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August 08, 2005
Praying Backwards
Praying Backwards – Bryan Chapell
As Christians there are not very many things more important than prayer, if any. There is also no words more familiar to those of us who pray than, “...in Jesus’ name, amen.” Unfortunately, for many of us this has become simply a tag line that we attach to the end of our prayers, which doesn’t have very significant meaning.
What Bryan Chapell wants us to do is move these familiar words to the beginning of our prayers. However, this isn’t merely an exercise in semantics, but a very practical step in prioritizing our prayers. To be sure, the rearrangement of words doesn’t make our prayers more or less significant. What it can do is rearrange our thinking about what’s important when we come before the Lord.
Praying Backwards is a great handbook on prayer. Chapell covers such topics as praying the way Jesus prayed: Not my will but yours. Some people claim that by adding these words to a prayer, one displays his lack of trust in God, when in reality he is acknowledging his submission to the will of the All Powerful, Supreme Creator.
Chapell also discusses topics such as praying without doubting, praying in the Spirit, praying boldly, expectantly and persistently. He also tackles one of the tougher aspects of prayer, which is praying in God’s will. Using the metaphor of a fence, he identifies several fence posts that help mark the path of prayer. Is it righteous? This question, when seeking to make a decision or offer a prayer according to God’s will, helps us determine if what is being prayed for is in agreement with God’s Word. Praying for God to bless something wrong, even to accomplish something right, is out of accord with His will. Other fence posts include honoring God’s authority, obeying His standards and trusting His guidance. This fence of righteousness determines whether our prayer is moral.
The fence of prudence helps us determine if our prayer is wise. Questions that should be weighed include, “Is it loving?” “Is it legitimate?” and “Is it responsible?” Also included is the role of the Holy Spirit as an internal witness, who causes our feelings to be relevant to the process of discerning God’s direction. Although this section was a bit disappointing because of the mysticism involved, it should not detract from the rest of the book.
It covers a topic that every Christian must know about. It covers the topic thoroughly and biblically. Though there are many books on the market that address the issue of prayer, Praying Backwards is a careful examination of the various aspects of prayer with a view to helping us reprioritize our priorities: A must read for Christians serious about communing with our Heavenly Father. Read ‘em & Reap!
For more reviews of this book, visit The Diet of Bookworms.
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