Product Description

Philip Yancey probes the very heartbeat—the most fundamental, challenging, perplexing, and deeply rewarding aspect—of our relationship with God: prayer. What is prayer? Does it change God’s mind or ours—or both? This book is an invitation to communicate with God the Father who invites us into an eternal partnership through prayer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3016 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Yancey strikes a moving chord with this book that is more full of yearning and wonder than it is of easy answers. Prayer, he writes, is our partnership with God, our chance to join forces with God's power to confront suffering and evil head-on. Yancey is candid about his nagging sense of failure in prayer, but the book is suffused with a cautious hope; he writes of his growing confidence and joy as his prayer life has deepened from a spiritualized to-do list to a conversational communion with God. The key, Yancey writes, is that prayer is a window into knowing the mind of God, whose kingdom is entrusted to all of us frail, selfish people on earth. As with his other books, Yancey draws upon his international travels to bring a fresh perspective to the topic, detailing, in nations such as Romania and South Africa, how he believes prayer has transformed hearts and permitted bloodless change. The book's strength lies in its balance, with Yancey holding equally important ideals in a beautiful tension: action and meditation, doubt and certainty, and the unchanging God with the God who appears so moved by people's petitions in the Bible that he changes his mind. Yancey also offers some startling and insightful observations about Jesus' own prayer life. (Oct.)
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Review
"…a reader-friendly book…subtle, elusive, and evanescent, inviting readers to discern their own meaning….'Prayer' can help reinvigorate a prayer life. It invites us to believe that God is listening. — The Cleveland Plain Dealer

(The Cleveland Plain Dealer )

"…Yancey writes…as a journalist, with a sharp eye for detail and an investigative unwillingness to force conclusions. Chapters are short, but brimming with juice. Stories abound. Part of the time, Yancey just wonders about prayer. And Yancey…is a mighty fine wonderer…. — Christianity Today

(Christianity Today )

"Philip Yancey has done it again: taken a much-written-about topic and infused it with freshness and deeply mined relevancy….This is a valuable read for anyone: youth worker, pastor, parent, mature teen -- anyone." — YouthWorker Journal

(YouthWorker Journal )

"..a new and powerful effort….Philip Yancey asks the tough questions about prayer that many are afraid to ask….Yancey writes as a friend and fellow-struggler, giving voice to the questions we may ponder but never bring up….This questioning process…inspires us to pursue prayer more earnestly….[This book] will encourage you as you meet with God daily and bring the details of your life before Him. You'll develop a stronger prayer vocabulary and a richer sense of the mystery and joy of prayer…. — Presidential Prayer Team

(Presidential Prayer Team )

"…theological substance, quality of biblical reflection, and readability…make it accessible even to those coming to faith, Bible reading, or prayer for the first time….Yancey writes more as a journalist, with a sharp eye for detail and an investigative unwillingness to force conclusions….One of the chief benefits of Philip Yancey's work is that he'll go where the evidence leads…." — Christianity Today

(Christianity Today )

"…one of the many small evidences of this book's forcefulness is the number of times I did put it down -- the number of times I interrupted my reading because I was inspired to pray….[This] is the rare book about prayer that, rather than inadvertently distracting me from the pursuit of a praying life, actually prompts me to pray…." — Books and Culture

(Books and Culture )

"Yancey strikes a moving chord with this book that is more full of yearning and wonder than it is of easy answers….[It's] suffused with a cautious hope….The book's strength lies in its balance, with Yancey holding equally important ideals in a beautiful tension…" — Publishers Weekly

(Publishers Weekly )

"Gently and with intelligence and compassion, Yancey works toward a vision of prayer as a kind of 'awkward rehersal' and, ultimately, toward the kind of conversation humankind had with God at the beginning of creation." — Library Journal

(Library Journal )

"…the author's exploration of the topic includes a candid assessment of his own sense of failure, along with his growing sense of wonder at the possibliities of conversation with God…." — Today's Christian Woman

(Today's Christian Woman )

"Yancey's combination of talent, research, and openness about his own struggles make 'Prayer' worth looking into if you…have ever felt frustrated with your prayer life." — Relevant Magazine

(Relevant Magazine )

"…offers readers' compelling insights about the topic of prayer, exploring the mysterious intersection where God and humans meet and relate…." — Homecoming (Bill and Gloria Gaither)

(Homecoming (Bill and Gloria Gaither) )

"Philip Yancey approaches the mysteries of communicating with God in this thoroughly researched yet highly accessible book….[He] skillfully interweaves Scripture with insights from Christian thinkers of many traditions, cultures, and eras….Fresh anecdotes and relevant testimonies of ordinary people give the book a compelling quality." — The Banner

(The Banner )

"Philip Yancey is that rare example of a self-proclaimed recovering fundamentalists who is actually a spiritually healthy human being." — Birmingham News

(Birmingham News )

"…the experience of reading 'Prayer' is similar to the experience of prayer itself: a meandering journey with streaks of brillance, communion, illumination, and satisfaction….'Prayer' is a reader-friendly book, peppered with vignettes and sidebars from people attesting to the power of prayer….[It] is subtle, elusive, and evanescent, inviting readers to discern their own meaning….'Prayer' can help reinvigorate a prayer life. It invites us to believe that God is listening." — The Plain Dealer

(The Plain Dealer )

"[Prayer] is well researched, captivating, and meets the reader right where he/she is at in the moment….If you are like me and have difficulties in praying then this book is a must for you." — 1340MAG.com

(1340MAG.com )

"He knows that the main purpose of prayer is not to make life easier, but to know God." — Christian Science Sentinal

(Christian Science Sentinal )

From the Back Cover
In his most powerful book since What’s So Amazing About Grace? and The
Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey probes the very heartbeat—the most
fundamental, challenging, perplexing, and deeply rewarding aspect—of our
relationship with God: prayer. What is prayer? How does it work? And more
importantly, does it work? In theory, prayer is the essential human act, a priceless point of contact between us and the God of the universe. In practice, prayer is often frustrating, confusing, and fraught with mystery. Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? is an exploration of the mysterious intersection where God and humans meet and relate. Writing as a fellow pilgrim, Yancey explores such questions as:

•Is God listening?
•Why should God care about me?
•If God knows everything, what’s the point of prayer?
•Why do answers to prayer seem so inconsistent and capricious?
•Why does God seem sometimes close and sometimes far away?
•How can I make prayer more satisfying?

“I have found that the most important purpose of prayer may be to let ourselves be loved by God,” says Yancey. Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? encourages us to pray to God the Father who sees what lies ahead of us, knows what lies within us, and who invites us into an eternal partnership—through prayer. Also available: unabridged audio CD.

Customer Reviews

Does it?
This book was really awesome. Yancey is becoming on of my favorite Authors. He does a great job tackling a tough topic. He does a great job of giving examples of all kinds of prayers, from around the world.

Making a difference
Philip Yancey's boeken intrigeren me al vele jaren. Zijn onderzoekende instelling, nuchterheid en durf om juist de controversiële onderwerpen in het christelijk geloof rondom lijden, ongerechtigheid, houding ten opzichte van joden en nu gebed te lijf te gaan, spreken aan. Voor Bidden las hij tientallen brieven met gebedsonderwerpen en vele boeken over het gebedsleven vóór er een eigen compositie van 390 pagina's van te maken. De eerste 100 pagina's kostten me veel tijd en aandacht vanwege de vele waardevolle lessen. Heeft bidden zin? Heeft het invloed op ons en/of op God? Als God alles weet, waarom dan nog bidden? Kortom: maakt het enig verschil of je bidt of niet?

Yancey zoekt moedig zijn weg in het een plek geven van de positie van de bidder, het object van ons gebed, de balans tussen verhoorde en onverhoorde gebeden, lichamelijke genezing versus lijden, wonderen versus vaste natuurwetten. De eenzijdige benaderingen van gebedsgenezers, claims op het kennen van Gods wil in goede of juist slechte tijden en de pijnlijke constateringen van ongeneeslijk zieken, hartekreten en lijden, ze krijgen allemaal gepaste aandacht. Anekdotes, praktijkverhalen, opvattingen van scrijvers, filosofen en natuurlijk vooral het leven en werk van Jezus Christus geven inzicht in het nut en de noodzaak van bidden, zonder te vervallen in de sfeer van zelfhulp, new age, welvaartsevangelie of juist een defaitisme.

Vrijwel aan het eind van zijn boek staat wat mij betreft een goede samenvatting van waar Philip Yancey op uitkomt: "Door onszelf in Gods aanwezigheid te brengen, en ons een glimp van het uitzicht van boven te schenken, brengt het gebed een radicale verandering teweeg in de manier waarop wij het leven ervaren. Geloof tijdens smarten doet er meer toe dan genezing van smarten. Het zich onderwerpen aan Gods wil verdient de voorkeur boven redding van de kruisiging. Nederigheid telt meer dan bevrijding van een doorn in het vlees. In de gevorderde gebedsschoo, waar men God liefheeft met de gehele ziel, verdwijnen twijfels en worstelingen niet, maar vermindert hun effect op ons."

Book order
My order was placed on March 23. I received the book on April 15. That was the longest I had ever waited to receive something ordered through Amazon. The book came in excellent condition. It was purchased for a Bible study group. I missed having it for two weeks of study, but will catch up.