"True prayer is an opening of the self in love and a raising of the consciousness in
receptivity, so that the Source of all power can act in us and through us to all created
things.” - Revd Dr Martin Israel.

The Reality of Prayer and Other Reflections contains deep Christian truths about
prayer, mystical experience, relationships, healing, and human suffering by Revd
Israel, who was a medical doctor, ordained priest, and considered by many to be a
true mystic.

These essays – which were originally conference addresses – take the reader on a
journey deep into the mystery of their soul. Each reflection is a distillation of Revd
Dr Martin Israel’s spiritual direction, and is by turns engaging, challenging, and
enlightening. Whether he is discussing the nature of true wisdom, the purpose of
contemplative prayer, or what the reality of Heaven could be like, he speaks
directly and candidly with the reader. His aim is to provoke in his readers both
spiritual reflection and openness to God, within the Christian faith.

The Revd Dr Martin Israel (1927-2007) was a pathologist, Anglican priest, public
speaker and author of a significant number of books, booklets, and other
materials. The Times, in his obituary, said that he “was for a time perhaps the most
sought-after spiritual director in Britain.” He was also president of both the Guild
of Health (1983–1990) and the Churches’ Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual
Studies (1983–1998). Born in South Africa with a Jewish heritage, his own mystical
experiences started in childhood, and these led him to seek a deeper
understanding, eventually within the Christian faith. He moved to the UK in 1951,
to pursue a career in pathology. He was ordained in 1974 in a ceremony attended
by three bishops, an archdeacon, and the Dean of Westminster at the time, as
well as his immediate predecessor. Revd Dr Martin Israel was the priest at Holy
Trinity Church in South Kensington from 1983 until his retirement in 1996.