The Only Necessary Thing

Living A Prayerful Life

Throughout the forty-some books that Henri Nouwen wrote and the hundreds of talks that he gave, the subject of Prayer runs through them all and unites them. For him a life of faith is a life of prayer.

Drawn from many decades of his life, the compilation of Henri’s thoughts, feelings, and the struggle with prayer, reveal the core of the man and his belief that prayer is the only necessary thing.

More About the Book

Posthumous Compilation of Nouwen’s Writing based on a theme using Henri Nouwen’s published and unpublished writing, authorized by the Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust, copyright held by the Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust

Themes: Prayer, Spiritual Life, God

Edited by Wendy Greer, Crossroads, 1999

Praise for "The Only Necessary Thing"

"It's a great way to be introduced to Fr. Nouwen’s writing. Bite-sized chunks of text that got me thinking and praying." -Andrew

"Nouwen has a way of speaking to the most broken parts of me, exposing them, and ultimately comforting me. Get your hands on every book you can by him, including this one!" -Evan

"Love this book! If you are a Nouwen fan, this is a must-read. All of his best writings on prayer. The excerpts are short and make great devotions." -Tim