We Pray with Her: Encouragement for All Women Who Lead. Edited by Emily Peck-McClain, Danyelle Trexler, Jen Tyler, J. Paige Boyer, and Shannon Sullivan with a foreword by Ginger Gaines-Cirelli

We Pray with Her is a collection of 100 reflections and almost 50 prayers written by United Methodist clergy women under 40. Each entry is brief, which makes it nice for either daily devotional reading or an occasional dip.

Here are some of the things I love most about this book:

• The writers consistently use gender-inclusive language for God.
• The themed sections resonate with women in positions of leadership: call, struggle, courage, resistance, and persistence.
• The prayers are not trite and churchy —they are powerful and real. While not every prayer is a spectacular composition, it is worthwhile just to look through the titles of the prayers and be reminded that God wants us to bring our full selves into the Divine presence. A few examples? A Prayer for Dropping a Baby off at Day Care for the First Time; A Prayer in the Middle of a Miscarriage; A Prayer for a Difficult Meeting; A Prayer for the Day of Your Divorce Hearing; A Prayer for a Social Justice March; A Prayer in the Midst of Technical Difficulties. The breadth of these prayers is inspiring and freeing.
• Each reflection begins with a quote—often from scripture, but sometimes not.
• The authors write with vulnerability and honesty. Reading the book feels like talking about faith with friends—not being lectured by the “spiritually superior.”

This book would make a great gift for the women in your life who need to know they are not alone on this journey. And for the men in your life who may also feel lonely. And for yourself.

And here is some good news: I have a copy of this book to give away! If you would like your name put in a drawing for a free copy of We Pray With Her, comment below with a title for a prayer you would like someone to write. (Mine is: A Prayer for Saturday Night When You’re Exhausted and You Still Have a Sermon to Write.)

Everyone who comments will be entered in the drawing, and I will randomly choose a winner next Monday, December 10, at 1:00 p.m. (Central Time).

Advent blessings to you all.