Buying ‘Praying the Pattern’

I have set thing up so you can buy “Praying the Pattern” via Paypal. I can also do international postage. I’m encouraging this way of doing it because it’s cheaper for you the buyer and I get a bigger cut of the revenue.
So… go on, give it a click, you know you want to. (And of course if you did, for some reason, want to get it on Amazon, you can).

Here’s a quick guide to what it’s about. At the bottom, how to get hold of a signed copy from the author (cheaper too, than most options).

It’s about time we got seriously interesting when praying the Lord’s prayer. It’s all too often repeated word-for-word as a set prayer, which is a shame because it is a whole lot better prayed as a pattern -and arguably that was Jesus’ intention. Using it as a kind of trellis or framework can let it blossom into our whole life. Making the change from thinking of it as a set prayer to using it as a living skeleton for the flesh of everyday prayer is perhaps made more difficult by us not having any ‘handles’ on how to do it. Well, that’s where this book comes to the rescue. Here are creative ideas for individuals for prayer groups, retreats and worship: there are ways outlined for praying with the body, with organisers, scrapbooks, stones, cards, labyrinths, lifestyles and liturgies. And to help even more there is a website for further materials and methods and also the means to add your own ideas and comments. You can find it at on the book’s website. There’s a few pages of new ideas that have been written up since the book was published as well as some more liturgies.

Books on the Lord’s prayer tend to be one of two kinds. On the one hand there are scholarly books which go into the history, theology and literary things. On the other hand there are ‘devotional’ books with thoughts and meditations on the the prayer. There seem to be few books that take the insights about meanings and structure of the prayer and turn them into practical strategies for praying. Praying the Pattern fills the gap between noting that the ‘Our Father’ is supposed to be a framework for prayer and the usual practice of recitating the prayer while using other patterns to shape everyday prayer.

Here’s some nice things some readers have said.

“It is the best book I’ve seen on teaching how to use the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern for prayer. Bowsher’s little book not only teaches, but provides an abundance of examples and suggestions. … Now here’s what this book does: it thinks about prayer, dwells on prayer, and teaches all about prayer through the lens of the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer. Worth having. [Scot McKnight]

..the book is FANTASTIC. I recommend it wholeheartedly!” Simone

Andii Bowsher’s little book Praying the Pattern, The Lord’s Prayer as a Framework for Prayer and Life, is an interesting and very practical book that explores ways that we can use the Lord’s prayer to deepen our prayer life. I particularly enjoyed the chapter that looks at different body movements for each part of the prayer. -Christine Sine

Pray well!

Since publication, the book Praying the Pattern has been helping ‘prayists’ round the world to use the pattern of the Lord’s prayer to pray their life and live their prayer. It has enlivened quiet times and enabled people to take seriously the ‘gospel prayer’ not just as a set of words to be recited but as a framework to develop a deeper relationship with God.