In 1535, Martin Luther was asked by his barber, Peter Beskendorf, for some practical advice on how to pray. Luther responded to his friend’s request with this beautiful little book. In it, he advocates praying through The Lord’s Prayer, the ten commandments, and the Apostle’s Creed when and if we find that we have grown cold in our prayer life.

A Simple Way to Pray is just as relevant and helpful today as it no doubt was over 400 years ago. Praying the Creed might make some Protestant groups uneasy, but Luther is merely suggesting that we allow these things to stand as models that will guide us through our prayers, not that we merely learn these so that we can blandly recite them later on. This is a work full of helpful little tidbits concerning the length of prayers, common pitfalls to avoid, and how we ought to conduct ourselves in our prayers.

I recommend this to you heartily. It is relatively inexpensive and would make a great starter book on prayer. That being said, the seasoned Christian will benefit from its straightforwardness and keen insights as well. You will not be disappointed with this book.