The Simple Way of Prayer
MADAME JEANNE GUYONA Clear Path to Intuitive Prayer
To all for whom prayer seems a mystery, who are aware of its importance, but unsure of the proper posture and method; for those who nevertheless ache for an authentic connection to the Living God, and can offer nothing more than their sincere longing to commune with Jesus — this short but profound work is a simple path leading directly to His feet.
About the Book
Madame Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) was a French Mystic, imprisoned in the Bastille by the religious and political authorities of her day for the teachings in this very book. But in spite of vicious attempts at censorship, The Simple Way of Prayer (originally published as A Short and Very Easy Method of Prayer) has proved to be the most important work on the subject since its initial publication in 1685.
With a voice that is as earnest as it is tender, Madame Guyon offers wisdom for sustaining a lifestyle of prayer, including practical guidance for…
Entering the presence of God
Practicing inward silence
Self-examination and confession
Offering up petitions and supplications
Overcoming distractions and temptations
Experiencing deep rest before God\
The humble reader will discover here a method of prayer that can be sustained throughout the day, by any kind of person of any age, for this inward prayer is, very simply, “the application of the heart to God, and the internal exercise of love.”
“Come, ye poor, stray, wandering sheep, return to your Shepherd! Come, sinners, to your Saviour! Come, ye dull, ignorant, and illiterate, ye who think yourselves the most incapable of prayer! …Let all without exception come, for Jesus Christ hath called all... Nothing is so easily obtained as the possession and enjoyment of God.”
About the Author
Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte-Guyon, more commonly known as Madame Guyon, was an aristocrat by birth, a widow and mother to three, and cousin to the famous François Fénelon. Her early religious training and later mystical experiences led her to passionately live and teach a message of direct access to the Presence of God. These notions were an offense to the political and religious authorities of her day. She was imprisoned in the Bastille from 1695 to 1703 by king Louis XIV after publishing the book, A Short and Very Easy Method of Prayer (re-published here as The Simple Way of Prayer). Her work endures to this day, calling everyday Christians beyond mere religious ritual into a personal experience with the Living Spirit of Jesus.