(written by a friend of mine who is a full deacon in the coptic orthodox church)
and
3) putting joy into practice
by tasoni phoebe farag mikhail
if you want a book that is easy to read without big theological words but full of depth, this is very refreshing.
it is written for people of all Christian backgrounds and for people of any faith and no faith, really accessible - 10 out of 10! (just in case tasoni wanted feedback from a poster on tasbeha.org...)
oh yes, that is a great book, quoting both oriental orthodox and eastern orthodox spiritual fathers and very practical.
don't rush it though, you should try to apply it as you read.
to give u an idea of it, it explains ways we can pray.
we need written prayers (like the agpeya) and spontaneous prayers,
but also we need to memorise parts of the Bible (like the psalms) and turn them in to prayers
and also we need to have short prayers we repeat often when we are walking or working (like asking God for mercy and thanking Him)
and also we need to learn how to be still and listen to God
and also we need to learn how to 'sit with ourselves' and find our sinful thoughts and desires and repent of them to God
and also we need to discuss our spiritual progress with our confession fathers (as well as repenting and taking Holy Communion)
and also we need to learn to pray for each other and for our enemies and for the world
and there is much more that is deeper than this! (i have only remembered the bits i could understand.)
if this sounds like too much hard work, just think how much work athletes do when they are competing, or how much effort goes into negotiating business contracts, or how much hard work it is to run a successful farm and feed the world!
when we pray, God Himself helps us. He just wants us to make a start and make an effort, to show that we choose to get close to Him.
Comments
2) ISBN 1950831116
a wonderful retranslation and paraphrasing of half of
Saint Macarius' homilies in modern english, suitable for readers of all
backgrounds.
if you would like more refreshing times of
prayer and great advice in spiritual warfare, this is for you!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1950831116/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+communion+of+the+holy+spirit&qid=1602606304&s=books&sr=1-2.
(written by a friend of mine who is a full deacon in the coptic orthodox church)