PRAYERFUL PASSAGES
Asking God’s Help in Reconciliation,
Separation, and Divorce
by
Jack H. Emmott
Genre: Religion / Spirituality / Devotional
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Date of Publication: February 9, 2016
# of pages: 64
The power of asking God for help while struggling to save a marriage, separating, divorcing, or rebuilding life is the driving force behind Prayerful Passages: Asking God’s Help in Reconciliation, Separation, and Divorce by Jack H. Emmott. The fifty-six prayers are practical, touching on all shades of difficulty. They are specific and short; accessible and comforting; inspiring and inspired.
In Prayerful Passages, Jack has opened the doors of comfort and healing to guide a Christian struggling with the anger, loss, and grief that inevitably arise during the separation, divorce, and reconciliation stages of a marriage in peril. Open the doors of your own heart to God’s grace and healing. These prayers will aid you in your journey.
PRAISE FOR PRAYERFUL PASSAGES:
In Prayerful Passages, Jack Emmott, with profound clarity, helps faithful people struggling in their marriage to find not only the words they need to pray, but also the Divine Presence and power they need in challenging life circumstances. — Rev. Stuart Bates, Rector, St. Francis Episcopal Church, Houston
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This book will make an ideal gift for a friend or family member going through divorce. I wish the families I’ve seen in family court had been able to make their difficult passages with these prayers in their hearts and on their lips. This book would have alleviated their anguish.– Frank Rynd, J.D., Former Family Law Judge
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A compelling sharing of compassion—this book shows the impact a prayerful, Christ-centered life can have on the human spirit. What a powerful read . . . I was wowed by its wisdom. — Larry R. Cook, CPA
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All you have to do is open to the table of contents to see the brilliance of this wise voice that pushes us all to see the world as a more inclusive, loving place where we are all perfectly imperfect children of God. Jack offers his reader empathy, wisdom and redemption for the human spirit. Don’t miss the wisdom of a man who has lived into surrender at an early age as his polio left him trapped in an iron lung to survive. But, he didn’t just survive; he blossomed and thrives today, venerating the love of the Divine for all of us. This is a must-read for all of us who want to live more fully into our loving relationships.– Micki Grimland, LCSW, Owner and Chief Psychotherapist, Southwest Psychotherapy Associates
Growing up Baptist, I’ve attended many churches and seminars that are Bible-based. When I went away to college, I took a Bible as Literature class to open up my spiritual world. As a relatively new believer in no “true and correct” religion, I still maintain the idea that Christianity must be Bible-based. And according to the Bible, divorce is a no no in most cases.
Emmott provides an excellent resource for people who are so distraught that they lack the ability to form the words to ask God for help. And I was impressed that he provides the template for so many different scenarios that a person might find themselves in; whether that is reconciling a marriage, separating temporarily, or divorce. He also suggests prayers for those with or without children.
I only wish that Emmott provided Bible passages for the reader to immerse themselves in. Specifically, passages that explain why divorce is not desirable. And I wish that he had provided resources within the book for those who are doing all that they can to save their marriage. Praying for help is good, but one has to look for the help as well. It would be a great service to the reader to have some of those resources already in their hands.
I was a little confused by “Prayers for Putting Our Child/Children First”. In that particular passage, it’s not clear whether the spouses are just separated and not divorced. Biblically, man and wife are cleaved and have a covenant with each other, not their children. In a Christian marriage, Christ comes first, then your spouse, and the children after that. If the couple were divorced already or on the verge, I would understand this particular prayer.
Overall, I think this is a good book to share with someone who might be going through a difficult time in their marriage or divorce. I would definitely couple it with some Biblical references to help solidify understanding and provide additional comfort.
What makes Prayerful Passages: Asking God’s Help in Reconciliation, Separation, and Divorce appealing is the courage, calling and faith of its author Jack H. Emmott. In 1954, just as the Salk vaccine was entering massive medical trials, Jack was stricken with polio and paralyzed from the neck down. With faith in God and selfless help from his parents, educators, healthcare providers, and later his wife Dorothy and his close-knit family, he became a successful lawyer, civic leader, volunteer, inspirational speaker, author, and song writer. Though today confined to a motorized wheelchair, he has long navigated as a full member of society.
As a member at Gray Reed & McGraw in Houston, Texas, with over thirty-five years working in family law, Jack primarily focuses on collaborative law, a resolution option for divorcing couples. In collaborative process, couples mutually agree to voluntary disclosure of relevant information, which is much faster and less expensive than formal discovery. The children are protected and shared, not divided like property.
His life experience and abiding faith in God led Jack to write Prayerful Passages: Asking God’s Help in Reconciliation, Separation, and Divorce. Jack says, “The exact words of the title Prayerful Passages literally came to me one night during evening prayer. I felt, at that very moment, I had received an invitation from God to write a book of prayers to help others and to please the God who had always accompanied me in the darkness of disability.”
Check out these other great blog stops on the tour!
5/5 Books and Broomsticks — Author Interview #1
5/6 Hall Ways Blog – Review
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