Opening to God: Lectio Divina and Life as Prayer
"David Benner has given us another great gift withOpening to God.A tremendous book on prayer for people at all stages of their relationship with God. Practical, devotional and rich. This is a book I will go back to again and again." (Peter Scazzero, pastor and author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality)"InOpening to GodDavid Benner comes alongside our lives as a wise and discerning companion. His words water our desire for God, encourage us in our spiritual practice and widen our lenses through which we view the landscape of prayer. They will speak to any heart that longs for a deeper, closer and more intimate walk with God." (Trevor Hudson, South African pastor and author of Questions God Asks and Discovering Our Spiritual Identity: Practices for God's Beloved (forthcoming))"One of the great blessings of my life is to have experienced scores of warm and insightful conversations with David Benner. I have walked away from almost every one with a deeper openness to the transforming love of God. And that is exactly how I was impacted while reading this wonderful book. What a gift! Life aslectio;life as prayer." (Gary W. Moon, M.Div., Ph.D., vice president and integration chair, Richmont Graduate University, and author of Apprenticeship with Jesus)"Opening to Godis an invitation to prayer--not just a book about prayer, but a guide for daily practice. Like an intimate retreat with a spiritual master, it brings centuries of wisdom close enough to speak to our lives. I've never met David Benner, but I felt like I was reading someone who'd listened to my prayers." (Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (www.jonathanwilsonhartgrove.com), coauthor, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers)"David Benner'sOpening to Godshould become a classic! It is warm, wise, gentle and challenging. For the beginner or the experienced it offers guidance in the Christian prayer practice oflectio divina,making this ancient monastic approach to prayer wonderfully accessible to the contemporary seeker. By no means is it a rigid or opaque 'how to' book, but rather an invitation to go ever deeper in the life of prayer. Reading it is like a conversation with a trusted friend." (Margaret Guenther, Episcopal priest and author of Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction and The Practice of Prayer)"InOpening to God,David Benner has gifted us with a thoughtful and comprehensive guide to Christian prayer. The intimacy with which Benner writes about prayer betrays a deep and abiding knowledge of the subject, thus this book is destined to be valued by individuals and groups alike in their quest for more intimacy with God." (Tony Jones (http://tonyj.net), author of The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices in Everyday Life)"This book represents a new maturity in spiritual thinking and teaching. David Benner is wise, broad and deep all at the same time. And you will be too after you finish this wonderful book." (Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico)"InOpening to God,David Benner has given us a generous, comprehensive and very pastoral guide not only to the myriad types of prayer open to us as Christians, but also to the informing attitudes and physical nuances which can enable a rich prayer life in all of us." (Phyllis Tickle, compiler, The Divine Hours)