People rarely ask for a prayer resource in the abstract. They ask because something has shifted. A parishioner wants more than the prayers she learned as a child. A staff member realizes he prays about his ministry but not much else. A mother wants her family to pray together and doesn't know how to begin without it feeling forced.
The honest problem is that the right next resource depends on where the person already is. A book that opens things up for one person sits unread on someone else's nightstand, and an app that builds one person's habit is one more notification to someone else.
This guide sorts recommended prayer resources into four groups, so you can suggest something that fits rather than handing everyone the same book. Most of what's in it is free.
Four Places People Start
Each group is described by what a person would say about their own prayer, not by how holy they are. Read the descriptions, decide which one sounds like the person in front of you, and turn to that section.
Getting Started
"No one ever really taught me how to pray." Someone who knows the Our Father and the Hail Mary, prays at Mass or at meals, and isn't sure what a relationship with Jesus would even look like.
Building a Routine
"I pray, but usually when I need something." Someone who prays most days, for a few minutes, and wants a rhythm that fits an ordinary life.
Learning to Listen
"I talk to God all day, but I'm not sure he's talking back." Someone with a real prayer life that has gone quiet or dry, who wants to learn to listen.
Praying as a Family
"We pray before meals, and that's about it." Parents and couples who want to pray together, with children of any age.
Each section recommends videos, audio, books, apps, and websites, with a short description of each, so a person can choose the format they will actually use.
What's Inside
- The Gift of Prayer — why prayer begins with God's invitation rather than our effort, and what that changes
- Praying with Children — making time, claiming it, and being realistic about what family prayer looks like in a loud house
- Four groups of resources — roughly 60 recommendations across video, audio, books, apps, and websites, most of them free
- Guided prayer you can pray along with — not only material about prayer
Who This Is For
Anyone who gets asked "what should I read?" and wants a better answer than whatever they read last: catechetical leaders, small group leaders, RCIA teams, sponsors, spiritual directors, and anyone walking with another person whose prayer is growing.
It works for your own prayer too. Most of us have settled into one way of praying and haven't left it in a while.
How to Use It
Start with the person, not the list. Ask what their prayer looks like now, what they have tried, and what fell apart. Then find the group that matches what you heard, and suggest one thing rather than five. A resource someone actually uses does more than a stack of better ones they never open.
We check the links and refresh the list as new resources are released, so this page always holds the current version.
