Ted Loder, senior minister of Philadelphia’s First United Methodist Church for 38 years, is a political activist for social justice causes and has written several books centered on prayer. (For his books I've read, click on his name.)

This book begins with a chapter called Probing which discusses this book of prayers. His first sentence is “Why would anyone call a book of prayers, Guerrillas of Grace? The two images, “guerrillas” and “grace,” seem to be an unlikely, if not contradictory, conjunction. And yet . . . are they really? Somewhere I read a description of poets as “guerrillas of beauty.” … “I began to see “guerrillas of beauty” as applying to the risky and exciting struggles of people attempting to live out their faith in more free and joyful ways in the midst of difficult, resistant, often even oppressive circumstances. I began to understand the phrase as applying well to people who pray and to the prayers they utter.” He continues to discuss guerrillas, grace and prayers in the seven pages of Probing, which ends with this paragraph “So you see, I cannot believe that praying doesn’t make a difference. If it doesn’t, what else could?” and this prayer by Ted Loder:

       For at last I believe that life itself is a prayer,
            and the prayers we say shape the lives we live,
       just as the lives we live shape the prayers we say;
            and it all shapes the kingdom which expresses itself in and among us,
                and for which we are guerrillas.
       I hope these prayers help you to take some new territory,
            to liberate imaginatively some part of your life,
                my sister and brother guerrillas,
                  “... thy kingdom come ...”

The Probing chapter is followed by chapters of prayers (ranging from half a page to four pages) on the seven following topics:

• Prayers of Quietness & Listening
• Prayers of Thanks & Praise
• Prayers of Unburdening & Confession
• Prayers for Comfort & Reassurance
• Prayers for Restoration & Renewal
• Prayers of Commitment & Change
• Prayers for Seasons & Holidays

I bought this wonderful, powerful, moving, and insightful book of prayers after hearing the leader of my church’s Spiritual Formation adult Sunday school class began many of our sessions with a prayer she chose by Ted Loder. She has my deepest thanks for introducing me to Ted Loder. I have read all of the Guerrillas of Grace prayers a few times since then, gaining a bit more insight each time. Lately I’ve been reading these prayers aloud to my wife so we can share in the beauty and insight with which Ted Loder has gifted us. I give this book my very highest recommendation. Think six stars!