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Deepening Your Conversation With God
Learn to Love to Pray
If you long to call your prayer time "sweet," but usally find it flat or without taste...
If you thirst to know God through prayer, but too often fail to find the time for prayer...
If you desire conversation wtih God, but tend toward a monologue instead...
Ben Patterson, with "I've been there too" reassurance, will encourage and inspire you to turn your prayers from a spiritual discipline to a much-anticipated delight. In this want-to-pray guide, he describes prayer as the work of the Christian, explaining why God covets your prayer and how it gets God's work done on earth.
If you long to call your prayer time "sweet," but usally find it flat or without taste...
If you thirst to know God through prayer, but too often fail to find the time for prayer...
If you desire conversation wtih God, but tend toward a monologue instead...
Ben Patterson, with "I've been there too" reassurance, will encourage and inspire you to turn your prayers from a spiritual discipline to a much-anticipated delight. In this want-to-pray guide, he describes prayer as the work of the Christian, explaining why God covets your prayer and how it gets God's work done on earth.
172 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
4 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Ben Patterson
237 books11 followersBen Patterson is campus pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He has served churches in New Jersey and California and was dean of the chapel at Hope College in Michigan before going to Westmont College. He is the author of Deepening Your Conversation with God and is a back-page columnist for Leadership Journal and a contributor to Christianity Today.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 27, 2024
“Ora Labora” (3.5 stars)
DEEPENING YOUR CONVERSATION WITH GOD is a book that was given to me decades ago. I’m just now reading it. And it was what I needed to read at this season in my life, so I guess I picked it up when I was supposed to. I found it a stimulating text, and one that gave me reason to think and ponder. Right off the bat the first chapter in the book doles out some truth on the role and purpose of prayer in our lives. For me, they were sobering and needed thoughts.
I’ll focus on a couple of highlights from the text, but first I want to say that this book is not a how-to manual. I think some folks approach it in that manner. Rather it is an analysis of the role of prayer and its importance in the life of a Christian.
Highlights:
- The text emphasizes that prayer is work, necessary work. Chapter two, “Our Real Work” gives a nice analysis of this practicality.
- I appreciated the author’s thoughts on the dangers of an impersonal God. It is an often-overlooked aspect of a nominal Christian life.
- The word “yada” means “to know”. The author gives an excellent exegesis about this phrase.
- Chapter 6 has some eye opening (at least for me) examinations of the role of praise in one’s faith. It made some very powerful points about how praise is needed even during personal failure, etc. Which is counter to my practice. To my own detriment.
- I was heartened to read a section where the author discusses being angry with God and not trying to hide that in our dialogue with Him. I have long thought the same thing, and it was nice to see it agreed with.
Quotes:
• “God often illustrates for you in the life of another a blessing that He desires for you.”
• “…the business of the church is to pray.”
• “When we lose God’s view of things we lose perspective on everything else, too.”
• “The logic of secularization is busyness.”
• “The choices we make when we are not motivated are the most critical of our Christian walk.”
• “Before it is anything else, lack of prayer is a lack of hunger for God.”
• “With simplicity comes gratitude and joy.”
• “Prayer is both a ‘must’ and a ‘may’, an obligation and a gift.”
• “To know something is good, even great. To be known is transforming.”
• “Questions are critical to faith.”
• “Answered prayer comes from His living in us and our living in Him.”
The final chapter of DEEPENING YOUR CONVERSATION WITH GOD includes some thoughtful points about corporate prayer, which I think would be good for any Christian to consider. Worship and prayer with others are vital to the Christian walk.
This text kept my attention, and I found that reading a bit of it every day gave me some insightful ideas to contemplate. I appreciate it for that.
DEEPENING YOUR CONVERSATION WITH GOD is a book that was given to me decades ago. I’m just now reading it. And it was what I needed to read at this season in my life, so I guess I picked it up when I was supposed to. I found it a stimulating text, and one that gave me reason to think and ponder. Right off the bat the first chapter in the book doles out some truth on the role and purpose of prayer in our lives. For me, they were sobering and needed thoughts.
I’ll focus on a couple of highlights from the text, but first I want to say that this book is not a how-to manual. I think some folks approach it in that manner. Rather it is an analysis of the role of prayer and its importance in the life of a Christian.
Highlights:
- The text emphasizes that prayer is work, necessary work. Chapter two, “Our Real Work” gives a nice analysis of this practicality.
- I appreciated the author’s thoughts on the dangers of an impersonal God. It is an often-overlooked aspect of a nominal Christian life.
- The word “yada” means “to know”. The author gives an excellent exegesis about this phrase.
- Chapter 6 has some eye opening (at least for me) examinations of the role of praise in one’s faith. It made some very powerful points about how praise is needed even during personal failure, etc. Which is counter to my practice. To my own detriment.
- I was heartened to read a section where the author discusses being angry with God and not trying to hide that in our dialogue with Him. I have long thought the same thing, and it was nice to see it agreed with.
Quotes:
• “God often illustrates for you in the life of another a blessing that He desires for you.”
• “…the business of the church is to pray.”
• “When we lose God’s view of things we lose perspective on everything else, too.”
• “The logic of secularization is busyness.”
• “The choices we make when we are not motivated are the most critical of our Christian walk.”
• “Before it is anything else, lack of prayer is a lack of hunger for God.”
• “With simplicity comes gratitude and joy.”
• “Prayer is both a ‘must’ and a ‘may’, an obligation and a gift.”
• “To know something is good, even great. To be known is transforming.”
• “Questions are critical to faith.”
• “Answered prayer comes from His living in us and our living in Him.”
The final chapter of DEEPENING YOUR CONVERSATION WITH GOD includes some thoughtful points about corporate prayer, which I think would be good for any Christian to consider. Worship and prayer with others are vital to the Christian walk.
This text kept my attention, and I found that reading a bit of it every day gave me some insightful ideas to contemplate. I appreciate it for that.
June 12, 2021
I want to grow in my prayer life which is what led me to this book. Equal parts convicting and practical, it gave me ideas for how to pray (immersing myself in the psalms and other biblical prayers) and simply needing to make the time to do it. Ben has a pastor's voice and heart for helping one grow. As he leads prayer groups at my home church, his voice comes through in his writing. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to grow in their prayer life.
March 9, 2016
A great great discussion about prayer; the importance, the power, and the necessity of it. It challenged the individual and the church to prioritize prayer. I really liked it!
December 26, 2023
The title, Deepening Your Conversation with God leads one into thinking this is a book on getting the most out of praying, but what we actually get is a list of stories with the message, "prayer is good".
Chapter to chapter the author jumps from story to story of people who were leading troubled lives or people who were going through a rough patch. The stories aren't really set up in any particular order, they just come across as a list of stories telling us to pray no matter the circumstances.
There is little or no advice to be had, nothing which can really help in deepening our conversations with God and nothing which can really help us take our prayer to the next level.
Other it isn't a difficult read but after the halfway mark I was finding it a choir to read short stories which all had the same underlying tone.
Chapter to chapter the author jumps from story to story of people who were leading troubled lives or people who were going through a rough patch. The stories aren't really set up in any particular order, they just come across as a list of stories telling us to pray no matter the circumstances.
There is little or no advice to be had, nothing which can really help in deepening our conversations with God and nothing which can really help us take our prayer to the next level.
Other it isn't a difficult read but after the halfway mark I was finding it a choir to read short stories which all had the same underlying tone.
August 5, 2024
As a Christian, this book made me think deeply about the nature of prayer and challenged me to take my prayer life far deeper than I have before. Patterson shares some biblical insights on the importance of prayer that I believe every Christian needs to hear. I would recommend this book to any and every believer who desires to grow in their prayer life with God.
October 7, 2017
I didn't get allot out of it. I also didn't figure out how to deepen my conversation with God.
July 11, 2019
Of all the books that I have read related to the subject of prayer, this is by far my favorite. It is deeply profound, practical, and inspirational. This is a must read.
December 17, 2024
A surprisingly good book on prayer- mostly encouragement to just do it.
August 29, 2016
I appreciated much of what he had to say, particularly about the importance of corporate prayer and seeing his passion for prayer come through his writing. However, I disagreed with some of his perspectives. I thought his chapter on listening to God didn't focus enough on God's primary means of speaking to us: the Word of God. Instead, it was much more centered on the subjective. For example, he spoke highly of a retired missionary woman who simply sat around until God "told" her what to do. I don't believe that's biblical.
His chapter entitled "Holy Resistance" moved beyond praying constantly and fervently for something to a perspective that almost demands God act.
All in all, there was much to be commended but there are better books on prayer that I would more readily recommend.
His chapter entitled "Holy Resistance" moved beyond praying constantly and fervently for something to a perspective that almost demands God act.
All in all, there was much to be commended but there are better books on prayer that I would more readily recommend.
August 4, 2008
Ben Patterson brings us back to the basics of why we need to pray. Prayer brings such a powerful relationship and yet is most often forgotten in this day and age. This is filled with personal experiences and analogies that makes even the non-theological reader understand it. I highly recommend anything Ben has to write!
February 21, 2015
A very refreshing and practical discussion of prayer and it's value in our lives. Full of stories, examples, Bible, church history, and heartfelt sincerity. His experience as a father, Pastor, and University chaplain make him well-rounded and yet he is down to earth and easy to relate to.
November 3, 2014
If you like to read a book or two a year on prayer, make this the one for this year if you haven't already chosen one. Or anything else by Ben Patterson on prayer.
April 21, 2013
Up to now it has been a reality check for my life of prayer.
August 7, 2016
Last half is gold.
May 28, 2011
This book was literally a Godsend to me.
August 7, 2014
One of the best calls to prayer I have read!
August 9, 2015
Just very good, well written, full of content.
A sheer pleasure to read.
A sheer pleasure to read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews