Friday, April 14, 2017

A Praying Life

by Paul E. Miller
277 pages / 2009

I used to think I prayed a lot. I knew plenty of brothers and sisters in Christ who didn't pray nearly enough, and as an elder, I counseled many to begin and end each day with the Lord.

I no longer think I pray enough. (Probably no-one does, this side of Christ's coming, since "prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness which God requires of us.")

Part of the reason that I realize (again) that I need to pray more is this book.

I have read other books on prayer that challenge us (in one way or another) to "name it and claim it," and heard many people warn against that approach by reminding us that God is sovereign, and that therefore we should simply seek to do God's will, and seek His strength to do it. Neither approach seemed to reflect the combination of confidence and submission with which Paul, the psalmists, and many other Biblical saints approached God.

What Miller urges us to remember is that we are coming to our Father, and that therefore our prayers, even our "bad" prayers, are precious to Him. This does not mean that we get to simply pour out our rebellion against God before His face, but it does mean that when we are frustrated, when we don't understand what God is up to, even when we want Him to change His plans... we tell Him.

And then, like dependent children, we listen; we wait; we let His word, His people's good counsel, His Spirit correct us, direct us, and tell us what we really need to ask for next. Miller gives many examples of specific, Biblically directed prayers that get more concrete than simply "Bring back those who are straying" or "Heal him if it is Your will." What I appreciated most was his honesty about the fact that, as other authors have also stressed, if we want God to answer our prayers for real change, the answer will almost certainly be harder on us than if we had just left everything alone.

Jesus Himself yielded to the will of His Father, and went through suffering to bring salvation, but He did pray first - over and over. We, too, may often find that prayer will make our lives more complicated, more difficult, and more painful - but also more joyful, more peaceful, and more adventurous - than going our own way. Prayer is literally often "asking for it" - suffering, perhaps in unexpected ways - so that God may bring us closer, not just to Him, but to those we are praying for.

As I read this book, I began to think about big decisions in my life - many good, some bad - that were not preceded by prayer. Miller challenges us to sow, wait for growth, and then reap - pray, listen and wait, and go to work - rather than, as we often do, reversing that order - praying only after our own ideas and actions have failed.

Finally, Miller reminds us that our skepticism and even cynicism about prayer is a reflection on our living in and too much like our North American culture, and that therefore prayer is worth more time and more planning than we often give it, because prayer is part of, not separate from, our real life. To that end, he gives some very specific ways to work with prayer, to pray intentionally.

If you believe that Paul Miller can help you bring your "real life" and "real prayer" together, here's where to find A Praying Life at Amazon.com, and Amazon.ca.


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