Everything Could Be a Prayer

Prayer and contemplation offer solace and hope during times of despair. As an everyday practice, prayer can strengthen faith and connect with divinity. "Everything Could Be a Prayer" by Kreg Yingst is a book of 100 art prints, meditative short essays, and prayers. Yingst spotlights the stories of saints, mystics, activists, and community builders who devoted their lives to serving others and making a difference. From John the Baptist to Oscar Romero and from Mother Teresa to Fannie Lou Hamer, Yingst draws inspiration from across time and traditions to share uplifting stories that remind us of the potential for positive change, even in the face of great odds.

Yingst is a renowned American illustrator and block artist whose works are in private collections and museums. In the book’s introduction, he shares how the pandemic, a time of collective suffering and reflection, allowed him the time and attention to devote to the meditative act of offering devotions to faithful and dedicated figures in the Christian church. The project evolved to incorporate human and civil rights icons who risked their lives to speak truth to power and create change.

"Everything Could Be a Prayer" is a brilliant and uplifting collection of profiles that manifests kindness, generosity, gratitude, and service to others. One can use the book as a meditative reader; each prayer and life story is a compass for virtuous living.