Book on Prayer

I just finished this book. It's a funny thing about the books I read for the blog review programs. I find that they are books I wouldn't necessarily pick out as my first choice--but I feel that God uses them in my life to challenge and encourage me. That is definitely (!) the case with this book.

When I started reading this book, I was a little disillusioned by the beginning and didn't want to continue on. But, I pressed on anyways--I'm really glad I did. I did not expect Paul Miller to take the stance that he did with Prayer. I expected him to talk about why we forget to pray, why we get distracted, etc. I was surprised that Miller says that we pray wrong--and that made me want to put the book down. I don't think prayer is about right or wrong, but I can see how it would be possible to say that and for it to be true. The Word says that if we ask but -- "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:3). But, once I got past that point and understood a little better what he meant, I felt he had a lot of wisdom to share about prayer.

There are 32 chapters--but they are very short which makes it an easy book to pick up and set down. Each chapter gives you enough to chew on and think about in small bites....a multi-course meal instead of a buffet. You can savor each dish on its own without feeling rushed to eat the rest.

One thing that I especially appreciated that the author explains in depth is why we ask in Jesus' name when we pray. It was a good reminded, because I had forgotten why. "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:13-14).

The biggest surprise for me was how much he talked about cynicism--in a very different way than I expected. I think his observations are correct and it is a huge issue in our culture. Seeing through Cynicism by Dick Keyes is a great book--but it addresses how cynicism affects our whole lives--whereas this book addresses specifically how cynicism affects our prayers.

I highly recommend this book--whether for a young believer or someone who has been walking with the Lord for a long time. This book has been a great encouragement and challenge to me to rethink how I pray. It is definitely worth reading!