Teach Us To Pray PVM
- ISBN :9789670341477
- Format :Paperback
- Pricing Attribute :Normal
- Publisher :PVM Harvest Resources
- Author :Gordon T Smith
Description :One of the most basic and vital dimensions of the Christian life is the practice of prayer. Frequently our prayers begin with a petition or request, so the content of our prayers is informed by our circumstances.
But what if the opposite were true? What if we allowed our prayers to inform our lives? What would our lives be like if prayer altered our living and began to shape the contours and content of our daily experiences?
Gordon Smith invites us to learn three movements of prayer?thanksgiving, confession, and discernment?in order to be formed and transformed by prayers that seek God’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” Whether you are a beginner in the life of prayer or further along, this small book is a resource for deepening your prayer practice.
Reviews:
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Teach Us to Pray is a wonderful little book about Christian prayer. The author uses the Lord's Prayer to point out the main elements and purposes of prayer. He explains why we pray what we pray and how we can make sure that our prayers are more than just petitions and demands. He does that by focusing on prayer as confession, giving thanks and discerning and he explains why each of these elements are important.
The book was easy to understand and a pleasure to read. I think that the contents this book can be applied to (almost?) any Christian denomination and gives great tips on how to have a healthy prayer habit.
I would recommend it for anyone who's looking for an introduction to the topic of prayer or is interested in reading a compact, to-the-point resource on prayer.
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There are a lot of books about prayer. Tons and tons of them. I’ve read a few. There have been points in my life in which I have found prayer the simplest, most natural thing. And there have been other times when I’ve struggled with it, and it seemed like a reasonable response to turn to a book.
This book is the one I could have done with finding years ago.
Teach Us To Pray is a direct book. It doesn’t waffle. It doesn’t go off on tangents. It explains what it needs to explain clearly and left me feeling informed and prepared, as opposed to overwhelmed and a bit confused.
The book covers three main principles – thanksgiving, confession, and discernment. Smith explains each of these briefly, and then in detail, explaining how each one is vital to deepen and enrich our prayer lives. Smith is obviously very well informed, but he makes it simple to understand.
It’s a small book, but sometimes less is more. Smith’s words drove me to want to pray more, which is probably the best praise I can give it. I’d recommend it anyone who needs a boost in their prayer life, or a reminder of what the basics are.
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“But perhaps what should be happening is that our prayer would transform our lives, that our praying would alter our living, that our prayers would shape the contours and content of our daily experience.”
For anyone who wants to know more about prayer, I would recommend this short but powerful book. People often think of prayer as asking for things they want, but I loved the author’s focus on how prayer transforms the person who prays. The foundation of this book is the Lord’s Prayer—which was Jesus’ response when the disciple asked Him to teach them how to pray.
If you’ve read several books on prayer or if this is your first, this book will help deepen your understanding and encourage you to love prayer.
