the Jesus Prayer monk to Brother Lawrence. My knowledge is hardly encyclopedic, but I say this in order to offer a context for what will strike some as a startling judgment: The single most helpful book for me to actually pray is this one, and it's one of the very few books I have worked through more than once.
Foster is a reliable guide, not least because he has the knack of saying, just when he's drawing me out of my comfort zone, "Now, you might be feeling uncomfortable about this, so...." He speaks as a contemporary North American to a contemporary North American and draws me into prayer, including modes of prayer that are neither natural nor even initially attractive to me. I can trust him to take me to places I want to go--in a way that I frankly don't trust some of the odder guides to prayer I have encountered (yes, I mean you, Catherine of Siena, bless your extravagant heart).
Prayer is much more than what any single book can offer, of course, and I can appreciate why some will bounce off this book as too technique-oriented, too plain-spoken, too much the contemporary North American handbook.
But if, like me from time to time, you need a good contemporary North American handbook, this one gets my top vote.
Foster is a reliable guide, not least because he has the knack of saying, just when he's drawing me out of my comfort zone, "Now, you might be feeling uncomfortable about this, so...." He speaks as a contemporary North American to a contemporary North American and draws me into prayer, including modes of prayer that are neither natural nor even initially attractive to me. I can trust him to take me to places I want to go--in a way that I frankly don't trust some of the odder guides to prayer I have encountered (yes, I mean you, Catherine of Siena, bless your extravagant heart).
Prayer is much more than what any single book can offer, of course, and I can appreciate why some will bounce off this book as too technique-oriented, too plain-spoken, too much the contemporary North American handbook.
But if, like me from time to time, you need a good contemporary North American handbook, this one gets my top vote.
March 25, 2021
Foster has a knack for avoiding Scripture and expounding on unbiblical prayer practices. The lack of exegetical work and his claims of direct revelation were enough to keep me from recommending this book to anyone.
January 5, 2023
Edit: The review below gave this book 2 stars, and on this reading, I revised it to make it 4 stars. I did a church small group on each of the 3 parts of the book with some folks at my church and we found it good fodder for discussion.
I read Richard Foster's Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. I didn't much like it. Well there are parts I want to come back to, and I feel guilty criticizing a book on prayer by someone who has far-and-away-better-prayer-life than me, but it really didn't resonate with me. Here is why:
It is divided into three sections which (upward, inward, outward) and Foster relates each section to one of the Trinity. Each section has seven type of prayers which help you achieve one of these dimensions of prayer. It is encyclopedic, and I honestly think I will look back on particular chapters and try the different prayer methods, or suggest particular ways of praying to others I mentor. But despite its usefulness, I found Foster's whole project wrongheaded. I am not sure if what I need is a taxonomy of prayer, as helpful as it is.
I acknowledge that some of my aversion may come from my own experience in regard to prayer. Once upon a time I was at a Charismatic church because I sensed that God wanted me to be open to the Holy Spirit. That church was a great practitioner of healing prayer and taught about it a great deal. I learned some of that there, and was generally open minded. However, one of the pastor's would always suggest that if one 'type of prayer' didn't work, simply try another type of prayer. He would say that each type of prayer 'are tools in our tool box.' At first, I ate up what he was saying because God was obviously doing something through the prayers of the people there, but something about the toolbox comment made me bristle. Finally I figured out what it was.
Treating each type of prayer as a different tool in your prayer tool box, suggested that if you just prayed the right way, God was obligated to answer you the way you wanted him to. Now, nobody said this, and they would nuance this by saying that sometimes God doesn't heal, or answer our prayers. But the use of the tools in the toolbox image was technological and it promoted a sort of formulaic idea of prayer. I found it difficult to jump from the idea of prayer as a tool to prayer as a conversation or communion with God.
Now I know this is a lot of baggage to dump on Foster. But I remain skeptical of lists of ways to pray, in order to achieve this or that objective. I understand that some understanding of the multiple dynamics of true prayer means that you end up talking about it in different ways, but I struggle with this approach.
I read Richard Foster's Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. I didn't much like it. Well there are parts I want to come back to, and I feel guilty criticizing a book on prayer by someone who has far-and-away-better-prayer-life than me, but it really didn't resonate with me. Here is why:
It is divided into three sections which (upward, inward, outward) and Foster relates each section to one of the Trinity. Each section has seven type of prayers which help you achieve one of these dimensions of prayer. It is encyclopedic, and I honestly think I will look back on particular chapters and try the different prayer methods, or suggest particular ways of praying to others I mentor. But despite its usefulness, I found Foster's whole project wrongheaded. I am not sure if what I need is a taxonomy of prayer, as helpful as it is.
I acknowledge that some of my aversion may come from my own experience in regard to prayer. Once upon a time I was at a Charismatic church because I sensed that God wanted me to be open to the Holy Spirit. That church was a great practitioner of healing prayer and taught about it a great deal. I learned some of that there, and was generally open minded. However, one of the pastor's would always suggest that if one 'type of prayer' didn't work, simply try another type of prayer. He would say that each type of prayer 'are tools in our tool box.' At first, I ate up what he was saying because God was obviously doing something through the prayers of the people there, but something about the toolbox comment made me bristle. Finally I figured out what it was.
Treating each type of prayer as a different tool in your prayer tool box, suggested that if you just prayed the right way, God was obligated to answer you the way you wanted him to. Now, nobody said this, and they would nuance this by saying that sometimes God doesn't heal, or answer our prayers. But the use of the tools in the toolbox image was technological and it promoted a sort of formulaic idea of prayer. I found it difficult to jump from the idea of prayer as a tool to prayer as a conversation or communion with God.
Now I know this is a lot of baggage to dump on Foster. But I remain skeptical of lists of ways to pray, in order to achieve this or that objective. I understand that some understanding of the multiple dynamics of true prayer means that you end up talking about it in different ways, but I struggle with this approach.
December 31, 2024
The most important and impactful book I read this year.
“With simplicity of the heart we allow ourselves to be gathered up into the arms of the Father and let him sing his love song over us.”
Read one chapter at a time!
“With simplicity of the heart we allow ourselves to be gathered up into the arms of the Father and let him sing his love song over us.”
Read one chapter at a time!
March 1, 2025
2nd time through. I really appreciated how this book walks you through every kind of spiritual movement/posture possible, but just does it through the lens of prayer. I’ll most likely read it again in my life.
December 19, 2007
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus--That is what I learned after reading this wonderful exposition on prayer. The book is basically a compilation of years of research on the subject of prayer. Richard Foster reviews every type of prayer imaginable, supports each style with historical facts, personal stories, and testimonies of every day people. Often times I hear people say, "I don't pray enough," or "I don't pray well." In most cases, this is simple not true. Richard does a great job of helping the reader have a great attitude towards prayer.
July 29, 2023
Really superb — wise, gentle, and challenging all in one. Much to revisit here in the future; much that is uncomfortable, even, but only because receiving it with comfort and joy would require me to be more mature and peaceable (and prayerful!) in spirit than I am at present! Foster warns at the beginning that not all of the book presupposes the same degree of Christian maturity, and that to adopt some of the prayer practices he describes later presupposes living out those he describes earlier (though, to be clear, it’s organized topically rather than sequentially).
July 31, 2023
A really wonderful overview of the vast array of types and models of prayer. He has created a helpful "manual", if you will, of much to consider or try when it comes to prayer.
I also appreciated how he drew from theologians and people across time, denominations, and traditions making this a really well-rounded resource. It's not from any one "camp".
While it did read a little dry to me (compared to the other books I've read on prayer: Paul Miller's "A Praying Life" and Tyler Staton's "Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools") where it did excel is covering so much ground.
I also appreciated how he drew from theologians and people across time, denominations, and traditions making this a really well-rounded resource. It's not from any one "camp".
While it did read a little dry to me (compared to the other books I've read on prayer: Paul Miller's "A Praying Life" and Tyler Staton's "Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools") where it did excel is covering so much ground.
April 2, 2024
Incredible book on Prayer. Must read (:
August 22, 2009
This book is an excellent introduction to, and survey of, the practice and experience of prayer for Christians. Richard Foster draws from many different traditions and experiences and distills them into this very fine and accessible work. It's very practical, unpretentious and inspiring. Foster helps us examine the many facets of prayer grouped according to three intentions on personal transformation, intimacy with God and ministry to others. Among its 21 chapters you may find aspects of prayer that are very familiar to you (maybe you had never thought of them as prayer before) along with encouragement to focus and deepen your efforts in those areas. Other types of prayer may be completely foreign to you but offer an invitation to explore. For those who want to take prayer more seriously this book is a very good place to begin. It is not an introduction in the sense of being superficial or shallow. It treats each aspect of prayer in enough depth to get the willing reader well on his or her way to a more effective and vital life of prayer. But it also shows us prayer as a vast, life long and life changing endeavor and points to the work of others who have explored the various disciplines of prayer more deeply. This books is essential reading.
May 11, 2015
I cannot think of any other work that so succinctly and comprehensively covers the topic of prayer. Foster once again delights readers with rich theological exposition of scripture coupled with powerful anecdotes from his own life. Following works like Celebration of Discipline, this book is sure to help one transform their walk with God into one that allows for a rich and powerful life of prayer.
November 22, 2013
Outstanding book. Each chapter is a rumination on a type of prayer: the biblical occurrences, the historical occurrences, and the author's personal experiences with this type of prayer. If you read this, your heart for prayer will be changed and your prayer life with be encouraged. I suggest reading a chapter a day to let each type of prayer sink in.
January 6, 2014
This work is a great introduction to prayer for either the new comer or old soul. Some of these methods may not even seem like prayer at first. There is much here to ponder.
April 3, 2020
Some chapters were really helpful and inspiring, but others were a little too mystical for me.
November 22, 2021
Helpfully ecumenical; plays a little fast and loose with proof-texting.
March 10, 2025
I love Foster's work on Spiritual Disciplines, but it always felt so high-level. This was an awesome deep dive into prayer. I learned so much and felt convicted, encouraged, and generally spurred on. Foster breaks down different types of prayer and provides personal examples and other stories that helped me better grasp the distinctions and feel motivated to pray more and differently.
I want to own this one because I flagged so many things and want to remember and share the content with others. Here's what I flagged:
Chapter 2
"To come to the possession you have not, you must go by a way in which you possess not." St. John of the Cross
We may not see the end from the beginning, but we keep on doing what we know to do. What we learn to do in the light of God's love, we continue to do in the dark
When you are unable to put your spiritual life into drive, don't put it into reverse, put it into neutral. Trust is how you put it in neutral. Trust is confidence in the character of God..."I do not understand what God is doing or even where God is, but I know He is out to do me good."
Chapter 3
Not a journey into ourselves, but a journey through ourselves so that we can emerge from the deepest level of self into God
Chapter 4
"Cease not, wet eyes, His mercies to entreat, to cry for vengeance, sin doth never cease, in your deep floods, drown all my faults and fears, nor let his eye see sin but through my tears"
When you cannot weep outwardly, shed tears before God in your intention, have a weeping heart - the mind and spirit can be broken before God even with dry eyes
Chapter 6
The covenant of place calls us to stability - we need to be anchored somewhere
Chapter 10
Body prayer - Ancient Christian dance: tripudium - locked arms and walk 3 steps forward 1 step back on repeat - proclaiming theology with their feet - theology that moves us forward, but not without setbacks
There is no mode of life more pleasing and more full of delight than continual conversation with God
One's love of God should run before breathing
Chapter 12
Falling asleep in prayer is no problem - you can rest in God's presence. Besides, to be next to the heart of God is a good and safe place for sleeping.
Book: The Cloud of Unknowing (thank God in prayer if you fall asleep unawares)
Chapter 15
It is precisely in the slop bucket job, the work we abhor where we will find God the most. We do not need to have good feelings or a warm glow in order to do work for the glory of God. All good work is pleasing to the Father, even the jobs that seem meaningless and mindless to us are highly valued in the order of the kingdom of God. God values the ordinary.
In time, I do not hear God speaking anymore and I think to myself, "Good, I got away with that one" - No I didn't. Deafness has come in part. Blindness has come in part. The dulling of our spiritual sensitivities is something I hope we will come to fear.
Chapter 20
Authoritative prayer - calling forth the will of the Father upon the earth - not so much speaking to God as speaking for God - we are not asking God to do something, rather we are using the authority of God to command something done
Example of authoritative prayer with a baby and an ear infection
Prudence, example of not praying for healing for a friend
The prayer of command - Luke 9:1-2
In my concern over falling off the deep end, I realized I just might fall off the shallow end - my desire to maintain religious respectability could easily result in a domesticated faith. I must be willing to step out even if the waters look deep
Authoritative prayer is not a substitute for disciplined habits of living - many times people need not deliverance, but discipline
Chapter 21
Social holiness - by our praying and living we sabotage race, status, and class distinctions - Jesus healed the sickness in a society that would cast people aside - He was declaring people blessed and precious though society deemed them unblessed and unblessable
Christian community questions:
What experiences of prayer and meditation have you had this week?
What temptations did you face this week?
What movements of the Holy Spirit did you experience this week?
What opportunities to serve others have you had this week?
In what ways have you encountered Christ in your study of the Bible this week?
I want to own this one because I flagged so many things and want to remember and share the content with others. Here's what I flagged:
Chapter 2
"To come to the possession you have not, you must go by a way in which you possess not." St. John of the Cross
We may not see the end from the beginning, but we keep on doing what we know to do. What we learn to do in the light of God's love, we continue to do in the dark
When you are unable to put your spiritual life into drive, don't put it into reverse, put it into neutral. Trust is how you put it in neutral. Trust is confidence in the character of God..."I do not understand what God is doing or even where God is, but I know He is out to do me good."
Chapter 3
Not a journey into ourselves, but a journey through ourselves so that we can emerge from the deepest level of self into God
Chapter 4
"Cease not, wet eyes, His mercies to entreat, to cry for vengeance, sin doth never cease, in your deep floods, drown all my faults and fears, nor let his eye see sin but through my tears"
When you cannot weep outwardly, shed tears before God in your intention, have a weeping heart - the mind and spirit can be broken before God even with dry eyes
Chapter 6
The covenant of place calls us to stability - we need to be anchored somewhere
Chapter 10
Body prayer - Ancient Christian dance: tripudium - locked arms and walk 3 steps forward 1 step back on repeat - proclaiming theology with their feet - theology that moves us forward, but not without setbacks
There is no mode of life more pleasing and more full of delight than continual conversation with God
One's love of God should run before breathing
Chapter 12
Falling asleep in prayer is no problem - you can rest in God's presence. Besides, to be next to the heart of God is a good and safe place for sleeping.
Book: The Cloud of Unknowing (thank God in prayer if you fall asleep unawares)
Chapter 15
It is precisely in the slop bucket job, the work we abhor where we will find God the most. We do not need to have good feelings or a warm glow in order to do work for the glory of God. All good work is pleasing to the Father, even the jobs that seem meaningless and mindless to us are highly valued in the order of the kingdom of God. God values the ordinary.
In time, I do not hear God speaking anymore and I think to myself, "Good, I got away with that one" - No I didn't. Deafness has come in part. Blindness has come in part. The dulling of our spiritual sensitivities is something I hope we will come to fear.
Chapter 20
Authoritative prayer - calling forth the will of the Father upon the earth - not so much speaking to God as speaking for God - we are not asking God to do something, rather we are using the authority of God to command something done
Example of authoritative prayer with a baby and an ear infection
Prudence, example of not praying for healing for a friend
The prayer of command - Luke 9:1-2
In my concern over falling off the deep end, I realized I just might fall off the shallow end - my desire to maintain religious respectability could easily result in a domesticated faith. I must be willing to step out even if the waters look deep
Authoritative prayer is not a substitute for disciplined habits of living - many times people need not deliverance, but discipline
Chapter 21
Social holiness - by our praying and living we sabotage race, status, and class distinctions - Jesus healed the sickness in a society that would cast people aside - He was declaring people blessed and precious though society deemed them unblessed and unblessable
Christian community questions:
What experiences of prayer and meditation have you had this week?
What temptations did you face this week?
What movements of the Holy Spirit did you experience this week?
What opportunities to serve others have you had this week?
In what ways have you encountered Christ in your study of the Bible this week?
June 10, 2017
It took me a year to read (digest) this book. I couldn't stop, but I couldn't rush it either. Having finished it, I feel like I'm standing on higher ground.
More than any other of its genre that I've seen, this book covers the topic of prayer. each chapter discusses a different "type" of prayer, all of which fall into the three categories of inward, upward, and outward - in that order (like Nouwen's writings). The book works well as a sort of progression, through which you can walk, practice, and grow. Foster takes his time to explain and discuss issues and challenges, and rounds it out with personal stories and examples which can leave you blown away and inspired. Prayer really is what we exist for, and where the work gets done.
More than any other of its genre that I've seen, this book covers the topic of prayer. each chapter discusses a different "type" of prayer, all of which fall into the three categories of inward, upward, and outward - in that order (like Nouwen's writings). The book works well as a sort of progression, through which you can walk, practice, and grow. Foster takes his time to explain and discuss issues and challenges, and rounds it out with personal stories and examples which can leave you blown away and inspired. Prayer really is what we exist for, and where the work gets done.
October 28, 2021
Beautiful words. So many different ways to pray and live out a prayer filled life.
" The work of our hands and of our minds is acted out prayer, a love offering to the living God"
" It is precisely in the "slop bucket job", the work that we abhor, where we will find God the most."
" The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and the heroic.. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find him at all. Ours is to be a symphonic piety in which all the activities of work and play and family and worship and sleep are the holy habits of the eternal."
" The work of our hands and of our minds is acted out prayer, a love offering to the living God"
" It is precisely in the "slop bucket job", the work that we abhor, where we will find God the most."
" The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and the heroic.. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find him at all. Ours is to be a symphonic piety in which all the activities of work and play and family and worship and sleep are the holy habits of the eternal."
July 16, 2023
This book certainly challenged my prayer life and faith that my prayers are heard. I read it as a recommendation by Phylicia Masonheimer in one of her email newsletters. It gave tons of scriptural support for all the ideas it presented, although the section about prayers for healing toward the end of the book felt a little new-agey and not based on scripture, so i docked it 2 stars for that: ideas like “you have to visualize the cells repairing themselves in order for your prayer to be more powerful” (not a direct quote). Everything else for the most part seemed solid.
May 17, 2025
Really solid. Served as a great devo for me.
I loved the categories: inward prayer, upward prayer, outward prayer, and then all the sub-categories. I think I have a tendency to get in ruts with prayer: only praying for myself or only praying for others or whatever. I walk away from this inspired by just the great diversity there is in prayer! It is a creative journey! Not boring!
I would recommend Keller’s Prayer and A Praying Life (Miller) over this. But still enjoyed it!
I loved the categories: inward prayer, upward prayer, outward prayer, and then all the sub-categories. I think I have a tendency to get in ruts with prayer: only praying for myself or only praying for others or whatever. I walk away from this inspired by just the great diversity there is in prayer! It is a creative journey! Not boring!
I would recommend Keller’s Prayer and A Praying Life (Miller) over this. But still enjoyed it!
January 4, 2019
Perhaps the greatest book I've ever read
It's dense with practical examples and Godly wisdom about prayer. After each chapter I thought about how much I'm looking forward to going back and reading it again. It's transformed my idea of what it means to have faith and to pray. Probably the best book a Christian can read besides the Bible.
It's dense with practical examples and Godly wisdom about prayer. After each chapter I thought about how much I'm looking forward to going back and reading it again. It's transformed my idea of what it means to have faith and to pray. Probably the best book a Christian can read besides the Bible.
April 25, 2024
This book really challenged and encouraged me. Although I am skeptical of some of the more “charismatic” types of prayer he discusses having grown up in a strict cessationist tradition, I am becoming much more open minded to the things that I don’t personally experience and this book laid out those gifts very thoughtfully and authentically.
January 10, 2021
O livro é dividido em 3 momentos: movimento para dentro (mudando-nos), movimento para cima (adorando, descansando e ouvindo a Deus) e movimento para fora (intercedendo pelos outros).
“A verdadeira e completa oração não é outra coisa senão o amor (Santo Agostinho).”
“A verdadeira e completa oração não é outra coisa senão o amor (Santo Agostinho).”
January 18, 2021
Woweeeee a lot to wrap my head around and a lot to put into practice. Will definitely be re-reading chapter by chapter and trying to implement some of these practices into my little life. Mind blown and stretched 🤯
July 21, 2021
This book was so good! Foster is pretty exhaustive in his description and teaching on various forms and aspects of prayer; to the point that I leave the book a bit intimidated. This is one that I will have to return to again and use as a reference for teaching in the future.
April 24, 2023
There were many chapters that gave me new insight into prayer and the many ways to pray. I’ll need to return to this one in order to get the most out of it since I listened to it in audio form this first time. Highly recommend to anyone looking to dive more deeply into their own prayer life. The reason why it didn’t get 5 stars is because I felt the chapter on healing prayer was misleading.
March 1, 2018
One of the most inspirational books I have ever read.
Simply mind-blowing.
Wow.
Simply mind-blowing.
Wow.
December 31, 2021
Richard Foster has done it again. An incredibly wise perspective on prayer. So insightful and encouraging.
January 23, 2023
I seriously read on this book for something like 2 years. It reads easy but I always felt I needed to chew on the truth for a bit before reading more. I can honestly say this has improved my prayer life greatly. Maybe I'll just start it over again, haha!
September 28, 2023
The chapter on the Prayer of Relinquishment is worth the price of admission alone, very powerful stuff
Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews