In theory, prayer sounds great. It moves mountains and opens doors and changes the world.

In practice? Well, a lot of us have never stuck with it long enough to find out. We forget to pray. We wonder if we're doing it right. We get distracted. We're not sure how to break the four-minute mark (what else is there to say?). Mostly, we just say thank you, ask for stuff, and hope for the best.

There's a better way.

This book (workbook, really) is built on a novel idea - that the best way to learn to pray is to pray. In practicing prayer, we discover its power to connect us to God and his people, to transform our hearts and minds, and to, well, change the world.

J.L. Gerhardt walks you through some straightforward ways to make prayer a habit, leading you in new (and sometimes very old) ways of praying. Her hope is to light a fire in you for prayer and provide the skills you need to keep the fire burning.

J.L. Gerhardt writes, creates Bible studies, and leads workshops about prayer with the single goal of leading people into a closer, more on-purpose relationship with God. She's spent the last 10 years intentionally exploring and experimenting with prayer.

She works alongside her husband, Justin, with Round Rock Church of Christ (just outside of Austin, TX) and homeschools their daughters, London (7) and Eve (6). She likes to explore outside, take pictures, read books, and eat gluten-free pizza.