Prayers by the Lake

A Treasury of Serbian Orthodox Spirituality, Book 5

By: Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich

Narrated by: L. Joseph Letendre

A profound spiritual classic. Inspiring prayers written by Bishop Nikolai.

©2010 Diocese of New Gracanica and Midwestern America (P)2019 Ancient Faith Publishing

Great Poetry

A beautiful book of poems by a beautiful soul.
I have loved and written poetry my whole life. I particularly love Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot.
For me, this work is of that standard.
Clarity, depth and truth. Great reader.

Wonderful Prayers

A wonderful collection of prayers, with a wide range of topics, from the nature of repentance, prayers for the departed, thanksgiving for creation, and reflections on the nature of man.

They are constructed in beautiful and moving language. While this is not a book of theology in the strict sense, there are many profound insights worth dwelling on. One that I have turned over many times is the notion that "man had the potential of an archangel, and thus he bears the responsibility of one."

Well worth reading, but it is to be consumed slowly and thoughtfully, not rushed through.

Powerful. Humbling.

There are no words to describe how these prayers reach my wretched soul and grapple with it, stirring me to awake. There are no words.

A modern miracle

Saint Nikolai is a modern miracle and these prayers are absolutely beautiful. They convey a spirituality ever ancient and ever new.

Spiritually edifying and a must have!

"Before all creatures, and before all time and sorrow. You, O Lord, formed man in Your heart. You conceived of man first, even though You manifested him last in the rosaries of creation—even as a gardener thinks about the blooming of a rose all the time he is digging and planting the dry rose stems -even as a builder experiences the joy of the domes while planning a church, even though he builds them last."....

This is just one verse of many more in this beautiful treasury of prayers by St Nikolai Velimirovich, described as the modern day St John Chrysostom. The title, Prayers by the Lake, was authored in 1922 as St Nikolai, who was Bishop then, looked across the lake waters from his monastery on the shore of Lake Ohrid in Yugoslavia.

You will find in this treasure chest of prayers, 100 prayers to both uplift your soul towards our Lord but also verses that warn the vigilant Christian about the fruits of the Spirit we must have to stand before the mighty power of God. With humility, which we should all emulate, St Nikolai cries out in Prayer 11: " I see a fish expiring as soon as it is taken out of the water, and I say: "That is me! If they take me out of Your embrace, I shall die in seconds—like a fish tossed onto the sand." How true that is! Our spirit depends on Him Who created and formed us. Without Him, we are lost and dried out. Such vivid and rich descriptions will you find in this book.

This is not a book to listen to (or read) like others, since this is a prayer book and can be used for your daily reflections or devotions just as easily. There are references within also to biblical passages where relevant. I enjoyed this audible because I could listen to it where-ever I was, including whilst I was in the car. This means that families can also listen together and bring calm to our busy hearts, if only we can quieten our spirit for a few moments whilst out and about. This audible book can certainly help with that! I rate this Audible as a "must have" for your spiritual collection. Thank you to Ancient Faith Publishing for giving me this opportunity to have this beautiful book in mine!

I was asked to do an honest review of this book and I loved it, and I know that I will continue to love it. The narration of this Audible version is by Father L. Joseph Letendre - excellent choice! From the title itself, and from reading the prayers, you can vividly imagine the serenity and stillness in which St Nikolai wrote these prayers, and certainly this comes across as you read and pray them. Such poetry comes can only come from the Lord!

To end, another quote I loved (and there are many more): "Your flame is a dew for the thirsty, who find refuge in Your embrace. But Your flame is a consuming fire for those who flee from it. Truly, You are paradise for the pure and hell for the im­pure." (from Prayer 14) Truth is truth, and there is only one, and that is in Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen!

Perfect book for daily meditation

Prayers by the Lake by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich is a collection of 100 insightful prayers that can be used as daily meditations. The topics covers a wide range from offering repentance to praising God and the daily struggles in between. While the audio version of the book was great and made for a great listening in the car or on the go sometimes I wished for the written version so I can highlight my favorite parts,and there were many. I just wish that instead of just numbers, the prayers were labeled to make it easy to go back to a specific prayer and use it in time of need. The prayers are so deep and profound so similar to the psalms of David, they make a good addition to your daily readings.

Amazing life changing

Such a deep truth resignation to those who desire deep faith over over over humility

Never not enjoyed this

Edifying, salvific and profitable.
Good for long trips, cleaning the house or early morning work when no one is around.