Toward God

A Theological Companion to the Way

Prayer is often treated as a way to get something from God.

But what if prayer is first about drawing near to Him?

Toward God is an invitation to recover the beauty, gravity, and responsibility of prayer as an act of return. Drawing from Scripture and the rich theological traditions that shaped the faith, Gary McNickle explores prayer not as a technique to master or a formula for results, but as a way of orienting the whole self toward the living God.

Through themes of return (teshuvah), repair (tikkun), and intentional presence (kavanah), this book presents prayer as a lifelong practice of formation. Prayer becomes more than words spoken in a moment; it becomes the steady work of learning to remain before God with honesty, reverence, and faithfulness.

Written for pastors, spiritual mentors, and thoughtful Christians seeking a deeper understanding of prayer, Toward God offers a contemplative and practical vision of the spiritual life—one rooted not in performance or spiritual achievement, but in the faithful God who continually calls His people to return.

This is not a book about praying better.

It is a book about becoming the kind of person who turns toward God.