Every Day Live at United

Philip Yancey - Prayer, does it make a difference? (248.3YAN)

When most Christians are asked where they have the most difficulty, the answer is often "prayer".  But don't be fooled by Philip Yancey's book, entitled "Prayer, does it make a difference". This is not another one of the many self-help books that line the selves of Christian bookstores.  Readers of (Philip Yancey's other books (Where is God when it hurts? The Jesus I never knew) will be aware that he tackles each topic with an honesty that goes beyond simplistic answers: "I write about prayer as a pilgrim, not an expert. I have the same questions that occur to almost everyone at some point. Is God listening?... If God knows everything, what's the point of prayer?... Does prayer change God or change me?" Yancey tackles these and other tough questions such as the relationship between prayer and physical healing and why prayers are unanswered, providing insights without pat theological answers.

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The book is interspersed with stories and examples of actual down-to-earth encounters with prayer, which, combined with Yancey's informal style makes it eminently readable, despite its length.  Readers are encouraged to press on to the last section, which deals with the Practice of Prayer which he describes in the introduction as "a privilege, not a duty".  This book might not answer all your questions about prayer, and it will not provide you with a prescribed pattern either, but it will certainly stimulate you to think about why you pray, when you pray, how you pray and what you pray for. 

The book is available from our Church Library.

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With thanks to Philip Parsons