Loving Prayer is a study guide, to offer new perspectives to refresh your approach and guidance in some of the difficult aspects of prayer. Prayer is, after all, a key part of our ancient spiritual practice, but it's hard for modern Jews to find their way into it. The siddur or prayer book may seem too dense. You may lose interest easily and need a framework that sustains your involvement. You might be already familiar with the prayers, but they have become rote for you - you need some new insights. I've had some of the same experiences. I began learning the prayers with an excitement about learning something new, including learning to read Hebrew at the same time. I struggled to follow the service while enjoying its songs and rhythms. Over time I became more comfortable, and began to experience a period of deep engagement with the prayers. I prayed on my own much of the time. When we had the opportunity to pray with a community, on a holiday or special Shabbat, it was glorious. But that was followed by years of much less attention to prayers, for I was now a working mother with five children. We lived in an active Jewish community but I had so little time, and often just rushed through a few formal prayers. I became interested in Jewish meditation, which helped for a while. Still, over the years my own practice waxed and waned: sometimes I was actively davening every morning, while at other times I was speaking to God less, studying and contemplating more.