How to Pray: Living Wholly Through Honest, Surrendered, Heart Praying (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780996765503)

Rev Claire Annelise Smith, PhD is a speaker, experienced spiritual mentor and prayer coach. She is empowering you to live with greater clarity and peace as you experience God more fully through prayer. Dr Smith has had her prayers published in works such as "A Chair Pulled to the Place of Prayer: Prayer Handbook 2008," Geoffrey Duncan, ed. London: The United Reformed Church, 2007, and "Timeless Prayers for Peace," comp. Geoffrey Duncan, Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press, 2003, to name two. She has started and led prayer groups in different countries as a pastor and as a member of the congregation. However, she faced challenges in remaining consistent in her intentional private prayer life. A few years ago, her mother died unexpectedly. It was a devastating blow. This was followed by the death of another relative shortly after. In less than a year after those losses, she relocated to the United States for postgraduate studies. It was a lot to deal with in such a short time. On the outside she was fine. Inside, she was still grieving. The private face of pain found expression in going to God with honest, surrendered, heart prayers. This included writing her prayers with total honesty. She tried once again to have a consistent private prayer time. This time around it stuck and is still sustained. What made the difference? "I started getting real honest with God. In addition, I began writing my prayers. Sometimes I'd write and then pray them aloud. At other times, I would simply write. There were times when I did not write but the honest prayers that began on the pages of the notebook continued." Out of this came a fuller experience of God and greater clarity and peace about her life. In addition to her work with SurrenderInPrayer, Claire Smith is the Director of youTheology Institute.