HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CAUGHT SPEECHLESS or nervous when someone asked you to open with a prayer? If so, these 150 prayers will help you to begin or end a meeting, a class, a community event, or any other type of gathering. The prayers touch on ten themes essential to Christian life, and each prayer may be adapted to your unique needs. Each of the prayers includes a passage from the Bible. This feature adds an important dimension to prayer: not only do those praying direct their attention to God, but they also proclaim God’s word. The themes of the prayers are as follows: 1. Ask and Receive 2. Be Reconciled 3. Listen, and Speak Truth 4. Love Is the Key 5. Make Room for Hope 6. Offer Thank and Praise 7. Seek Wisdom 8. Servant Leadership 9. Set Our Eyes on Faith 10. Take Courage Carl Koch is an editor for Saint Mary’s Press. He is also the author of, among other books, the original 150 Opening and Closing Prayers, Creating a Christian Lifestyle, and A Popular History of the Catholic Church. ..