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Why We Pray
This short and accessible book explains what prayer is, why it exists, and how it can encourage us in our life of faith. Written by a pastor with years of teaching and counseling experience, Why We Pray doesn't simply tell us why we should pray, but instead focuses on four blessing-filled reasons that will help us want to pray.
Rather than feeling discouraged and disheartened by their inconsistency in prayer, you'll feel reinvigorated to approach God with confidence and joy, delighted by the privilege of talking directly to our loving heavenly Father.
Rather than feeling discouraged and disheartened by their inconsistency in prayer, you'll feel reinvigorated to approach God with confidence and joy, delighted by the privilege of talking directly to our loving heavenly Father.
109 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2015
18 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
William J.U. Philip
70 books3 followersWilliam Philip has been senior minister of St. George's-Tron Church in Glasgow, Scotland, since 2004. He was formerly director of ministry at the Proclamation Trust in London and is now chairman of Cornhill Scotland, an organization committed to training pastors for expository preaching. Prior to ordination, he was a doctor specializing in cardiology. He is the author of Why We Pray.
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March 6, 2015
“Why would God want us to speak to Him?”
William Philip’s question stopped me in my tracks because most authors of books on prayer argue from the opposite perspective: “Why should you want to speak to God?” Forever curious about the nature of God and constantly frustrated with my inconsistent prayer life, I found biblically-based and deeply thoughtful reflections in Why We Pray, which focuses on explaining rather than exhorting, and bases the explanation for why we pray on satisfying theological reasoning expressed in four points:
1. We pray because God is a speaking God. He spoke the world into being. He spoke to our spiritual forbearers audibly. He spoke salvation through His Son (see Hebrews 1:2), and He speaks today by His Spirit to all who seek his words in the inspired Word. Created in his image for relationship with Him, our highest privilege is communion with God. Thus prayer becomes “the audible form of that right relationship with God.”
2. We pray because we are sons of God. The only begotten Son of God is ultimately the only “true human being” in the sense that He maintained constant communication with God. As the God the Son, he had direct access to the Father. And no wonder the gospel is called good news, because the truth is that all who are in Christ Jesus are the sons of God and have that same access to the Father! An important point of clarification is that because “son-ship” in biblical times implied a certain status, the term “son” should not rankle the female ear. If “son” offends, a better substitute would be “heir” rather than “child,” because “everything that [belongs to Jesus] by right of birth is now ours by right of adoption.” The staggering application of this truth to our prayer life is that, as our Father, God “cannot not hear us” when we pray. Hence, our identity as pray-ers stems from our standing rather than from our merit or performance.
3. We pray because God is a sovereign God. Having taken the initiative in calling out to us, and having restored broken lines of communication with humanity in the death of his Son, God Himself is the ultimate reason that prayer is even a logical activity. John Newton poetically summarizes Philip’s argument: “Thou art coming to a King/Large petitions with thee bring/For his grace and pow’r are such/None could ever ask too much.” However, this attribute of sovereignty constantly rides the theological seesaw opposite human responsibility, particularly in relation to prayer. Why We Pray makes an excellent case for a balanced seesaw: “God is sovereign, and we are responsible.” Philip encourages his readers to view prayer as “thinking God’s thoughts after Him,” not as robots, but from a place of privileged partnership, understanding God’s goal for the universe and receiving all the benefits of a working relationship with One who is aware of, concerned for, and able to meet our deepest, truest needs.
4. We pray because we have the Spirit of God. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who aligns our desires with God’s sovereign purposes — and who convinces us that it is not in our best interest to try to align God with our selfish purposes. The indwelling Holy Spirit’s enabling us to become “real pray-ers” bears out the truth of Jesus’ insistence that it was far better for his disciples that He leave them, for the ministry of the Spirit completes a staggeringly important circle: the sovereign God who speaks abides in his true sons through the Holy Spirit’s ministry for us, in us, and to us. As a result, the believer who abides in Him and prays in line with the revealed will of God in scripture will pray with confidence.
An excellent and very relevant and realistic point for “boots on the ground” Christianity is the matter of prayer when the will of God is not clear on a matter; e.g. the prayer for healing of a gravely ill family member. When God has not seen fit to reveal his will, “to attempt to drum up lots of faith in order to be sure that God will answer our prayer is self-deception.” In fact, “often the more fervent the prayer the more pagan it is,” (see Matthew 6:7). Refusing to lay the matter out before a sovereign God and scorning the words “if it is your will” is not a mark of faith, but of presumption.
Reading Why We Pray, answering each chapter’s Questions for Reflection or Discussion, and realizing anew the nature and motivation of true prayer is an eye-opening experience. In the foreword, Alistair Begg has written, “In our Christian lives, nothing is more important and nothing more difficult to maintain than a meaningful prayer life.” I would add to that: there is no greater privilege than the challenge of becoming a praying person — because of Who God is and because of who we are in Christ.
This book was provided by Crossway in exchange for my unbiased review.
William Philip’s question stopped me in my tracks because most authors of books on prayer argue from the opposite perspective: “Why should you want to speak to God?” Forever curious about the nature of God and constantly frustrated with my inconsistent prayer life, I found biblically-based and deeply thoughtful reflections in Why We Pray, which focuses on explaining rather than exhorting, and bases the explanation for why we pray on satisfying theological reasoning expressed in four points:
1. We pray because God is a speaking God. He spoke the world into being. He spoke to our spiritual forbearers audibly. He spoke salvation through His Son (see Hebrews 1:2), and He speaks today by His Spirit to all who seek his words in the inspired Word. Created in his image for relationship with Him, our highest privilege is communion with God. Thus prayer becomes “the audible form of that right relationship with God.”
2. We pray because we are sons of God. The only begotten Son of God is ultimately the only “true human being” in the sense that He maintained constant communication with God. As the God the Son, he had direct access to the Father. And no wonder the gospel is called good news, because the truth is that all who are in Christ Jesus are the sons of God and have that same access to the Father! An important point of clarification is that because “son-ship” in biblical times implied a certain status, the term “son” should not rankle the female ear. If “son” offends, a better substitute would be “heir” rather than “child,” because “everything that [belongs to Jesus] by right of birth is now ours by right of adoption.” The staggering application of this truth to our prayer life is that, as our Father, God “cannot not hear us” when we pray. Hence, our identity as pray-ers stems from our standing rather than from our merit or performance.
3. We pray because God is a sovereign God. Having taken the initiative in calling out to us, and having restored broken lines of communication with humanity in the death of his Son, God Himself is the ultimate reason that prayer is even a logical activity. John Newton poetically summarizes Philip’s argument: “Thou art coming to a King/Large petitions with thee bring/For his grace and pow’r are such/None could ever ask too much.” However, this attribute of sovereignty constantly rides the theological seesaw opposite human responsibility, particularly in relation to prayer. Why We Pray makes an excellent case for a balanced seesaw: “God is sovereign, and we are responsible.” Philip encourages his readers to view prayer as “thinking God’s thoughts after Him,” not as robots, but from a place of privileged partnership, understanding God’s goal for the universe and receiving all the benefits of a working relationship with One who is aware of, concerned for, and able to meet our deepest, truest needs.
4. We pray because we have the Spirit of God. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who aligns our desires with God’s sovereign purposes — and who convinces us that it is not in our best interest to try to align God with our selfish purposes. The indwelling Holy Spirit’s enabling us to become “real pray-ers” bears out the truth of Jesus’ insistence that it was far better for his disciples that He leave them, for the ministry of the Spirit completes a staggeringly important circle: the sovereign God who speaks abides in his true sons through the Holy Spirit’s ministry for us, in us, and to us. As a result, the believer who abides in Him and prays in line with the revealed will of God in scripture will pray with confidence.
An excellent and very relevant and realistic point for “boots on the ground” Christianity is the matter of prayer when the will of God is not clear on a matter; e.g. the prayer for healing of a gravely ill family member. When God has not seen fit to reveal his will, “to attempt to drum up lots of faith in order to be sure that God will answer our prayer is self-deception.” In fact, “often the more fervent the prayer the more pagan it is,” (see Matthew 6:7). Refusing to lay the matter out before a sovereign God and scorning the words “if it is your will” is not a mark of faith, but of presumption.
Reading Why We Pray, answering each chapter’s Questions for Reflection or Discussion, and realizing anew the nature and motivation of true prayer is an eye-opening experience. In the foreword, Alistair Begg has written, “In our Christian lives, nothing is more important and nothing more difficult to maintain than a meaningful prayer life.” I would add to that: there is no greater privilege than the challenge of becoming a praying person — because of Who God is and because of who we are in Christ.
This book was provided by Crossway in exchange for my unbiased review.
May 31, 2015
I humbly admit that praying is one of the weaker parts of my personal walk with God. It is not because I am unaware of the need or importance or prayer. Nor is it because I don’t understand how to pray. So with that reality in mind, I was excited to read William Philip’s book Why We Pray.
What I appreciated most about this book is the simplistic profundity of its message. There are numerous books on how to pray along with many theological treatises on the nature of prayer. I submit there are far too few books that note for the believer why we pray. Often, it is just as important to know why we are to do something as it is knowing how to do the activity. When it comes to prayer, knowing why we engage in a conversation with a sovereign God is of the utmost importance and Philip outlines the why of prayer with great insight.
Four important reasons why we are to pray are explored by Philip with each centered on the foundation of relationship. I recently read a quote by a Jewish philosopher named Martin Buber that spoke of the reality that humans find their full meaning in relationships, specifically their relationship with God. Philip also notes the importance of relationship, rightly evaluating that one of the basic reasons we pray is because God is a speaking God. As such, “speech requires relationship. You can’t speak to someone without creating a relationship.”
Building on this element of relationship and speaking to God through prayer as evidence of that relationship, Philip then outlines another aspect of why we pray, namely because we are sons of God. This brings this relationship with God and the response of prayer to a more familial level. We are sons of God because of what Christ did for us on the cross. Philip aptly states that are status as sons of God through the work of Christ garners us access to the throne of God through the act of prayer. In fact, Philip saliently notes, “We who know that we are sons of God through our Lord Jesus Christ can come confidently. We can come intimately.” It is not our eloquence of word choice that makes our prayers heard by God. Conversely, it is because we are sons of God that He listens and responds.
The next reason why we pray that Philip examines is the sovereignty of God. The question is posed to the reader that is God is all knowing and sovereign, why in the world does He need to hear our prayers. What is the point of submitting prayers to the throne of God if everything has already been planned? This is perhaps one of the great theological questions that many struggle with and Philip does a great job of unpacking how prayer is connected to God’s sovereignty. Prayer at its root is thinking God’s thoughts after Him, praying that His will be done. As such, Philip correctly avers “We pray because God is sovereign and because, as his sons, we share in the glory of that purpose for the world.”
The final aspect of why we pray that Philip addresses is we pray because we have the Holy Spirit inside us. As the Holy Spirit writes God’s Word on our hearts and molds us and shapes us in maturity, his actions in our lives makes us pray-ers. Philip states “To speak about prayer is to speak about the ministry of the Holy Spirit of Jesus within people. It is all about his ministry for us, his ministry in us, and his ministry to us.” I appreciated that Philip corrects the perception taken by some that speaking in the Spirit is all about some mystical experience. He reminds the reader that “It’s just praying in line with God’s will as revealed in his words in the Scriptures.”
This is a book on prayer that should be at the top of every believer’s reading list, especially if they are struggling in this area of their Christian walk. The insight provided by Philip is biblically sounds, highly practical, and of the utmost importance. Furthermore, the questions for reflection and discussion found at the conclusion of each chapter make this a perfect book for both small group study and personal Bible study.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
What I appreciated most about this book is the simplistic profundity of its message. There are numerous books on how to pray along with many theological treatises on the nature of prayer. I submit there are far too few books that note for the believer why we pray. Often, it is just as important to know why we are to do something as it is knowing how to do the activity. When it comes to prayer, knowing why we engage in a conversation with a sovereign God is of the utmost importance and Philip outlines the why of prayer with great insight.
Four important reasons why we are to pray are explored by Philip with each centered on the foundation of relationship. I recently read a quote by a Jewish philosopher named Martin Buber that spoke of the reality that humans find their full meaning in relationships, specifically their relationship with God. Philip also notes the importance of relationship, rightly evaluating that one of the basic reasons we pray is because God is a speaking God. As such, “speech requires relationship. You can’t speak to someone without creating a relationship.”
Building on this element of relationship and speaking to God through prayer as evidence of that relationship, Philip then outlines another aspect of why we pray, namely because we are sons of God. This brings this relationship with God and the response of prayer to a more familial level. We are sons of God because of what Christ did for us on the cross. Philip aptly states that are status as sons of God through the work of Christ garners us access to the throne of God through the act of prayer. In fact, Philip saliently notes, “We who know that we are sons of God through our Lord Jesus Christ can come confidently. We can come intimately.” It is not our eloquence of word choice that makes our prayers heard by God. Conversely, it is because we are sons of God that He listens and responds.
The next reason why we pray that Philip examines is the sovereignty of God. The question is posed to the reader that is God is all knowing and sovereign, why in the world does He need to hear our prayers. What is the point of submitting prayers to the throne of God if everything has already been planned? This is perhaps one of the great theological questions that many struggle with and Philip does a great job of unpacking how prayer is connected to God’s sovereignty. Prayer at its root is thinking God’s thoughts after Him, praying that His will be done. As such, Philip correctly avers “We pray because God is sovereign and because, as his sons, we share in the glory of that purpose for the world.”
The final aspect of why we pray that Philip addresses is we pray because we have the Holy Spirit inside us. As the Holy Spirit writes God’s Word on our hearts and molds us and shapes us in maturity, his actions in our lives makes us pray-ers. Philip states “To speak about prayer is to speak about the ministry of the Holy Spirit of Jesus within people. It is all about his ministry for us, his ministry in us, and his ministry to us.” I appreciated that Philip corrects the perception taken by some that speaking in the Spirit is all about some mystical experience. He reminds the reader that “It’s just praying in line with God’s will as revealed in his words in the Scriptures.”
This is a book on prayer that should be at the top of every believer’s reading list, especially if they are struggling in this area of their Christian walk. The insight provided by Philip is biblically sounds, highly practical, and of the utmost importance. Furthermore, the questions for reflection and discussion found at the conclusion of each chapter make this a perfect book for both small group study and personal Bible study.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
July 19, 2023
Short but mighty. An in depth look at our conversational God! Praise the Lord that He wants to hear from us and selflessly offered it back to us after it was taken away in the garden of Eden! This book gave me insights I had never thought of before in the Bible and also, insights on what prayer should look like through the lens of Jesus’s words during His time on Earth! Recommended for new and old Christians alike who struggle with what prayer actually is, why we should do it, and how we should do it!
February 2, 2016
What a helpful and affirming book. "The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells also in you" (2 Tim 1) and that's why we pray.
September 1, 2015
This book is not written to convince you to pray. It is written to define what prayer is. But after such a good definition of prayer how can we not be encouraged to pray?
September 11, 2020
The purpose of this book is best summed up by the quote it gives from John Bunyan:
Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate puring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to His Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.
Unlike the previous book I read about prayer, this was very useful; I found William Philip was able to identify with his audience easily, with the analogies he uses, and he raised some points that I had never thought of. For example, the book states that if you think that you're not good enough to pray, then you're in effect being blasphemous because you think Jesus dying on the cross wasn't good enough for you.
This felt like a good practical guide to how to pray, such as avoiding having a view of it as "supplementary", which is probably a danger for many people. I liked how the book descibed prayer as an audible form of faith.
This is a relatively easy book to read, and never feels overly preachy, so I would definitely recommend it to others.
Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate puring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to His Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.
Unlike the previous book I read about prayer, this was very useful; I found William Philip was able to identify with his audience easily, with the analogies he uses, and he raised some points that I had never thought of. For example, the book states that if you think that you're not good enough to pray, then you're in effect being blasphemous because you think Jesus dying on the cross wasn't good enough for you.
This felt like a good practical guide to how to pray, such as avoiding having a view of it as "supplementary", which is probably a danger for many people. I liked how the book descibed prayer as an audible form of faith.
This is a relatively easy book to read, and never feels overly preachy, so I would definitely recommend it to others.
January 14, 2019
A good(short) read on the topic of Prayer
If you have a few hours to spare on a Saturday afternoon, this book would be well worth your time! This is a good (but short) treatment on the topic of prayer. On the topic of Sovereignty of God and Prayer, chapter 3 alone is worth the price of the book.
Without doubt, there are other treatments that are more “complete” (Tim Keller’s book come to mind). But for the short amount of time spent, I believe that there is something for everyone in Why We Pray.
If you have a few hours to spare on a Saturday afternoon, this book would be well worth your time! This is a good (but short) treatment on the topic of prayer. On the topic of Sovereignty of God and Prayer, chapter 3 alone is worth the price of the book.
Without doubt, there are other treatments that are more “complete” (Tim Keller’s book come to mind). But for the short amount of time spent, I believe that there is something for everyone in Why We Pray.
May 18, 2025
Overall, I liked it. He made quite the good points, and shed light on aspects of prayer I had been wondering about. His theology is something I do not know if I agree with—specifically his stance on freewill—but not only can I respect it, it really did help me understand how those who believe in predestination see prayer. I still have questions on prayer, but it aided me in seeing a bigger picture
July 31, 2021
This was such a good read. It really helped me understand certain aspects of my God and his sovereignty that I have never fully grasped. I would highly recommend this for new and long-standing Christians.
August 4, 2018
This is an excellent book to ground your prayer life in the character of God, and the covenantal relationship he has with us.
March 4, 2019
A lot of good theological fodder here, but I found the foreword by Alistair Begg to be more engaging.
July 11, 2019
Loved this!
Solid insights on prayer, as well as the sovereignty of God. Enjoyed this short, but theologically rich book! Highly recommended!
Solid insights on prayer, as well as the sovereignty of God. Enjoyed this short, but theologically rich book! Highly recommended!
January 13, 2025
Ok, short read
June 14, 2025
A helpful, biblical study that walks through our reasons for praying.
November 14, 2014
Why We Pray is now my standard on rating books on prayer. It was an excellent study and a different take asking why instead of how much. When the subject of prayer comes up do you feel guilty? Maybe you think you don’t pray enough. God’s word says pray without ceasing so other words, we can never pray enough. That is not to discourage you but instead to look at the reason why should we pray. God is a speaking God. The big bang was God’s voice. He is the creator God that spoke all creation into existence. He also created with a design and purpose. Watch this video and how can we doubt that there was a designer creator. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58AsKA...
What is amazing he created us to communicate with him by prayer and among each other. Communication is a form of love. If we don’t communicate with our spouse, chances are the marriage won’t last and will not fulfill our need of love. Communication creates relationship.
We may be more concerned about having arrogance with each other and not realizing the arrogance we have with God. Prayer is responding God’s gracious word of salvation in his wonderful promise of his saving gospel. (Kindle Loc. 245). Prayer is not a list of our desires and wants, but of who he is. Think about this for a moment. When the church in Acts was under persecution, what was their prayer? What is our prayer when we are going under trial and tribulations? How is it different? How we do prayer can be disbelieving the gospel. If we think that prayers need to be long and that we need to be seen and heard.
God sovereign and we are responsible. Responsibility is not incompatible with authority, it actually flows from it. The word responsibility versus free will is significant because it applies that we can go against God’s sovereign will. True responsibility realizes the authority of God and his design and his will for us. Prayer is and should be about us aligning with God’s sovereign purposes and not our selfish purpose. Are our prayers kingdom minded. His will be done as it is in Heaven.
This study is a blessing. It is books like this that I want others to “taste and see that the Lord is good”. He is good indeed.
A special thank you Crossway, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What is amazing he created us to communicate with him by prayer and among each other. Communication is a form of love. If we don’t communicate with our spouse, chances are the marriage won’t last and will not fulfill our need of love. Communication creates relationship.
We may be more concerned about having arrogance with each other and not realizing the arrogance we have with God. Prayer is responding God’s gracious word of salvation in his wonderful promise of his saving gospel. (Kindle Loc. 245). Prayer is not a list of our desires and wants, but of who he is. Think about this for a moment. When the church in Acts was under persecution, what was their prayer? What is our prayer when we are going under trial and tribulations? How is it different? How we do prayer can be disbelieving the gospel. If we think that prayers need to be long and that we need to be seen and heard.
God sovereign and we are responsible. Responsibility is not incompatible with authority, it actually flows from it. The word responsibility versus free will is significant because it applies that we can go against God’s sovereign will. True responsibility realizes the authority of God and his design and his will for us. Prayer is and should be about us aligning with God’s sovereign purposes and not our selfish purpose. Are our prayers kingdom minded. His will be done as it is in Heaven.
This study is a blessing. It is books like this that I want others to “taste and see that the Lord is good”. He is good indeed.
A special thank you Crossway, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2015
I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED William Philip's Why We Pray. The book may be short--just a little over a hundred pages--but it is PACKED with rich truths from Scripture. Philip was able to pack a lot of insight and wisdom into the four chapters of this book, he kept it concise and reader-friendly.
Early on in the book, Philip mentions what he didn't want his book on prayer to be: another depressing book on prayer. He'd heard enough depressing sermons "exhorting" listeners to pray more, to pray better, to pray harder. Instead, he wanted his book to place the emphasis on God--on the relationship between God and believers, that prayer is merely the expression of that relationship. Philip shares with his readers FOUR reasons why we pray, he devotes one reason per chapter. He ends each chapter with discussion questions. These are good questions.
We Pray Because God Is A Speaking God
We Pray Because We Are Sons of God
We Pray Because God is a Sovereign God
We Pray Because We Have the Spirit of God
Why We Pray is an excellent book on prayer, and a great reminder of what the gospel is all about.
Early on in the book, Philip mentions what he didn't want his book on prayer to be: another depressing book on prayer. He'd heard enough depressing sermons "exhorting" listeners to pray more, to pray better, to pray harder. Instead, he wanted his book to place the emphasis on God--on the relationship between God and believers, that prayer is merely the expression of that relationship. Philip shares with his readers FOUR reasons why we pray, he devotes one reason per chapter. He ends each chapter with discussion questions. These are good questions.
We Pray Because God Is A Speaking God
We Pray Because We Are Sons of God
We Pray Because God is a Sovereign God
We Pray Because We Have the Spirit of God
Why We Pray is an excellent book on prayer, and a great reminder of what the gospel is all about.
September 24, 2016
Philip gives four reasons:
1. Because God is a speaking God: Gen 1:1 which invites conversation, relationship, prayer
2. Because we are sons of God: that are completely accepted even though we have deep needs
3. Because God is a sovereign God: and we can pray His thoughts after Him as we see His work unfold
4. Because we have the Spirit of God: to align our prayers according to Jesus' words
Nothing is more important or more difficult than maintaining a meaningful prayer life. p13
The gospel is God's grace and mercy at work to give God what He desires for our lives p85
1. Because God is a speaking God: Gen 1:1 which invites conversation, relationship, prayer
2. Because we are sons of God: that are completely accepted even though we have deep needs
3. Because God is a sovereign God: and we can pray His thoughts after Him as we see His work unfold
4. Because we have the Spirit of God: to align our prayers according to Jesus' words
Nothing is more important or more difficult than maintaining a meaningful prayer life. p13
The gospel is God's grace and mercy at work to give God what He desires for our lives p85
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2015
Great little. book on prayer, it really lifted a lot of my false thinking on how I approach prayer, which always made me feel terrible, off my shoulders. I am definitely going to be go back to this book again and again.
April 25, 2017
Wonderfully non condemming book as to the reason we pray, rather than the techniques and reminders for how to pray
Why we pray fills a gap that needed to be filled. Theologically wonderful as to why we as Christians desire to pray, and reasons we tend to fall short.
Why we pray fills a gap that needed to be filled. Theologically wonderful as to why we as Christians desire to pray, and reasons we tend to fall short.
April 7, 2015
A very fine little book--and it got better as it went along.
November 15, 2015
Very helpful reminder of the basics of prayer. (Which of course, are basic in the sense of being easily understood by a 5 year old but containing a lifetime of helpful thought and meditation!)
September 21, 2015
Great little book. Read it and be blessed.
January 6, 2016
Chapter 3 is worth the price of admission and doesn't make sense without chapter 2. Chapter 4 was confusing and I didn't like it all. Neutral on Chapter 1.
April 6, 2017
A decent primer on the topic. The topic is covered from a reformed/non-Armenian point of view. This results in a more cogent and complete hermeneutic. The short and digestible chapters do well at building upon each over and uses applicable metaphors when needed. There is space dedicated to the topic as it relates to God's sovereignty. However due to the short length there are a few sub-points on the topic that would have been nice to address.
The book offers a biblical look at the topic and the short length makes it a good starter on the topic especially for new believers. Final grade - B
The book offers a biblical look at the topic and the short length makes it a good starter on the topic especially for new believers. Final grade - B
April 9, 2017
What an encouraging book about prayer! Philip starts the book talking about how often he and others feel guilty about their prayer life because they hear stories of people who wake up at 5am every morning and pray for 4 hours before going to work. He expresses how those kinds of books, sermons, stories are just not helpful in encouraging people to pray.
Philip takes a different approach, a better approach in my opinion. He begins by explaining, using the Bible to back his thesis, WHY prayer exists at all. What prayer really is, why God created us to being praying people and just how relational prayer is. He then talks about the role of the Holy Spirit, how our prayers and God's sovereign will aren't at odds with each other and so much more!
This is a short 101-page book (reading content only) but it packs a ton of theology and sweet truths about God's character. Philip has a wonderful writing style that is funny, clear, theologically sound and backed with scripture. He will make you laugh and cry on the same page and keep you engaged as you slog through hard to understand theological truths. Philip also adds 6 discussion questions to the end of each chapter making this a perfect book for book discussions or small groups.
I highly recommend this wonderful book on prayer, I have been greatly blessed by it and hope you will be too.
Philip takes a different approach, a better approach in my opinion. He begins by explaining, using the Bible to back his thesis, WHY prayer exists at all. What prayer really is, why God created us to being praying people and just how relational prayer is. He then talks about the role of the Holy Spirit, how our prayers and God's sovereign will aren't at odds with each other and so much more!
This is a short 101-page book (reading content only) but it packs a ton of theology and sweet truths about God's character. Philip has a wonderful writing style that is funny, clear, theologically sound and backed with scripture. He will make you laugh and cry on the same page and keep you engaged as you slog through hard to understand theological truths. Philip also adds 6 discussion questions to the end of each chapter making this a perfect book for book discussions or small groups.
I highly recommend this wonderful book on prayer, I have been greatly blessed by it and hope you will be too.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews