Tales for the Prayer Journey

Content

Tales for the Prayer Journey is an imaginative collection of five-minute stories designed to explore key aspects of prayer.

The intention of the book is that prayer should be seen as integral to the life of a child, not merely a ritual act at the end of an event.

The stories encourage children and adults to pray in their own way and their own language, but with a deeper understanding of prayer through exploring the Bible passages. Each story has an introduction, key Bible verse and practical prayer steps.

Endorsements

... a treasure trove of adventure and reflection that children will enjoy and, through the helpful accompanying notes, they will be enabled to go deeper in their own relationship with God.
Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Reading

Author info

Eve Lockett is a licensed lay minister (Reader) in Oxford diocese. She regularly contributes to family services and, for some years, helped with an after-school club involving biblical storytelling. She is a volunteer for the Volunteer Reading Help scheme in her local primary school, has a degree in English and Fine Art and a diploma in Biblical and Theological studies. Her first book for BRF, Tales of Grace, was published in May 2005.

• View other titles by Eve Lockett

Reviews

From The Methodist Recorder - 12 June 2008

A treasure trove of stories of adventure and reflection that all ages will enjoy has a foreword from the Bishop of Reading, Stephen Cottrell, which urges us not to forget that Jesus himself taught us through stories. Tales for the Prayer Journey by Eve Lockett has 30 five-minute stories for all-age reflection and discussion with links to Bible passages. Themes include the importance of listening to God, being honest with God, trusting him and waiting for his purposes to work out. This attractive book can be used by parents who find it hard to pray with or talk to their children about Christian things, or it can be used in churches and schools and by other groups t explore aspects of Christian faith. The ultimate aim of the book is to encourage reflection and discussion, through parable stories, and to encourage prayer as an integral part of the lives of both children and adults.

Reviewed by Avril Bottoms

Review from The Door - February 2008

Eve Lockett says that the purpose of her latest book is to engage children and adults on a journey of learning together about prayer. Certainly the structure of the book, in 30 bite-sized chapters, is ideal as a springboard for discussion and reflection for mixed age groups.

Each section has a story and simple, related activity designed to capture the attention of younger readers, while Bible references encourage deeper reflection when appropriate. All are tied together neatly with a short, accessible prayer.

Take, for example, the chapter on 'You and Me, Praying for other People': With the help of Truffle the Badger and a simple game involving scrabble pieces, even the youngest in a group will be drawn in to focusing on who they might include in their prayers each day. Older readers have clear guidelines for further exploration.

Eve Lockett, a licensed lay minister in the Oxford diocese, looks at the role of prayer in our meeting with and listening to God, and its role in our relationship with God, as well as tackling some of the thorny questions that can act as a barrier to successful prayer and providing some practical pointers on content.

It's easy to see the book, with its clear, accessible style and flexibility to tailor sessions to suit needs, appealing to church and school groups across a wide age-range. But it could be a winner in the home too, providing parents with the tools to open conversation with their children about the Christian faith - something many families find hard to talk about.

Too often, resources for nurturing the faith of young people involve them listening while we talk. But here we have a real chance to encourage honest discussion from which we may find we all learn something, whatever our age.

And as the Rt. Revd Stephen Cottrell, bishop of Reading, writes in his foreword: 'Let us not forget that Jesus himself taught us through stories.'

Reviewed by Sally Jarman

Book details

• ISBN: 9781841015095
• Published: 19 October 2007
• Status:
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 176