Many Christians are familiar with puritan prayers thanks to books like The Valley of Vision or Piercing Heaven. But we likely heard precious few—if any—prayers from other epochs.
But, in Fount of Heaven: Prayers of the Early Church, Robert Elmer (author of Piecing Heaven) introduces us to the prayers of the earliest disciples of Jesus. Elmer compiled this collection of prayers to “open a window into the souls of the first generations of believers—real people whose hearts beat with praise in the face of troubled and persecution.”
The book features prayers from the first six centuries of the church from men such as Augustine of Hippo, Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom, Clement of Rome, Irenaeus of Lyons, Polycarp, Tertullian, Ephraim the Syrian, and Gregory Nazianzen.
The prayers are arranged into 32 categories, such as Praise You for Your Attributes, We Give Thanks to the Triune God; We remember our Congregation, Help Us to Be More Like Jesus, Show Us Truth in Your Word, Morning prayers, Evening Prayers, and Prayers for Days of the Christian years. The book also has brief biographies of the authors and sources.
I was initially interested in this book because I have mostly been exposed to prayers from the puritans. And I was interested in discovering prayers from Christians of other eras.
Much like Piercing Heaven, the prayers in this book are beautiful, rooted in Scripture, and God-centered. The early Christians took God seriously, and their prayers in this book reflect their dedication. I love how these prayers, though written more than a thousand years ago, can still be easily prayed by Christians today. For instance, the book features the earliest prayer recorded outside Scripture and is very “prayable.” This is because it is based on the enduring Word of God.
Design-wise, Fount of Heaven is very similar to Piercing heaven. It has a sturdy hardcover, ribbon marker, and the same layout and typesetting.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Fount of Heaven and highly recommend it. It is an excellent resource to help you pray and deepen your fellowship with God. Get a copy, keep it on your nightstand, visit it frequently, and be blessed.
*Lexham Press graciously gave a copy, and this is my honest review*
Grace and peace to you!
