God, I Have Issues: 50 Ways to Pray No Matter How You Feel

by Mark E. Thibodeaux

Human lives—and human issues—run the gamut from addiction and anger to weariness and worries. God, I Have Issues is a gentle call to prayer in the midst of our good and bad times, trusting our problems and joys to a God who wishes to share them all with us. Each "issue" opens with a Scripture passage (and lists others that are related) and contains a reflection, "prayer pointers" and "words to take with you."

Genres: Prayer, Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Theology, Catholic

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2005

About the author

Rev. Father Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, is a spiritual director for Jesuits in formation, with a focus on prayer and discernment.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatest prayer helper book ever! Tons of great tips to start intimate, honest prayer with God. I realize this is not meant to be read cover to cover as it states in the introduction, but I did to get an overview and will keep it handy to help me indefinitely. I don't see how this couldn't help everybody who's seeking God in one way or many!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forget judging a book by its cover—this was destined to be mine by the title alone.

This is more a reference book than one to be read cover-to-cover. It's a good prayer guide, offering a little push when you don't know how to pray. It's categorized by mood, from happy to anxious to blah, and helps guide you when you don't know where to start. Each mood contains a Bible verse and an anecdote, and offers ways to talk with God—no matter how you feel, and especially when you don't feel like it.

I keep it now by my bedside, for those days I don't know where to start.

[Rachel Rines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good prayer formation book for when you don’t know the words you want to pray and I appreciate the variety. I will say, I wish the quotes included at the end of each prayer were explicitly Catholic/Christian quotes instead of just sayings pulled from any type of spirituality or general “wisdom”, because I didn’t agree with all of them. I’d give this 3.5 if I could!

[Dominic Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books that you will keep for a lifetime

A book that is like a companion. Easily revisited time after time. The words are like a well that doesn't run dry because the source of the words, is from the living water.

[Madharasan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with tips on how to pray during tough times. Filled with great personal reflections and insights which might be helpful when we feel lost.

Can not and should not be read in a single sitting. More as a reference book or a guide book in times of need.

[Marcia Hotchkiss]

It is not really a book to read. Instead, it has various topics that have specific prayers with them.

[Cynthia Wheelehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well organized, simple prayer guide by subject.... A perfect way to get started on scripture reading and a prayer issue that you are resisting......

[Vanessa Bustamante · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that I plan to keep for the rest of my life. The author really has a way to address so many frequent situations that either make us feel that we want to be closer to God or that make us feel like we kinda want to stay away. there is an index where you can look up how are you feeling and then read the author's thoughts about that feeling along with real experiences and how you can still pray even if you feel sad, anxious, disappoi ted, happy, grateful, weak etc.. it indeed has helped me to pray no matter how I feel, it helps you develop another kind of relationship with Our Father.

[Father Brice Higginbotham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began using "God I have Issues" to help me pray when Father Mark was my spiritual director. Learning to acknowledge my emotions and talk to Jesus about them was the real beginning of my life of prayer. I often give this book to people who are beginning to pray and highly recommend it to anyone seeking deeper relationship with God.

[Brice Higginbotham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work was critically helpful in my first baby-steps into regular contemplative prayer. Fr. Thibodeaux is a master spiritual director and that shows forth in the reflections and suggestions contained herein.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it.... warm, funny, comforting, challenging... I've even caught my husband reading it.

[Patti Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book I would read from cover to cover. I have used it when I was struggling with a certain issue.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book with some helpful prayers.

[Joy Gott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advice, prayer tips and Biblical references to our most common issues with our Christian walk

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I turn to this book over and over again. I love the biblical references at the end of each section.