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.
Spacious Faith 
A prayer for when a parishioner says something offensive or hurtful and you can’t respond how you want to.
A prayer for your anxious child when your own anxiety is already too much
I’m to sore to move but I have to much to do to stay here in bed!
A Prayer for an Introvert Pastoring and Parenting who really just needs an entire day at the quiet reading room in the public library to recuperate
A prayer for when the hierarchy neglects to recognize your efforts and only acknowledges the male senior pastor
A prayer for an introvert during Christmas Party season. Oh Lord please help me find real *connection* amidst all the mingling 🙂
A prayer for when I need some Introvert Recovery Time, but I have one more church event to attend before that can happen
A prayer when cis-white-straight-males feel a need to criticize your prayers or sermons as being too political
A prayer for when you want are in a meeting and you want to scream but at the same time don’t want to get fired.
Angela, congratulations! You won the random drawing. You can use the “contact” button at the top of the page to send me your mailing address and I’ll get it shipped soon.
a prayer for words – when nothing seems strong enough
A prayer to let go of trying.
Thanks, everyone, for sharing your prayers. Angela won the random drawing.