Friendship with Jesus

""The gap between wanting to spend time with Jesus and merely logging time with him comes down to imagination. In Friendship with Jesus, Dan Heavenor helps us close that gap. Walking us through an ancient approach to prayer and weaving into it his own story of learning to be a friend of Jesus, he guides us to a place of freedom and delight. If you, like me, want a richer, fuller, more fruitful prayer life, the answer, literally, is in your hands."" --Mark Buchanan, author of God Walk: Moving at the Speed of Your Soul ""In Friendship with Jesus, master spiritual director Dan Heavenor guides you through immersive meditations into the ancient world of Palestine and helps you to see Jesus with new eyes--as if for the very first time. You will hear Jesus calling you by name and awaken to the sheer wonder of being his beloved."" --Ken Shigematsu, pastor, Tenth Church ""Dan Heavenor gives the reader a fresh and inviting way to engage with the companion of our soul. Friendship with Jesus draws us in, takes us deeper, moves us further, as we set our sights on reinvigorating this loving union with the one who travels with us on our journey of life."" --Joyce Rupp, author of Jesus, Guide of My Life: Reflections for the Lenten Journey ""Friendship with Jesus truly cultivates friendship with Jesus! Dan Heavenor is a skillful guide on a journey of deepening acquaintance with the one about whom we are apt to speak and think--and even desire to know--yet, too often, ineffectively befriend. The good news is that there are means of grace we can practice in our friendship with Jesus, and this book immerses the receptive reader into those ways of imaginative and contemplative prayer."" --Susan Phillips, author of Candlelight: Illuminating the Art of Spiritual Direction ""Dan Heavenor's book is a gentle, captivating, and profound journey into friendship with Jesus through imaginative prayer. I grew up singing 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus, ' but apart from warm and fuzzy feelings while we sang, I didn't know what friendship with Jesus could be. I wish we'd had this book back then. I'm glad we have it now. The many stories that Dan tells, and the guided prayer that he invites us into, make an ancient practice fresh and life-giving for today."" --Jonathan R. Wilson, senior consultant for theological integration, Canadian Baptist Ministries, ""In a secular age, one seemingly devoid of divine action, prayer can seem both useless and wasteful of time. If you are ready and longing to break free from this stifling secularism, read this book. Dan Heavenor invites us into a contemplative, receptive, and imaginative way of praying that opens our eyes to the ways that Jesus is indeed at work in our lives and our world."" --Tim Dickau, author of Forming Christian Communities in a Secular Age: Recovering Humility and Hope ""'Over the two decades I have known Dan Heavenor, I have listened to him 'talk out' his understanding of the dynamics of actually enjoying knowing Jesus as a real person in real life. I have watched him then take others through the process of cultivating a 'lived experience' of Jesus of Nazareth through praying with the imagination. So, I am very glad Dan has finally written this book! Read the introduction, the first exercise, and you will find yourself engaged in a new level of interaction and intimacy with the living Jesus."" --Darrell Johnson, author of Experiencing the Trinity: Living in the Relationship at the Center of the Universe ""In Friendship with Jesus, Dan Heavenor encourages us in the ancient practice of placing the God-given gift of our imagination at the service of our faith. He helps us to see that by imaginatively entering the gospel stories we can encounter the living Christ with both mind and heart. This book will be a gift to all who desire to know, love, and follow Jesus more deeply."" --Trevor Hudson, author of Seeking God: Finding Another Kind of Life with St. Ignatius and Dallas Willard ""Dan Heavenor is a trustworthy guide to this journey into prayer as a deepening experience of friendship with Jesus. This book is thoughtful, honest, and practical. It doesn't just talk about prayer. It shows you how to pray and helps you along. And it keeps your eyes on Jesus all the way."" --Bruce Hindmarsh, chair of spiritual theology, Regent College ""In Friendship with Jesus, Dan Heavenor offers an irresistibly disarming, warm-hearted, imminently practical guide to imaginative prayer as an essential pathway to intimacy with Jesus. This is a book that I've been searching for, one I will confidently give to anyone--from the curious seeker to the mature believer--who longs for a deeper experience of God's love."" --Carolyn Arends, director of education, Renovaré