The Poems to Inspire Prayer series
I wrote the following four little books in 2005, using poetry to articulate prayer in a way I hoped would speak for readers simply yet powerfully. Material from these books, plus from several hymns and other poems I had written, was later put together to create the book Poems to Help You Pray (see below).
FINDING FORGIVENESS: POEMS TO INSPIRE PRAYER
If some Christians can be accused of self-righteousness, the problem for most is the opposite: an all-too-painfulness awareness of their failings. Such an awareness has its place, if it leads to a genuine desire to change, but the last thing God wants is for anyone to struggle through life burdened by a sense of guilt or shame. At heart the gospel is about God’s love and mercy, his offer of forgiveness for all through Christ. The prayer-poems in this book – some general, some more specific – articulate those two aspects: the frustration and sorrow we feel at our repeated faithlessness but also the assurance of God’s unfailing grace. They are designed to speak both for us and to us.
A HAVEN IN THE STORM: POEMS TO INSPIRE PRAYER
In the face of an ever-changing world, sometimes we all need is a gentle reminder of God’s promise to be with us, come what may. In this collection of poems, Nick Fawcett helps us to explore the true promise at the heart of the gospel – God’s everlasting faithfulness.
LIVING WITH LOSS: POEMS TO INSPIRE PRAYER
To lose a loved one is one of the most testing experiences we will ever face, bringing a bewildering roller-coaster of emotions: grief, guilt, panic, anger and confusion, to name but some. How do we cope with such feelings? How can we channel them constructively rather than let them eat away within? How can we make sense of death and our own continuing life? For the Christian such questions are as pressing as any. The prayer-poems in this book – some written from my personal experience of losing my father just a year earlier – do not promise easy answers, but attempt to wrestle with the devastating trauma of bereavement while also offering words of hope, comfort and encouragement in the light of God’s eternal promises. They are designed to speak both for and to us.
OUR BROKEN WORLD: POEMS TO INSPIRE PRAYER
Where is God in our world today? News headlines seem to be dominated by stories of evil, sorrow and suffering, and as Christians we struggle as keenly as anyone to make sense of it all. How can we possibly talk of a loving God amid so much that seems to question or deny his presence? The prayer-poems in this book make no pretence to offer easy answers to such conundrums, but attempt rather to articulate our sense of confusion yet also the faith we hold on to despite them.
Other poetic prayer books
POEMS TO HELP YOU PRAY: THEMED PRAYERS LEADING INTO WORSHIP
For some time Nick Fawcett has been exploring poetry as a medium of prayer. In this book, featuring a mix of new and old material, he focuses on our responses to God through word and deed and on asking God’s help to serve him better. Ideal for both private and public devotion.
IN A WORLD OF TEARS AND SORROW: 100 INTERCESSORY POEMS TO GUIDE PRAYER AND INSPIRE REFLECTION
In this book of 100 brand new prayers with a difference, Nick Fawcett offers 100 poetic intercessions that speak in a way other prayers cannot quite capture. Encouraging further reflection, they leave the issues and concerns covered fresh in the mind long after the words have first been read or heard, helping to challenge, move and inspire.