When Prayer Doesn’t Work: Reimagining Our Understanding and Expectations of Prayer
Margaret Somerville
Iona Books, October 2025. Order here: £ 12.99 excl. postage.
Margaret invited me to read her book in the Spring of 2025. I gladly accepted and ultimately read most of it during my visit to Sardinia in May. I can still recall sitting in the spring sunshine and doing some of the exercises she shared. Her anecdotes often had me in tears… of joy and sorrow as I remembered some of my own personal encounters. Back home, I wrote this review, which was later included as an endorsement.
In When Prayer Doesn’t Work, Margaret Somerville shares her own experiences of despair and joy, weaving them into a deeply personal narrative. As the Wise Woman, the Spinster, she becomes a guide — inviting us to reflect on our everyday lives as sacred texts, to sense the Divine in the ordinary, and to rethink, reframe, and reimagine how we approach prayer and contemplation.
Margaret encourages us to broaden our spiritual vision, to embrace diverse perspectives, and to explore new ways of connecting with the sacred. She challenges conventional notions of prayer, especially at life’s pivotal “threshold” moments:
“Traditional prayers at threshold moments might ask for forgiveness for what has been, might petition for guidance for what is to be. But here’s the tricky part — there is no reality other than the threshold itself. The prayer is standing in that moment of threshold, and being aware of the divine in the doorway with you. “Loving you no matter what lies behind. Loving you no matter what lies ahead.”
In the end, despite the wisdom offered by countless spiritual traditions and Holy Scriptures, we must confront ourselves — take responsibility for our actions, thoughts, and intentions — and, as Margaret puts it, “stand in that moment of threshold”, facing our personal Web of Wyrd.
This book opens new pathways and windows into spiritual understanding. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking fresh inspiration in their spiritual practice. It is especially valuable for those involved in interfaith work, offering insight into a range of religious and spiritual traditions — some of which were new to me. As a Wiccan Priestess, I was particularly pleased to see respectful inclusion of paganism and nature-based religions. Thank you, Margaret!
On October 18, 2025, there was the official launch – online. I was thrilled to be able to attend and see not only Margaret but also Brother Jamal Rahman. We work together regularly for both Interfaith Alignment and the Charter for Compassion.
See:
See also: Interfaith Alignment
Bio & information
Rev. Dr. Margaret Somerville is the founder and director of Interfaith Alignment, a nonprofit fostering inclusive spaces for diverse traditions. With experience as a language educator, interfaith minister, and author, she creates programs that inspire connection, reflection and growth. In collaboration with the Iona Community, her work focuses on advancing justice, peace, and interfaith dialogue.
