Finding God Within : Contemplative Prayer for Prisoners

A thoughtful and moving guide on the many benefits of contemplative prayer and meditation taught and guided in a prison setting.

For over a decade, Ray Leonardini has been visiting the incarcerated in Folsom State Prison and other correctional facilities, where he has been teaching and facilitating contemplative prayer—the contemporary manifestation of the ancient Christian meditative tradition. In Finding God Within: Contemplative Prayer for Prisoners, Leonardini demonstrates the extraordinary power of contemplative, or centering, prayer in transforming the lives of prisoners. Leonardini offers insightful analysis of biblical passages that show the power of prayer, faith, and surrender to ease addiction, stress, and despair. Finding God Within is an essential introduction to contemplative prayer for people of all faiths engaged in prison ministry and interested in exploring contemplative prayer mediation.

This new edition includes a new chapter on The Welcoming Prayer, a new foreword and afterword, and a chapter on the documentary based on this book.  It replaces the previous edition (9781590565513) published in 2016.

Ray Leonardini is a former lawyer who practiced government and nonprofit law for nearly 30 years. After his retirement, he turned toward his foremost area of interest: the Christian contemplative tradition. For over a decade, as a volunteer chaplain, he has led meditation groups and taught contemplative prayer and the spiritual journey at Folsom State Prison in California. He is also the Director of the Prison Contemplative Fellowship, an association of current and former prison inmates, chaplains, and volunteers committed to reaching out to prisoners and their families on their travels along the spiritual path.