Holy Walks: Learning and Praying the Psalms

Prayers that lead to a growing intimacy with God. Heart-learning not just more head knowledge. Walking conversations with God. These are a few of the fruits produced by a spiritual practice called holy walks. Rooted in the ancient art of praying the Psalms holy walks enrich our understanding and practice of prayer by integrating prayer-walking and learning the Psalms by heart. In a practical deeply personal and at times humorous manner Steve Simon shares how holy walks have transformed his own prayer life and revitalized his walk with God--and how they can do the same for the reader. In addition to explaining the spiritual practice of holy walks Holy Walks also provides an introduction to the book of Psalms which will be especially valuable for those with limited knowledge of the Bible. Exploring five types of psalms Holy Walks describes how God uses them to shape our heart in life-giving ways no matter what peaks were climbing or valleys were traversing. The book concludes with a discussion on what the Psalms teach about Gods relationship with us as our creator leader and rescuer. Steve Simon walks us through the deep waters of the Psalms. He invites us to rejoice and to lament to plead and to praise to question God and to question our own hearts. And as we read his book we become baptized in the prayers that have strengthened the faithful for 3000 years. --Dann Stouten Regional Coordinator Reformed Church in America and author of The Gate Christians are a strange combination of earthly and spiritual. They are both and all the time. So walking a dog and praying the Psalms seems the perfect image of what it means to be Christian. Steve Simon captures this tension in his Holy Walks. He walks his dog and prays the Psalms every day. Holy Walks is an extended meditation on that practice. --Gerald L. Sittser Professor of Theology Whitworth University and author of A Grace Disguised and Water from a Deep Well In Holy Walks Steve Simon invites us to discover fresh movement--literally--in our prayer life showing a way to get out of our heads and our houses and pray with our whole bodies in Gods creation. . . . Anyone looking for more than shopping-list prayers in their conversations with God will find a wise guidebook here. --Steven Lympus Pastor of Shadle Park Presbyterian Church in Spokane and author of The House of DunRaven This delightful book provides a roadmap for how ordinary routines like dog walking can become transformative times spent in Gods Word. --Benjamin Brody DMA Professor of Church Music and Chair Department of Music Whitworth University Stephen C. Simon is a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has served churches in west Michigan northern Idaho and eastern Washington. He also spent twelve years in college ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He and his wife Carol have two sons of whom theyre extremely proud two wonderful daughters-in-law and two fantastic granddaughters. Plus a couple of beloved dogs whom youll meet in the book.