Word is Very Near You

In his new book Martin Smith understands both the desire and the need to pray and the many resistances and fears that pull us away from prayer. . . . His deep experience shows through in every level of this book. His is not some esoteric, academic treatment of the discipline of prayer. His knowledge of prayer is grounded in experience-in the experience of hundreds of people who want to know God, who long to draw near to God and who turn to Smith for guidance and help. As you read you feel as if Smith were calmly and prayerfully sitting in front of you, looking at your soul, strongly but gently loving you and helping you move more deeply towards God. It is a prayerful holy experience just to read this book. Your soul will stir. . . . "I have never read a deeper or more thorough treatment of our desire for prayer and at the same time our resistance to it, which Smith treats in Section One. Smith does not mince words. He is strong and articulate. He unveils our deep longing and desire for God. One feels one's heart burn as Smith writes about our desire for God and God's desire for us. . . . 'There are quite a number of books published on prayer and meditation. Many sound good and then fade. Not so with Martin Smith's book. It has fueled my thoughts and prayer for months. One walks away from this book with an even deeper desire to pray and specific help on how to do just that-to open one's heart to God. -- Elisa DesPortes Wheeler * Virginia Seminary Journal * Martin Smith's book The Word is Very Near You is as good a book on praying with the scriptures as one is likely to read. . . . "Two things, above all else, make this an excellent book on prayer. The first is Smith's gentle, unassuming insight, expressed in style as well as content. The second is his use of quotations or re-creations of the responses of real people engaged in prayer, responses gathered from his considerable experience as a spiritual director. But it is not just an excellent book about prayer, it is a prayerful, graceful book. It makes one want to pray. -- Rev. Marc Lawrence Britt * Episcopal Life * Over the last year or more, I have been very deeply engaged in prayer. In fact, prayer has been the one constant source of hope and strength that has helped me through difficult times. Consequently, I turned again to Martin Smith's book, The Word is Very Near You. Martin's clear and personal style of speaking about prayer guided me into an even deeper communion with God. For this I will always be grateful. -- Bishop Steven Charleston * Episcopal Life *