The power of faith-filled prayer influences not only the lives of those prayed for, but also the life of the one who prays. But many feel inadequate to pray or don't know exactly how to go about it. These profound General Audience Talks on both the history and methods of prayer speaks both to those who are comfortable with prayer and have been praying for years, as well as to those who are new to the practice. In comparing Sacred Scripture, the great tradition of the Fathers of the Church, of the Teachers of spirituality and of the Liturgy, these meditations offers promises of peace and hope through a closer relationship with God, even more intensely as it were at a "school of prayer." As an accessible, rich, sweeping overview on prayer, "THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER" offers both history and devotion. Pope Benedict shows how the greatest Catholic leaders throughout the centuries cultivated a life of prayer and how we can do the same today. Although Benedict provides a sweeping survey of great figures of prayer, his discussion centers on Jesus Christ and even invokes him in the study of prayer. "It is in fact in Jesus," writes Benedict, "that man becomes able to approach God in the depth and intimacy of the relationship of fatherhood and sonship. Together with the first disciples, let us now turn with humble trust to the Teacher and ask him: 'Lord, teach us to pray' (Lk 11:1)."