The Never Ending Prayer

What if a prayer could become as natural as breathing-and remain in the heart wherever life's journey leads?

The Never Ending Prayer is an accessible, beautifully illustrated retelling of The Way of a Pilgrim, the beloved nineteenth-century Russian spiritual classic treasured throughout the Orthodox Christian world. First told by an anonymous narrator who identifies himself simply as a pilgrim, the original work follows his journey across Russia as he searches for the meaning of Saint Paul's instruction to "pray without ceasing."

Along the way, the pilgrim meets a wise spiritual elder who introduces him to the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." As the prayer moves from his lips into his heart, the pilgrim discovers the presence of God amid hardship, loneliness, danger, friendship, and the beauty of creation.

The original story has appeared in numerous English editions. R. M. French's influential translation helped introduce it to generations of English-speaking readers, while J. D. Salinger later brought the book and the Jesus Prayer to wider attention through his American classic Franny and Zooey.

Written and illustrated by Edward Goble, this abbreviated retelling presents the pilgrim's story in approximately 5,000 words, using clear, engaging language and plentiful illustrations. Young readers will journey through forests and villages, encounter robbers, a wolf, a compassionate family, a blind man filled with spiritual light, and a restless boy who discovers that prayer is for children too.

Created especially for young readers, families, church schools, newly Orthodox Christians, and anyone who prefers a shorter, easy-to-read introduction to a timeless classic, The Never Ending Prayer offers an inviting first encounter with the Jesus Prayer-and the life-changing discovery that no one is ever too young, too ordinary, or too far from God to begin praying.