Why We Pray
Prayer is foundational to the Christian life, but many people don’t really understand it. What is it for? How does it work? Why do we do it? 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 readers why they should pray, but instead focuses on four blessing-filled reasons that will help Christians want to pray. Rather than feeling discouraged and disheartened by their inconsistency in prayer, readers will feel reinvigorated to approach God with confidence and joy, delighted by the privilege of talking directly to their loving heavenly Father.
Top Highlights
“At its most basic and fundamental level, we pray because God is a speaking God. Prayer derives from who and what God is, and the great feature of the God of the Bible, the God of the Christian faith, is that he is a speaking God. That is evident from the very first chapter of the Bible.” (source)
“Prayer for the Christian is a matter of believing that God is, and that he does respond to those who believe in him. Prayer then, instead of being a matter of times and seasons and special or routine occasions, becomes a life, or it becomes such a vital part of life that it re-focuses one’s whole outlook. We become interested in God, his ways, his doings, his words and we find ourselves agreeing with him about perhaps a great many things we were tempted not to agree about before. And the very humility which unself-consciously comes with such an attitude is one of sheer delight.” (source)
“Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring 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.” (source)
“But are you a praying person? Are you responding from the very bottom of your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, to God’s call to you in the gospel of Christ? Are you answering audibly and visibly the God who has called out to you in Jesus his Son? Are you doing that?” (source)
“The perfect rest of God is doing the work of God, and that is the eternal calling that awaits his people.” (source)
“Prayer is a particular kind of relationship to God, not a
technique. By examining the fundamentals of that relationship—who
he is and who we are—with straightforward Bible exposition, William
Philip helps you understand and enter into it.”
—Timothy Keller, Founding Pastor, Redeemer
Presbyterian Church, New York City; Chairman and Cofounder,
Redeemer City to City
“There are not many books on prayer, and there are fewer good
books on prayer. Here is a handbook on the subject that combines
clarity and brevity and provides us with a thoroughly biblical and
understandable framework for prayer. I commend it
enthusiastically.”
—Alistair Begg, Senior Pastor, Parkside Church,
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
“Philip grounds prayer in the nature of the triune God, thus
avoiding the modern evangelical tendency to make ‘the experience of
prayer’ central. When divine Sonship and not feelings define you,
then you have real prayer with a real God. This book will bless
you.”
—Paul E. Miller, author, A Praying
Life and J-Curve: Dying and Rising with Jesus in Everyday
Life
“This book made me want to pray! It shows us what God is like—a
Father who speaks, and whose adopted children are able to speak to
him, by his Spirit. It is thoroughly biblical, honest, and
entertaining. Philip takes our eyes off ourselves and our
performance and onto God—Father, Son and Spirit.”
—Caz Dodds, Scotland Assistant Team Leader,
UCCF
“Wonderfully refreshing, biblically realistic, and personally
motivational—this book cuts through the stereotypes and guilt about
prayer and presents us with our amazing privileges, at the heart of
what it means to be a child of God. It will do your own heart
good!”
—David Jackman, Former President, The Proclamation
Trust
“To speak freshly about prayer is neither easy nor common.
Philip has done it here. In answering so well the big question he
has set himself, he has enriched my thinking and practice.”
—Dick Lucas, Rector Emeritus, St. Helen's Church,
Bishopsgate, United Kingdom; Founder of Proclamation Trust
“In this wonderful book I find that my prayer life needs a
reality check. The heart of prayer is not only talking to God, but
knowing I pray because God is a speaking God.”
—Karen Loritts, speaker; coauthor, Your
Marriage Today . . . and Tomorrow
“In this fine book on prayer you will find no super-spiritual
hype nor dry detachment, but robust and sensitive exposition.
Philip has put us all in his debt by this little book, which can be
read with enjoyment in one sitting, but will reward repeated study
and will give both challenge and encouragement.”
—Bob Fyall, Senior Tutor, The Cornhill Training
Course, Scotland
“I found my heart and will deeply moved by the key premise of
this book: that we learn about prayer by learning about God. He
speaks—are we listening to him? He sends his Son—are we responding
to him? He is sovereign—do we trust him and think his thoughts
after him? He sends his Spirit—do we realize we’re empowered to
pray? Internalize these great Bible truths, and your prayer life
will come alive.”
—Rico Tice, Senior Minister (Evangelism), All
Souls Church, London
“It’s refreshing not to have another Christian how-to book.
Philip takes us right in by the front door and down the stairs to
examine the very foundation of prayer. As he presses us to face the
why, we also find help with the what and the
how. I found these studies an essential exercise in
thinking, a welcome source of relief, and a gentle lure to
repentance.”
—Dale Ralph Davis, Former Minister in
Residence, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina;
author, The Word Became Fresh and The Message of
Daniel
Product Details
- Title : Why We Pray
- Authors:
- Philip, William
- Begg, Alistair
- Publisher: Crossway
- Publication Date: 2015
- ISBN: 9781433542893
William 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.