Prayer: Letters to Malcolm - CS Lewis

Published by Fontana Books: Glasgow, 1974 (1963).

This is the final book published by C S Lewis, and as the title suggests, is a series of letters written to 'Malcolm' on the subject of prayer. During the book they discuss petitionary prayer, prayers of adoration and worship, and other topics including (briefly) Lewis' belief in a form of purgatory (for those who are saved but who feel the need to say to God: "With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I'd rather be cleaned first." (page 110)). 

You don't have to agree with Lewis (I disagree with the idea of any purgatory) to enjoy the way he thinks, and his insights. I was reading part of this when I was attempting to pray for a friend, and found the following passage helpful: "Don't you find that, if you keep your mind fixed upon God, you will automatically think of the person you are praying for; but that there is no tendency for it to work the other way round?" (page 69).

Lewis is an interesting person to read, as he is a self-confessed 'layman' as opposed to a train theologian, yet has a great depth of insight. I recommend this and all of his theology works.

Completed 20 April 2020.

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