Writing -- A Way to Pray
Arnold B. Cheyney

In Writing -- A Way to Pray Arnold Cheyney offers a practical method of writing as an act of prayer. He shows how to pray with more meaning, thought, and imagination by writing with Scripture as our focus. This method differs from other kinds of prayer forms because it allows one to organize thoughts and highlight ideas that would otherwise remain unexplored. The concept of praying through writing, based on the Ignatian tradition of exploring images to bring God into personal focus, involves reading Scripture, writing Scripture, and praying Scripture concurrently.


By writing reflections on Scripture, a connection is formed between God's word and its relevance to our lives. We are better able to understand Jesus' thoughts, comprehend the meaning of Scripture, and focus on the message of God. Cheyney offers several ways to apply writing to prayer for example, writing stories, letters, poems, or scripts. A section at the end of the book contains practical applications of the methods discussed in the text.

Arnold Cheyney, Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Miami, Florida, is best known for his educational column, "NIE Idea Corner," which runs monthly in more than five hundred national newspapers. He holds a Ph.D. in elementary education from Ohio State University, where he also taught in the College of Education. Cheyney has held positions as an elementary school principal, a city elementary school supervisor, and a director of school programs for the gifted. He has written more than five hundred books, articles, and short stories. Now a full-time writer, Cheyney collaborates with his wife Jeanne to produce various educational books and products.