In this 31 day devotional you will explore Jane Austen’s personal prayers that were written during her evening prayer. By reading and studying these prayers, you will feel as if you are getting to know Jane and her faith. Scriptures are used throughout the devotions to bring Jane’s prayers to light. Even though it is a devotional, it is written as such that anyone can read and gain understanding and insight into Jane’s faith journey. You also do not need to be a devoted reader of Austen’s works (although who wouldn’t be) in order to be encouraged and inspired by the words that are so eloquently broken down and presented. At the end of each devotion is a reflection and prayer that will inspire you daily in your faith. Whether you are an avid Jane Austen fan, simply looking for a devotional or just interested in learning about Jane’s faith, this book is highly recommended. Such an elegant, joyful read that matches Jane’s writing style!

*Thank you to NetGalley & Bethany House Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

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This is such a fun concept for a devotional. I enjoyed reading through it, since I am a huge Jane Austen fan. This is a wonderful devotional to pick up.

I have always been a Jane Austen fan, so when I saw a new devotional based on her prayers, I had to check it out. And I found it to most certainly be both a beautiful devotional and a lovely examination of the faith of Jane Austen.
While there are only three prayers written by Jane Austen in this devotional, Rachel Dodge has broken each prayer down into bite-sized pieces, that the reader might savor them and learn from them. She takes each piece of each prayer and expands upon it, parsing the prayers, then showing how they are reflected in Austen’s works, and finally demonstrating how they can be put to effective use in our lives today.
Praying with Jane: 31 Days through the Prayers of Jane Austen is more than a must read – it’s a devotional to be treasured by any Austen fan and anyone who desires to draw closer to the Lord through prayer. I have been blessed by this devotional and have no doubt that you will be, too.
Many thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this devotional for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own!

This book is so sweetly written and would be a great gift for any Jane Austen lover. If you enjoy devotionals and Austen, this would be perfect for you. The prayers passages are written in the typical, beautiful Austen style but with real substance to them.

The fascinating life and gentle charm of Jane Austen and her novels is legendary for two centuries. Yet hardly anything is known about Jane’s vibrant, spiritual life. This inspiring daily devotional takes an in-depth look at her steadfast faith and strong Spirit-filled prayers. It is a inspiring resource of great spiritual nourishment, full of rich insights into the deep, time-tested faith of one of our greatest English writers. It offers an open window into her intimate relationship with God through her passionate prayers, revealing anecdotes and selected excerpts from letters and memoirs. Spiritual insights and practical applications to daily life explain the deep, enduring truths of Jane Austen’s inspiring, heartfelt prayers, illuminated by Scripture verses, making them applicable to our lives and times.

You won’t know me for long without finding out my love for all things Jane Austen. I’m a huge fan, and have read all of her books at least once. My favorite is Pride and Prejudice, but if I had to choose a second, if would probably be Northanger Abbey. It feels kind of like a romantic comedy to me.

The one thing that has always surprised me when I read about Jane Austen, is that very few people talk about her spiritual life. Her father was a member of the clergy, so I know that she at least attended church regularly, and the characters in her books did, too. I was so thrilled to see book written about Jane’s prayers.

She wrote three prayers in her lifetime, and Rachel Dodge has written a beautiful devotional book surrounding them. The book is split into three sections—one for each prayer. The prayer is written out in its entirety at the beginning of the section. Then, she breaks it down into sections, and talks about how the sentiments might have influenced Jane’s books.

This is a great read for Austen fans. When you just read Jane’s books, you might miss the spiritual undercurrents, but this book has helped me see them much more clearly. Also, Rachel includes stories and excerpts from the Austen families’ lives and letters. It’s really inspiring, but also helps readers to see a different side of a favorite author. The readings are very short, so this is a great little devotional to add to your daily quiet time!

I confess I've never read Jane Austen and only know her through television adaptations of her books so I wasn't really sure what to expect but I liked the thought of using her prayers as a basis for a devotional book. I admit I'm also not the biggest fan of devotional books preferring to chart my own way through the Bible but the idea of following the thoughts if a literary great intrigued me.

The structure is simple and effective, following a line of Austen's prayers each day (I had no idea Austen wrote prayers or even that she had such a Christian outlook!).and then Rachel Dodge brings her own thoughts to this and mingles snap shots from Austen's life and books as well. I was surprised and delighted at how evangelistic this devotional was. I originally thought it would only be for Christians but I'd have no hesitation in giving this to someone who was interested in seeking God though not yet a Christian, and also had an interest in Austen.

It is a book to take your time over, as is the nature of devotional books, and there are prayers included for you to repeat as well as sections to insert your own prayer thoughts into. If you value devotional books and also have an interest in classical literature then I'd highly recommend it. I also think it'd be a great idea to use the same template for more books like this based on the prayers/writings of other classical writers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House for an ebook copy for review purposes.

What a lovely devotional! As a big fan of Jane Austen, I was intrigued by the idea of a devotional based on her prayers. Yet the book is not focused on Jane; rather, pieces of her life, work, and prayers are used as examples for a closer walk with God. I appreciated that the author used Scripture throughout each devotional to explain meanings behind the prayers. This is something I feel is very important in devotionals and Christian non-fiction, yet is all too often overlooked. Each entry was written in a warm and friendly manner, making it an approachable and enjoyable devotional to read through. You do not have to be familiar with Jane Austen to enjoy this devotional. This book is great for anyone looking for a new devotional to spend a few minutes of the day in.

Overall, Praying with Jane is a wonderful devotional that Jane Austen fans and those unfamiliar with this timeless author alike will enjoy.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Many thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the chance to read this lovely devotional.

My introduction to Jane Austen was the 1995 mini-series of Pride and Prejudice which my mum played for me, when I was sick with flu, from start to finish for me. In my early teen years I tackled reading it and was hooked. I worked my way through the rest of her novels before revisiting them in different formats: audiobooks and movies, mini-series and dramatizations! When I saw Praying with Jane by Rachel Dodge pop up, I had to read it! I read Jane’s prayers, and loved them, in a biography on her and excitedly opened this book looking to learn more!

Rachel does a wonderful job of weaving Jane’s prayer, Biblical truths, scripture and knowledge of the books together to form a relevant devotional. This isn’t a historical journey, but one that highlights the strong faith and way with words which Jane exhibited throughout her life. Contrasting behaviours of Jane’s characters and family members, Rachel brings each section of the prayer to life and inspires the reader to make a change, every day, with a reflection question and a prayer.

Some of my favourite lines include:

“In this portion of her prayer, Jane moves into a time of reflection and confession. She asks God to help her “feel” her sins deeply in order to bring about a “sincere” repentance. She wants to take an honest look at her heart.”

“Jane’s prayer points to an inescapable truth: pride and vanity leads us astray because they cause blindness. It happened in the Garden of Eden; it happens daily to each of us. Uzziah’s pride in his own abilities and accomplishments caused his downfall. He began to think of the victories as his, The wealth as his, and the success as his. He forgot God.”

“We experience painful losses that bring with them the need for deep healing and great measures of comfort. And just when it seems as though the darkness of pain and loss will never cease, God brings the morning, he lightens the load of sorrow and carries us through to safety. As we seek his face, he brings the dawn of healing.”

I was inspired, challenged, comforted and encouraged by my 31 days praying with Jane! I highly recommend it, knowing the characters of Jane’s books but it does add to the experience…so I advocate reading all of those too! It’s a five out of five on the en-JOY-ment scale!

This devotional book by Rachel Dodge is an inspiring and encouraging devotional. Based on prayers written by Jane Austen, each day’s devotion focuses on a phrase from those prayers. The author’s devotions are very well-written and based on scripture to illuminate the specific thought from Jane’s prayers. Besides the spiritual encouragement I received from reading these devotions, I also loved the insight into Jane’s faith and family life, as well as the quotes that appear from her books.

I appreciated the fact that Rachel Dodge encourages the reader to trust Christ as their Savior, and includes a section in the book as to how to place your faith in Christ. The author’s own faith shines through the thoughts she shares with us.

Fans of Jane Austen will enjoy reading Rachel Dodge’s research into Jane’s life. All readers will be challenged to commit each day to God and His leading in our lives.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Very nicely compiled and definitely a good gift for an Austen lover. Because it’s specifically a devotional, I could’ve done with more scriptural basis, but it was a great look into Jane Austen’s faith. Enjoyed it and would recommend it to a friend, just not as a lone daily devotional.

This is a great book for fans of Jane Austen. Each day's devotional begins with part of a prayer that Jane Austen wrote. The author then reflects on the prayer through stories from Austen's life or novels and Bible verses, gives a time of reflection, and ends with a prayer written by the author with space to include your own specific needs. I could do without the bits of proselytizing, but still a four star book overall.

Both Jane Austen and the author call us to more: an abundant life in Jesus through word and behavior by asking for help from our "Father of Heaven." Readers will find Jane's written prayers as beautiful and profound as her gifts of literature. This lovely treasure is accompanied by daily prayers and practical application.
Praying with Jane is truly a thoughtful and beautiful guide into the deep spiritual world of Austen with commentary by an Austen fan and teacher. Rachel Dodge divides three written prayers into a month's worth of devotional focus and includes a sample prayer for each day for the reader to delve further into the concepts.

One insight/reminder gained from this book: true joy is found outside of our circumstances rather than in them.

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley without obligation. This review is my opinion.

Praying with Jane 31 Days through the Prayers of Jane Austen by Rachel Dodge is a new book by Bethany House released this October 4.

160 pages, if you are a fan of Jane Austen, beloved author of masterpieces like Emma, Sense and Sensibility, you will be thrilled to reflect thanks to these three prayers written directly by Jane Austen to God; each of them, verse after verse explained in a modernized vision, starting with a meditation, some anecdotes of Jane Austen's life, an invitation to pray and then a prayer. Jane's father George was an Anglican clergyman and the family took pretty seriously prayers during the various moments of the day as also happened everywhere in the past, with many prayers and long moments dedicated to God.
I found this book original and very well done and I think that it is a good gift for all Jane Austen's passionate avid readers and estimators but also for all the other people who wants to pray accompanied by the gentle touch and nature by Austen.

Highly recommended.

I thank NetGalley and Bethany House for this eBook.

Anna Maria Polidori

What a lovely book! I so enjoyed learning more about the spirituality of Jane Austen and how that translates to present day. It's amazing that Jane Austen is still so relevant today in so many ways.

From the introduction: Jane Austen is known for the beauty and romance of her words.

Premise/plot: This devotional is built around three written prayers of Jane Austen. Dodge breaks down each prayer into bite-size pieces providing ten days of devotional readings per prayer. The thirty-first devotional focuses on The Lord's Prayer.

Within each devotional, Dodge provides biographical information on Austen, commentary or insight from Austen's other works (her letters, her novels, etc.), and a glimmer of theological truth. Each devotional invites readers into a relationship with Jesus Christ and offers a model prayer.

My thoughts: I will be the first to admit that I can be harsh when it comes to devotional books. Unlike many I look for substantive meat, complex theology that engages the mind and inspires the heart but that also isn't afraid of convicting or rebuking. I look for devotions that have you diving and diving deep into Scripture and not devotions that merely have you dipping your toes in the water. I come looking for a side dish to a hearty meal and not a breath mint. Many devotionals fall short of this biased standard of mine.

Many devotionals include the tiniest nugget of Scripture and a lot of stories. These stories can either be biographical and personal--testimonies of what God has done for the writer--or fictional illustrations of a theology lived out in the real world.

Praying with Jane relies more on observations from Jane's life--her biography--and her novels than it does on Scripture. Readers do get glimpses and glimmers of Scripture and Scriptural truths. And many--if not all--devotions do lead to the gospel and an invitation to readers to enter into a relationship with Jesus.

Praying with Jane would be a great fit for those who love, love, love Jane Austen, for those who have spent hours, days, weeks, months, years, even decades immersed in her novels. There is nothing wrong with being immersed in her novels and adoring film adaptations of her novels.

I did love the three prayers by Austen. If Austen had written a 365 day devotional book of prayers I would read it every year.