Connecting with the Divine
Miraculous Silence: A Journey to Illumination and Healing Through Prayer
By Mitra Rahbar
At the heart of Mitra Rahbar’s book, Miraculous Silence: A Journey to Illumination and Healing Through Prayer, lies one abiding principle: “Prayer is as critical to our spiritual being as water and food are to our physical bodies” (7). From this principle, Rahbar creates a unique and stirring book of prayers–a sacred space for her readers to commune with the Divine.
The book is organized into seven sections: “Devotional Prayers,” “Inspirational Prayers,” “Prayers for Healing,” “Prayers for Illness and Loss,” “Prayers for Special Occasions,” “Seasonal Prayers,” and “Everyday Hopes and Prayers.” Within each section, Rahbar includes prayers for traditional occasions like “For a Funeral” and “For a Wedding.” She also
includes prayers for less traditional occasions and conditions like “Coping with Insomnia,” “Gratitude for all Great Spirits,” and “For the Full Moon.” “Miraculous Silence,” the prayer for which the book is named, is a prayer about communing with the Divine through meditation. Rahbar writes:
Even when I do not believe
in the calming silence
that I can have within me,
You show me how quiet
my inner world can be.
I am so content
as I sit with You.
You are my God. (37)
Rahbar’s orientation to prayer is expansive–a glorious fusion of various faith traditions and practices. She offers words of wisdom, healing stones, mantras, meditations, and/or visualizations before each prayer. These practices help bring the prayer giver into energetic harmony and alignment with the Divine. Rahbar also includes a rich array of reference materials at the end of the book.
When you cannot find the words for celebrating or grieving, when you struggle to connect with the Divine, or when you need a spiritual shoulder to lean on, Rahbar is your prayer partner, your spiritual coach, and your teacher. The greatest strength of this book is Rahbar’s undeniable passion and authenticity.
I am willing to bet that once you have this book in your grasp, you will not want to let it go. “As you read, may you believe, and as you believe, may you connect to the brilliance and beauty that lies between your heart and God” (Rahbar xix). And so it is.
Review by Jill A. Lahnstein
