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"God had revealed his presence and vindicated his name," Watkins writes.

A few pages later, Watkins explains "Give us today our daily bread" with a story about giving a $25 pledge to his church when he, his wife, and two children were down to their last can of beans and in danger of eviction. Providentially, as soon as he gave the $25, another church member stepped in, covering their rent and giving them groceries.

"By the following Sunday … we were flush with money and food," he writes. "God had met our needs. He had kept his promise, and we continued keeping our promise to him."

Contrast this with Lorraine Kisly's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer in The Prayer of Fire (Paraclete): "While each phrase is indeed a petition, it is not a petition in the sense of a request to be granted in the future." When we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," Kisly sees it as asking for the bread of life: "Do we think we can get by with earthly bread alone?"

Some of Watkins's best insights on prayer come in three chapters on other subjects. In a section on guidance, or listening to God, he examines specifically how God speaks: through answered prayer, thoughts and feelings, the Bible, creation, and other methods.

In his thoughtful discourse on meditation, Watkins explores how Christian meditation "leads us to fill our minds, and therefore ourselves, with God." He then connects this to journaling, and while some of his advice may seem over-instructive ("I start by writing down the day and date"), his eventual return to the goal of focus is helpful: "Journaling can also be wonderful for prayer; there is perhaps no better cure for a wandering mind than the act of writing."

In an insightful section on confession and forgiveness, Watkins tackles the disturbing question, "Is it ever appropriate to forgive God?" (He says no.) In his thorough exploration, he notes that forgiveness is not the same as forgetting; that reconciliation is not always achievable or expected; and that forgiving ourselves is crucial. In the following chapter on service and sacrifice, he offers many concrete suggestions. They come with a welcome admonition to compulsive do-ers to "consider saying no more often."

Watkins writes with the unwavering certainty of one who has found an interpretation of the disciplines that has changed his life. Readers should find that his discussable book opens up conversations about what it means to be transformed by the spiritual disciplines.

Cindy Crosby is the author of By Willoway Brook: Exploring the Landscape of Prayer (Paraclete, 2003).

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today.Click for reprint information.

The Transforming Habits of a Growing Christian is available from Christianbook.com and other book retailers.

More information is available from the publisher.

Other reviews or book news are available on our 2004 book awards and books pages.

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October 2004, Vol. 48, No. 10