Prayer

As Yourself

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:07:29 GMT

Download the As Yourself 6-Week Study Guide

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” —Matthew 22:39

What does it mean to love others “as yourself?”

For spiritual director, therapist, and former pastor Caroline Vogel, loving God and loving others always came easy. What was much harder, as she discovered during a difficult season in her life, was the “as yourself” part. What did Jesus mean when he said to love others as yourself?

In this heartening exploration of learning to love ourselves as God loves us, Vogel invites us to embrace God's deep and abiding love, with our whole being, just as we are, today and every day.

Through spiritual practices, Biblical insights, and personal story, Vogel shows us how to move from striving for God's love to simply receiving it. With a gentle and wise voice, Caroline teaches us how to slow down, steady our minds, open our hearts, and tap into the life-giving flow of God's grace that is already within us — calling us out of our perfectionism, fear, or shame, calling us toward our own belovedness.

Drawing on her own deep relationship with the Holy Spirit, Vogel reveals that when we are truly aligned with the Spirit and follow Her lead — mind, heart, and body — we are being infused by God's grace moment by moment. We are breathing the Spirit and the Spirit is breathing us. We are living embodied grace inside and out.

If you struggle to love yourself as God does, yearn to know God's love more deeply, and wonder what it's like to embody grace in your daily life, this book is for you.

Welcome to the journey of coming home to yourself in God's love, as yourself.

In As Yourself, readers will explore:

Why receiving God's love is as important as giving it away.
How “hustling” for God's love is the opposite of living embodied grace.
How shame is often a barrier to loving ourselves and others.
How grace already lives inside us; we simply need to open to that truth.
Biblical stories that illuminate the theology of “as yourself.”
A dozen spiritual practices to help you embody grace.

Praying Their Way

Fri, 02 May 2025 16:24:08 GMT

Help kids develop an authentic relationship with God.

Children have a natural curiosity about God and an innate draw towards mystery. As they grow, kids ask bigger, more complex spiritual questions, and they need guides to help them explore their budding faith lives. Frustratingly, many of us lack the confidence or skills to talk to kids about prayer. We need resources to help us help them pray, in their own words and on their terms.

In Praying Their Way, seminary professor, pastor, and dad Roger Owens partners with his 15-year-old daughter Mary Clare to offer a unique guidebook for introducing kids to a lifelong journey with prayer. Filled with an abundance of tools to engage kids between the ages of 10-14 on the topic of prayer, this book provides support for that awkward time as kids grow from young children into teenagers and their faith grows and evolves too.

In this new resource for adults and the "tweens" they care for, you'll discover a new vocabulary for talking about prayer, specific prompts for conversation, and two dozen prayer practices in six different categories (scripture, silence, body, nature, together, and justice) to explore with kids in grades 5-8. Praying Their Way is easily adaptable for younger kids and kids through 9th grade, as well as the spiritual-but-not-religious audience.

Written for parents, grandparents, godparents, pastors, children's ministers, and Sunday school teachers, Praying Their Way is the book we have all been longing for. With Roger and Mary Clare as your wise guides, you will embark on a joyful journey of discovery and holy connection with the kids you love. And, as you share these practices with these young people, you may find that your own relationship with God is deepened and enriched as well.

Praying Their Way

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:52:09 GMT

Help kids develop an authentic relationship with God.

And His Name Shall Be Called

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:33:25 GMT

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Whether we hear it read aloud or sung by a massed choir, Isaiah 9:6 resonates with lifelong churchgoers, spiritual seekers, and even those dipping a toe into the things of God for the first time.

This Advent, step into the wonder of the season through the ancient words of the prophet Isaiah and the stirring music of Handel's Messiah. In And His Name Shall Be Called, beloved pastor and scholar James Howell invites you to reflect deeply on the four names that reveal the promise of God's presence in Isaiah 9:6: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Each week of this devotional centers on one of these titles, with daily reflections that draw from scripture, theology, and music to explore the many ways God is with us — in the past, today, and in the future. Through Howell's thoughtful insights and pastoral wisdom, you'll discover how these names are not just ancient poetry but promises still unfolding in our world today.

With special ties to Handel's Messiah, this devotional includes curated playlists to enrich your experience — helping you connect your spiritual reflections with the power of music in worship and contemplation.

Written by Rev. Dr. James Howell — senior pastor of one of the largest United Methodist congregations in the U.S. and author of the bestselling Unrevealed Until Its Season — this new Advent devotional will touch your heart and lead you to Christmas with joy and hope.

Whether you're reading alone, with family, or as part of a small group, And His Name Shall Be Called will be a meaningful Advent companion, revealing surprises and great treasures to help you make sense of who God really is and what life with God is, and could be, like.

And His Name Shall Be Called

Fri, 02 May 2025 16:26:30 GMT

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Whether we hear it read aloud or sung by a massed choir, Isaiah 9:6 resonates with lifelong churchgoers, spiritual seekers, and even those dipping a toe into the things of God for the first time.

Transformed by Grace

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:17:12 GMT

A Year of Prayer, Rooted in Wesleyan Faith.

In the devotional classic Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit, renowned Wesleyan scholar Paul Chilcote invited readers to experience the spiritual depth of John Wesley's sermons through devotional prayer. Now, in Transformed by Grace: 52 More Prayers in the Wesleyan Spirit, Chilcote continues this journey, offering a fresh collection of weekly prayers inspired by Wesley's later sermons. As in the first volume, Chilcote pairs each prayer with a beloved hymn by Charles Wesley, offering readers an opportunity to sing as they pray.

While Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit focused on Wesley's "standard sermons" and their theme of salvation, this new volume explores a broader range of spiritual themes. Traditional theological topics like the Trinity, creation, the image of God, faith, and perfect love are included here, but more fall into the broader category of spiritual formation and examine practical questions of every Christian related to topics like temptation, patience, conscience, simplicity, and zeal.

In Transformed by Grace, Chilcote takes on some of Wesley's most challenging sermons for modern readers and artfully conveys their original purpose: to touch the heart and inspire change. Whether you are a lifelong Methodist, a pastor seeking inspiration, or a person of faith longing to grow in grace, Transformed by Grace will be a treasured resource as God speaks to you through the insights of the Wesleys and their vision of the Christian way.

Walk with Christ through these prayers, both read and sung, and invite the Holy Spirit to be your companion along the way.

Also available: Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit: 52 Prayers for Today

Transformed by Grace

Fri, 02 May 2025 16:20:37 GMT

A Year of Prayer, Rooted in Wesleyan Faith.

Walk with Christ through these prayers, both read and sung, and invite the Holy Spirit to be your companion along the way.

Also available: Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit: 52 Prayers for Today

Orar con mandalas

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:39:41 GMT

¿Alguna vez ha pensado en colorear como una forma de orar? Tome sus lápices de colores o crayones y descubra una manera creativa de calmarse y enfocarse en Dios.

Sharon Seyfarth Garner invita a los adultos y jóvenes a colorear mandalas como una forma sencilla, placentera y tangible de «estar con Dios de manera intencional». Orar con mandalas combina la práctica relajante y contemplativa de colorear con estas prácticas espirituales antiguas:

Lectio divina (lectura meditativa de las Escrituras)
Oración de intercesión
Oración de consagración
Examen (revisión de los eventos del día para reconocer dónde estuvo presente Dios)

Este libro para colorear lo guía a través de experiencias de oración prácticas y desde el corazón. Disfrute de esta práctica colorida y contemplativa de orar con mandalas.

CARACTERÍSTICAS

10 páginas con 4 diseños de mandalas en blanco (40 mandalas)
Información sobre el uso de mandalas en la tradición cristiana
Consejos para orar con mandalas
Explicaciones sencillas sobre los mandalas y 4 prácticas espirituales
Puede ser utilizado por individuos o grupos en diversos contextos: retiros, hospitales, residencias de cuidado de ancianos, prisiones, ministerios universitarios, momentos devocionales en familia y más

Looking Inward, Living Outward

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 15:12:35 GMT

In a world of so much hurt, how can we create communities of care and healing?

While many contemporary Christians focus on a spirituality of the afterlife and individual salvation, Jesus calls us to create communities that enact justice and bring peace here on earth as it is in heaven. In his revelatory new book Looking Inward, Living Outward, popular spiritual leader Daniel Wolpert calls us back to a life of prayer and twelve specific spiritual practices that re-orient our gaze outward in acts of social transformation.

Drawing from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, one of the most radical speeches in human history, this encouraging and practical guide connects acts of contemplation with action, providing biblically based and spiritually grounded practices for living into the beloved community today.

Discover how spiritual practices can change the way you interact with the world and inspire lasting change.

Key Takeaways:

Learn practical spiritual practices to live a life molded by a deep spiritual connection.
Explore the nature of the spiritual life and how it can become a guiding force in our daily lives.
Understand the teachings of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount as a blueprint for living in community and society.
Discover the importance of communities of practice in reorienting our actions and promoting compassion in a world filled with challenges.

READ A SAMPLE.

NEW Small Group Guide — download now!

Looking Inward, Living Outward

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 14:38:19 GMT

In a world of so much hurt, how can we create communities of care and healing?

Discover how spiritual practices can change the way you interact with the world and inspire lasting change.

Key Takeaways:

Learn practical spiritual practices to live a life molded by a deep spiritual connection.
Explore the nature of the spiritual life and how it can become a guiding force in our daily lives.
Understand the teachings of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount as a blueprint for living in community and society.
Discover the importance of communities of practice in reorienting our actions and promoting compassion in a world filled with challenges.

READ A SAMPLE.

NEW Small Group Guide — download now!

Speak, My Soul

Tue, 14 May 2024 19:52:20 GMT

Learn to listen for the voice of God.

Our soul speaks … but can we hear it? In our noisy and overcrowded lives, it's often difficult to find the space to listen deeply to our own inner voice, let alone the voice of God. In Speak, My Soul, spiritual guide Marsha Crockett leads you through seven pathways for slowing down and discerning God's promptings in your daily life. Using the psalms as a spiritual roadmap, the journey will include seven weeks of daily meditations, prayers, practices, and prompts to help you enter and explore the quiet landscape of the soul, speaking to you even now.

Speak, My Soul is ideal for both personal and group use and includes the following:

A daily and weekly rhythm for personal devotion, reflection, prayer, and suggestions for journaling
A Small Group Leader’s Guide, including tips on developing listening groups, teaching active listening skills, and group dynamics
Speak, My Soul Psalms: Bonus content with reflection questions for six additional psalms
Lenten Retreat Guide
Inner Path Identifiers: a chart of traits, challenges, and disciplines associated with each of the seven inner paths for further reflections

Read a Sample.

Speak, My Soul

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 14:30:02 GMT

Learn to listen for the voice of God.

Speak, My Soul is ideal for both personal and group use and includes the following:

A daily and weekly rhythm for personal devotion, reflection, prayer, and suggestions for journaling
A Small Group Leader’s Guide, including tips on developing listening groups, teaching active listening skills, and group dynamics
Speak, My Soul Psalms: Bonus content with reflection questions for six additional psalms
Lenten Retreat Guide
Inner Path Identifiers: a chart of traits, challenges, and disciplines associated with each of the seven inner paths for further reflections

Read a Sample.

Creating a Life with God, Revised Edition

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 15:34:25 GMT

Over the past four decades, author Daniel Wolpert has answered the question "What do you do for a living?" with "I am a student of the spiritual life." In the original foreword to Creating a Life with God, Wolpert was called a “Pray-er” — someone who knew how his life was altered and transformed by prayer and someone who accepted the invitation to join Jesus in prayer to tend the longing in his heart. Both statements are still true today.

In the twenty years since this book was first released, Wolpert's work has inspired many to reflect on the life of prayer and what it means to be intentional about creating daily life with God. The longevity of the book speaks to a deep hunger for the practice of prayer and contemplation. Over the years, interest in spiritual life has grown stronger, both within the church and within popular culture. In the face of a world filled with chaos, uncertainty, and constant change, spiritual practices and prayer shape us into people who can provide healing, love, and compassion in response.

The twelve prayer practices in this book will help you take your relationship with God to a new level by:

Inviting you to solitude and silence
Inviting you to use your mind and imagination
Inviting you to use your body and your creativity
Inviting you to connect with nature and community.

Creating a Life with God invites you to join traveling companions like Julian of Norwich and Ignatius to help illuminate each of these prayer practices. This 20^th Anniversary Edition includes two new chapters and two new companions: Saint Brigit, who invites us to take a spiritual look at climate change, and Howard Thurman, noted pastor, author, and contemplative, who invites us to explore how spiritual practices inspire social transformation. These new chapters build on the original twelve prayer practices and ask how we can use the practice of prayer to engage a world in crisis.

Alongside these traveling companions, you will discover how classical approaches to God can deepen your prayer life and help prepare you to engage the world as a fearless ambassador for God's goodness.

Creating a Life with God, Revised Edition

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:24:12 GMT

The twelve prayer practices in this book will help you take your relationship with God to a new level by:

Inviting you to solitude and silence
Inviting you to use your mind and imagination
Inviting you to use your body and your creativity
Inviting you to connect with nature and community.

The Upper Room Mar / Apr 2026

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:43:21 GMT

A single copy of the selected issue of The Upper Room daily devotional guide in regular print mailed to you.

The Upper Room is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 35 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing. Every day, readers of The Upper Room around the world read the same story in many different languages and pray the same prayer together.

The Upper Room May / June 2026

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 16:10:02 GMT

A single copy of the selected issue of The Upper Room daily devotional guide in regular print mailed to you.

Sacred Conversation

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 21:32:57 GMT

Sacred Conversation

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 21:32:57 GMT

God created humans with the desire to both know others and be known. People weren't meant to go it alone on their spiritual journeys, and God has provided many fellow travelers to accompany us.

Some of these fellow pilgrims—spiritual directors—are called to walk the spiritual path with others. The spiritual director, however, does not seek to tell their counterpart how to live out the faith. Instead, the spiritual director accompanies others on their spiritual journey and helps them discover how God may be working in their lives. The spiritual director listens, notices, encourages, asks questions, and prays for the person receiving spiritual direction.

In Sacred Conversation, readers will learn what spiritual direction is and what it isn't. They will explore spiritual practices that have helped people for hundreds of years develop a closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Marsha Crockett introduces readers to seven gifts of spiritual direction: awakening, hospitality, story, pilgrimage, silence, meditation, and belonging.

Each chapter contains reflection questions for individuals to use in conversation with their spiritual director, as prompts for journaling, or for sharing with small groups.

Sacred Conversation

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:38:09 GMT

God created humans with the desire to both know others and be known. People weren't meant to go it alone on their spiritual journeys, and God has provided many fellow travelers to accompany us.

Each chapter contains reflection questions for individuals to use in conversation with their spiritual director, as prompts for journaling, or for sharing with small groups.

Everyday Contemplative

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:38:01 GMT

What does it mean to live a contemplative life? How does someone become contemplative? Does being contemplative mean sitting around thinking about God all day? Does it require living a simple or even austere life, like a monk or a nun?

Roger Owens challenges readers to expand their definition of contemplative living to encompass all ways of seeking to be more open, available, and responsive to God. God may be found just as easily in an office cubicle, a donut shop, or a laundry room as in a monastic cell.

In Everyday Contemplative, Owens presents seven characteristics of contemplative living: longing, attention, patience, playfulness, vulnerability, nonjudgment, and freedom. One ingredient he considers essential to the contemplative life is sharing it with others, and this book invites readers to discover the joys of contemplative living.