Prayer

I was not sure about this book for a while, even though Philip Yancey is a superb writer – probably my favorite living writer.  I was not sure about it because it seemed a bit dour.  Yancey tends to focus on the difficult, the struggles, the suffering, the questions.

However, by the end of the book I felt it was a very good book.  And a highly significant overview of prayer.

Philip Yancey is bright.  He is so well-read.  He is always honest and vulnerable.  He doesn’t settle for simplistic answers.  And he fills the book with an endless stream of stories, anecdotes and quotes.

The book is a combination of deep, reflective thought on prayer and numerous practical suggestions on prayer.  It is not a book that makes you feel guilty about your prayer life but a book that is encouraging, even liberating.  I highly recommend it.