Simple prayers often elude us as we try to pray in and through the joys, anxieties, and complications of our lives. While traditional prayers are available for waking, table graces, and preparing for sleep, this collection goes much further -- from booting up the computer and driving the car to pregnancy, childbirth, and sending out a child in shared custody. Phillips is equally at home with both lament and thanksgiving: prayers for a stillborn infant or recovery from a robbery or divorce mingle with thanks for healing, for the peace of a home, for the ordinary ticking of a clock. These are prayers to be taped on the bathroom mirror or the dashboard, tucked behind the salt shaker, or slid under the computer.

• A Child's Breakfast Prayer
• Dashboard Prayer
• At the Computer
• A Prayer for Imperfect Parents
• Writing Checks
• Out of This Muddle