Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight

By Carolyn Nystrom, J.I. Packer, Caroline Nystrom, et al.

Book Overview

Merit Award, World Guild Christian Living Book

Praying is an action.

Praying is an action that is of the essence of Christian existence. It involves our beliefs, emotions, values, hopes and fears, certainties and uncertainties, knowledge and ignorance.

As J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom explain, this book "is a heart-to-heart affair, in which two Christians who try to pray and wish they prayed better share thoughts about what they are doing with people whom they envisage as being like themselves. . . . Our aim is not just to clarify Christian understanding but to foster Christian living. In real praying, head, heart and hands go together." With wisdom, humility and sincerity the authors lead us through different moods of praying, including brooding, praising, asking, complaining and hanging on.

In Praying the authors offer hope for those of us who daydream when we try to listen to God and stumble when we try to speak. Yet they don't just teach us about prayer; they challenge and inspire us to do it by pointing us to a clearer realization of the reality of God and his character. Let Packer and Nystrom come alongside you to encourage and guide your active praying to our powerful God, and let him move your praying through mere duty to delight.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830833544
• ISBN13: 9780830833542
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: IVP
• Length: 319 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Marvelous book with a flaw

Praying is a wonderful book, no wonder, for one of the autors is dr. J.I. Packer, well known as a sharp, insightful theologian author. The texts he wrote in 'Prayer'are easily recognizable. They are, as is usual, helpful and brilliant. Crisply written, with deep insights into this intriguing subject: the art of praying. The flaw in the book is the cooperation with his coauthor, ms. Nystrom. Who tells lengthy pages about her own adcentures as a boyscout leader. Skip these pages, you won't miss much. The rest, dr. Packer's rest, is sheer genius.

A Must Read

Great service and I will do business with this seller again Thank You

Great transaction. Great book.

The authors of this book did a wonderful job answering questions and frustrations we have about prayer.

a book on praying that has actually made a difference!

I have begun, and rarely finished, many books on the subject of prayer. This book (which I have not only completed, but am re-reading) by Packer and Nystrom has actually helped me improve my prayer life. I find that the groundwork they lay (to Whom we are praying), and their following discourses on the different types of prayer have allowed me more freedom of expression when speaking to God. I am not a theologian and have not had much difficulty with understanding the concepts presented. However, I do believe that this book is best read slowly, and reread again and again; the misconceptions and bad habits that we have adopted concerning prayer are not easily overcome.

"Written to make you think and consider why we speak to God"

One cannot help appreciating the seriousness with which the authors address our need to pray. The material presented is not so much new material (it's prayer, you know) as it is material arranged in a manner to make you THINK. Although I prefer "God, Help Me Pray" (because of the format) this book will appeal to those who see prayer as more of a science than an art. But make no mistake, you will pick up some interesting tidbits if you're willing to read and study this book carefully. Also recommended: "God, Help Me Pray!" (Emails to/from God) "With Christ in the School of Prayer"