After Amen by Tyler Staton
Published April 21, 2026
A few years ago, I became aware
of pastor and author John Mark Comer. He
recently published Into the Quiet: Following Jesus in a World of Noise. Any
book that helps us focus on Jesus is worth reading. Comer definitely makes me stop, think and pray.
Any author who does that is one I will keep reading.
And that leads me to Tyler
Staton. When John Mark Comer stepped
down from the church he was pastoring, Staton became the new pastor. I heard an interview with him when his book
Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools was released. It is one that is worth looking up. Based on reading it, I added Staton to the
list of authors I follow.
What happens after we say “amen”?
For many of us, prayer can become something we do at a particular time of day
or when we need help with a particular problem. In After Amen: 50 Days of
Poetry and Prayer, Tyler Staton invites us to see prayer as something much
bigger, a way of living in constant awareness of God's presence.
Staton's reflections are shaped
by his own experience of suffering. After receiving an advanced-stage cancer
diagnosis, he found himself looking at life, faith, and prayer through a
different lens. That experience deepened his appreciation for Scripture,
poetry, and the beauty of ordinary moments. His journey provides an honest and
personal foundation for the book.
The devotional contains 50
readings, each combining Scripture, an original poem, a reflection, and a
prayer. Staton draws particularly from the Gospel of John, encouraging readers
to slow down and consider how Jesus reveals God's character and presence.
One of the book's greatest
strengths is its reminder that prayer is not simply about asking God to change
our circumstances. Prayer is a conversation with God that changes us. It
teaches us to pay attention, to recognize God's goodness in everyday life, and
to trust Him even when we don't understand what we are experiencing.
I especially appreciate Staton's
emphasis on beauty and wonder. In a world that often moves too quickly, he
encourages readers to notice the sacred in the ordinary-in creation,
relationships, and the small moments we might otherwise overlook. His use of
poetry adds a reflective dimension that makes this devotional different from
more conventional Bible studies.
At times, the book's poetic and
contemplative approach may feel less direct for readers who like practical
instruction or straightforward biblical exposition. However, that reflective
quality is also part of its appeal. Staton is not trying to provide a quick
answer to every spiritual question. He is encouraging readers to develop a
deeper attentiveness to God.
Overall, After Amen is a
thoughtful and moving devotional about prayer, suffering, beauty, and spiritual
formation. It reminds us that our relationship with God does not end when our
devotional time is over. In fact, that may be where the real work of prayer
begins.
Recommended for readers who want
to deepen their prayer life, appreciate poetry and reflection, and learn to
recognize God's presence in the everyday experiences of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment