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A Praying Life: Connecting With God In A Distracting World (2009)

by Paul E. Miller(Favorite Author)

4.28 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1600063004 (ISBN13: 9781600063008)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

NavPress Publishing Group

review 1: So many people recommended this book to me over the last two years and raved about how amazing it was, that in the end I caved and bought it, a little cynical about whether it would be that good. But it really was.For me, the first section of the book, which represented about 20% of its content, held about 80% of the book’s value. The first section is all about praying as a child, and he completely blasts apart the unconscious barriers we have to prayer. I found myself that whole section in tears, partly because it represented such freedom, and partly because through the stories he tells of the relationship with his autistic daughter, I recovered again sense of God as an exuberantly-loving parent.The other sections are mainly about dealing with the problem of prayer in t... morehe midst of suffering. These sections were still good, though not as mind-blowing as the first section. I didn’t agree with some of his emphases (for example, he likes to identify a sin in someone’s life and then pray about it, and I didn’t know how comfortable I felt about that concept), but his insights on the damaging effects of cynicism and his insight into suffering and prayer were brilliant. He is a man who knows suffering, and it shows. He says that because of the chronic stress and difficulty of having an autistic daughter who couldn’t speak, his wife did not prayer for ten years. I just appreciated that honesty and ‘permission’ to find prayer difficult when you are suffering.This is the first ‘Christian self-help’ book (as opposed to a memoir) that I have read in a while, and I loved it. Highly recommended, even if you just have the time/energy to read the first section. One to read and re-read.
review 2: Very simple, but powerful. Finished in one day.Miller doesn't try to prove that prayer always works, but simply shows why Christians need prayer to deal with suffering, connect with believers, and to deepen faith in God. He shows how dangerous cynicism is, and how prayer and suffering are actually gateways to a closer communion with God. I liked how he emphasized the fact that we need to humble ourselves and look for the greater story God is weaving throughout our lives. I also liked the poetic/literary metaphors he uses to get his points across, and the occasional references to C. S. Lewis. less

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