Dr. Robert Wicks, psychologist and spiritual writer, is known to many, not only for authored Riding the Dragon and Crossing the Desert, but also for the psychological debriefing he offers traumatized relief workers, worldwide, who courageously provide aid.    

Prayerfulness culminates his experiences and expertise with sharp clarity. To begin with, Wicks focuses the reader on being “spiritually mindful.”  He explains that in order to be fully in relationship with God and others, we must first be disciplined to appreciate—everything. 

Wicks demonstrates this gracefully by using flowing narratives of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Thomas Merton, Dalai Lama, Henri Nouwen, and countless others. 

Wicks reminds the pray-er—one who prays—to listen to God’s ordinary messages in our everyday lives. 

Whether through rain or laughing children, he urges us to be present in the moment and recognize God there.  Through gratitude and prayer, “our eyes and heart [are] wide open to God’s presence, even in unexpected and possibly unfamiliar ways” (32).  Likewise, spiritual mindedness “does not remove the pain in our lives but softens our souls” (37). 

Part Two of Prayerfulness is conducive for a thirty day retreat, guiding the reader to further discern the wisdom of spiritual mindfulness.  For instance, Wicks instructs, “Look for areas of your life that are noncompetitive, nongrasping, and not worrisome but instead are filled with freedom, peace, fun, and joy” (114). 

Similarly, he asks, “When do you experience that you are flowing with your life rather than drifting through it?” (148).

This is an inspiring book, brimming with God’s love and “continual graces.”