Quiet Talks on Prayer

Samuel Dickey GordonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 292K words
Chapters: 30

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Quiet Talks on Prayer by S. D. GordonAuthor: Gordon, S. D. (Samuel Dickey), 1859-1936,Language: English, Class: BV: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Practical theology, Worship, Release Date: Aug 17, 2004

Editor's review

Quiet Talks on Prayer is a short Christian devotional book by S. D. Gordon, released in its original English by Project Gutenberg. Its distinguishing quality is not a rigorous system of theological argument but quiet, plain-spoken exhortation, unfolding around attitudes toward prayer, obstacles to it, and daily practice. The tone is gentle, suited to slow reading during personal devotion. For readers used to devotional essays, it offers an entry point for reflection and self-examination; for those studying practical theology or Christian worship literature, it is also a useful popular text for reference. Note that it is an early twentieth-century English devotional work whose mode of expression is distant from contemporary writing; readers should read with discernment, treating it as material for thought rather than as a standard answer on doctrine.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a Christian background who want to read English devotional essays
Those interested in the practice of prayer and reflection on the life of faith
General readers studying practical theology or devotional literature

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic theological argument or scholarly annotation
Those uninterested in religious content who want only general inspirational reading

Reading tips

Read a short section each day, then pause for a few minutes and turn the lines that move you into prayer notes.
When you meet old-fashioned English, grasp the general sense first rather than checking every word, and keep your reading rhythm.
Read alongside biblical passages to test the book's points and form your own judgment.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is this book mainly about?

It is an English devotional essay on prayer, unfolding around attitudes toward prayer, common obstacles, and daily practice. The tone is quiet and plain, focused on exhortation and reflection rather than building a rigorous systematic theology.

Can I read it without a Christian background?

Yes, but you need to understand that it belongs to the Christian devotional tradition. Readers without that background may find some expressions unfamiliar; it is best treated as a text for understanding a practice of faith rather than as general inspirational reading.

Is the English difficult?

The vocabulary is generally plain, but the book is early, and some sentence patterns and expressions carry old-fashioned English traces. Intermediate English reading ability is enough to grasp the general sense; feel free to skip over obscure passages.

Comments

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About the author

Samuel Dickey Gordon Author · American · 1859–1936

Samuel Dickey Gordon (1859–1936) was an American evangelical lay preacher and devotional writer, born in Philadelphia. He served as an assistant secretary of the Philadelphia Young Men's Christian Association and later as state secretary for the YMCA in Ohio, before becoming a widely popular itinerant speaker after 1895. Gordon is best known for his "Quiet Talks" series of devotional books, eight of which are held in this collection. These works focus mainly on prayer, power, service, and Jesus Christ, written in a quiet and gentle style that emphasizes practical spiritual life and inner reflection. The series remained popular for decades and influenced many lay readers in the English-speaking world. Beyond these facts, public information about his early education and personal life is limited.