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| Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? | 
 enlarge | Author: Philip Yancey
Publisher: Zondervan
Category: Book
List Price: $21.99
Buy New: $9.92
You Save: $12.07 (55%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $7.66
Avg. Customer Rating:  (66 reviews)
Sales Rank: 4875
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 0310271053
Dewey Decimal Number: 248.32
EAN: 9780310271055
ASIN: 0310271053
Publication Date: October 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Balanced September 26, 2006
22 out of 23 found this review helpful
I am a person who has greatly benefited from prayer after major injuries from an accident. Each day I live in the balance of acknowledging the miracles God did through the many prayers of my family and friends, yet living with the limitations/pain my injuries continue to force on me. I found this book to be nicely balanced between those two.
There will always be mysteries we don't have answers to, but that shouldn't stop us from asking and expecting the best from God. He wants an authentic relationship with us (think of some of the discussions recorded between Him and Abraham/Moses/David) so our prayers also need to be dialog with Him as we wrestle with the mysteries. Yancey has a great way with words in finding that balance and encouraging the reader to keep on talking to God.
 Tough topic September 25, 2006
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
Mr. Yancey tackles one of the more difficult aspects of Christianity and deals with many of most common questions and concerns about prayer. He assures us, several times, that we simply don't have all the answers, but he bases his beliefs on what Christ did and said. All his discussions are supported by Biblical texts. The material is challenging, however, he breaks it up with stories and quotes from many people working through the same enormous issues: why was that prayer answered, and that one not? for example. The book is also organized and chapters titled such that you can reread sections as life situations warrant. In the end, it is simply encouraging. There's no formula, no perfect prayer, no checklist. At a recent talk, Mr. Yancey was asked how we know if we're doing it right. His answer will stick with me: if you're praying, you're doing it right. Combined with his encouragement to keep on keeping on, this book on prayer should be inspiring to all.
Making a Difference September 25, 2006
79 out of 81 found this review helpful
Imagine sitting with David, before he became king of Israel, and hearing his laments and frustrations with God which eventually circled back to an attitude of praise. You might hear some of the same questions and observations in this book. I've always admired Yancey's willingness to wrestle with the tough issues, to share from his own weaknesses, and to engage his brain while also relying on faith. His latest book embraces these same qualities, presenting a theological yet practical look at prayer's place in the lives of Christians.
So, does prayer make a difference? That's the central question of the book, and it points poignantly at a relationship with the living God. It does not, however, sugarcoat the harsh realities: those who die despite numerous prayers of faith; those who prosper while living sinful lives; the seeming distance of God when we yearn for his nearness.
Throughout the book, sidebars give insight into the joys and turmoils of believers from around the world. These add a nice touch of humanity to the narrative, a reminder that the issue of prayer is not merely an ethereal one, but one that affects each of us to our core. Some never receive the easy answers they hope for, while others rarely pray and find wide paths of apparent blessing. Yancey deals with questions of sickness, prosperity, spiritual destitution, sin, and the ultimate desire to know God and to be known. One particular thought hit home: Why is that God doesn't do the things we want him to, and why is that we don't do the things he wants us to?
If you're looking for an easy, 1-2-3 step book on abundant living through prayer, look elsewhere. If you want everything to fit into a nice, tidy box, this isn't the book for you. If, however, you are earnest in your desire to bring your honest fears and doubts before the Lord, to think through the answers of Scripture, to know that you are not alone, than Phillip Yancey's latest book is sure to be a breath of fresh air. This is a book rich in ideas and biblical truth, yet accessible to the average reader. Indeed, it can--and probably will--make a difference in many lives.
Prayer Is The Key To Heaven September 25, 2006
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
"The reason why we pray is simply that we cannot help praying" says William James.
This is a well thought out book by a famous and loved author. It is not, however, an easy quick read. If you really have time to contemplate why praying matters, prepare yourself by praying for some insights, use a highlighter because there are some wonderful prayers, quotes, and useful information for further study, and read one part at a sitting. It is a very long book and could have benefited from more editing, (especially one tidbit that doesn't belong in a book such as this in "adjusting expectations). A serious undertaking, it is apparent to the reader that the author is examining many unresolved questions regarding his own prayer life. He makes some excellent points. He believes in prayer.
There are five parts to the book. Keeping Company With God, Unraveling the Mysteries, The Language of Prayer, Prayer Dilemmas, and the best part in my opinion, The Practice of Prayer. Helpful information as to resources and credits are in the back of the book.
Chapter 13 is exceptionally helpful (Prayer Grammar). The personal stories throughout the book shadowed in gray was a nice addition.
There could have been more of them.
There must be many people like me who have never had a question as to the wisdom of praying anywhere, anytime, to almighty God - praising Him for His goodness and greatness, and humbly asking for some help, knowing we'll understand it all - one day. Don't make prayer complicated. Don't doubt. Keep the faith.
 Honestly Troubling September 19, 2006
133 out of 197 found this review helpful
I don't envy the man who writes a book on prayer, for I can't think of too many topics that have been written about more extensively than this. There are many spiritual classics dealing with the topic and surely an author must wonder if anything he writes can contribute to the discussion. New to the fray is Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference by Philip Yancey. A guaranteed bestseller, this book, by virtue of the topic and the author, is sure to sell tens or hundreds of thousands of copies. And so it was with some interest that I read this book, interested in learning what so many people would learn from Yancey.
This book arose from Yancey's determination that many Christians know prayer to be theoretically important but yet practice it very little. "Everywhere, I encountered the gap between prayer in theory and prayer in practice. In theory prayer is the essential human act, a priceless point of contact with the God of the universe. In practice prayer is often confusing and fraught with frustration. My publisher conducted a website poll, and of the 678 respondents only 23 felt satisfied with the time they were spending in prayer. That very discrepancy made me want to write this book." This book is not a how-to guide. "I have not attempted a guide book that details techniques such as fasting, prayer retreats, and spiritual direction. I investigate the topic or prayer as a pilgrim, strolling about, staring at the monuments, asking questions, mulling things over, testing the waters. I admit to an imbalance, an overreaction to time spent among Christians who promised too much and pondered to little, and as a result I try to err on the side of honesty and not pretense." He goes on to say, "If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn't act the way we want God to, and why I don't act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge."
I can't deny that I was pleasantly surprised by much of the content of Prayer. Yancey is a deep thinker and one who excels at asking difficult but still useful and interesting questions. He has clearly invested a great deal of time and effort in prayer and in wrestling with the deep questions. He says much that is worth thinking about; worth pondering. "In prayer I shift my point of view away from my own selfishness." "Prayer is the act of seeing reality from God's point of view." "The main purpose of prayer is not to make life easier, nor to gain magical powers, but to know God. I need God more than anything I might get from God." "God is a Person too, and though a person unlike ourselves, One who surely fulfills more of what that word means, not less." When discussing unanswered prayer he writes, "By answering every possible prayer, God would in effect abdicate, turning the world over to us to run. History shows how we have handled the limited power granted us: we have fought wars, committed genocide, fouled the air and water..." and so on. There is much in this book that will prove valuable, both that which comes from Yancey's pen and that which he quotes from other authors and theologians. Yet there were several themes found in the book that I found troubling.
Yancey has, in the past, hinted that he adheres to the doctrine of Open Theism and believes in a somewhat less than omnipotent or omniscient God. His clearest affirmations of this were in his book Disappointment with God, a title that is often referred to and quoted in Prayer. While this new book does not contain an explicit affirmation of that doctrine, Yancey again drops hints that he does believe it. Only a few pages into the book he says, "A hundred times a second lightning strikes somewhere on earth, and I for one do not believe that God personally programs each course." Much later, in the closing chapters, he writes, "I know a missionary whose wife and seven-month-old daughter were killed by a single bullet when the air force in a South American country mistook their plane for that of a drug runner and opened fire. 'God guided the bullet,' the surviving husband and father said to the press. We have held long discussions about that quote, because I do not believe the 'Father of compassion' guides bullets into the bodies of babies. Jesus himself refuted those who blamed human tragedies on God." Did this tragedy occur outside of God's control or knowledge? Yancey seems to take almost a middle position, but certainly does not affirm the truths of Scripture regarding God's fore-ordaining of all events, no matter how tragic. Somewhere between these two quotes comes a similar one which comes from the mouth of an acquaintance of his. "I was trained as a Calvinist. What do I do with all that has happened to me? I don't lay the accident at God's feet--I don't believe God micromanages the planet. I believe God is present in the midst of our brokenness. I just wish I could feel that presence." Yancey presents a God that is simply far too human.
This emphasis is consistent with another theme that crops up several times. Yancey often speaks of human freedom and God's overwhelming desire to protect the free will of the people He has made. But the free will proposed by Yancey is not the "bound freedom" of Luther and Edwards, but the libertarian freedom that is foreign to Scripture--the freedom that says a choice is free only when a person could also have chosen the exact opposite. In this area, as with several others, Yancey's theology is sloppy. For example, in a couple of places he writes about miracles, but many of the so-called miracles would be better-termed providence. There is a thread of theological imprecision throughout this work that is troubling.
A further disturbing theme in the book is Yancey's respect for all manner of perceived spiritual authorities. He affirms Mother Teresa and Martin Luther as equal authorities on prayer, even in the same sentence (and I don't think he quotes anyone with greater respect or frequency than Mother Teresa). He often quotes Jewish rabbis as if their theology of prayer should be taken as equal to those who love Jesus Christ and who have submitted their lives and their beliefs to the New Testament. A vast quantity of the answers Yancey provides are based on the writing of people whose beliefs would not align with historic Protestantism and hence with Scripture. And, while this book is not a "how-to" guide, it does include an appendix that lists a wide variety of recommended resources. Among these are a great number of books that promote mysticism, contemplative prayer, lectio divina, Roman Catholic prayer guides and the like. There is a recommendation to a book that "gives guidance to different personalities, following the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test" (something Jesus surely overlooked when teaching us to pray). In fact, the good resources are by far outweighed by the dubious or those that are just plain bad. For example, a section dealing with collections of prayers points readers to the Roman Catholic collection Christian Prayer: Liturgy of the Hours (which, as we might expect includes prayers to Mary) while overlooking classics like The Valley of Vision.
In the end, I admire Yancey's willingness to ask difficult questions and to really wrestle with the difficult questions surrounding prayer. I felt he did a particularly good job of being sensitive to discussing the issue of physical healing and why God so often chooses not to answer prayer. But in the end, while Yancey asks many good and fair questions, his questions are far better than his answers. He is unafraid to ask difficult questions but is far more hesitant to answer them from Scripture or from within the well-established stream of Protestant theology.
At almost 350 pages, Prayer is not a quick read. Still, Yancey is a gifted author and he makes those 350 pages easy and even enjoyable to read. Sadly, much of what he writes is false; dangerous even. The questions he asks are questions any Christian may have asked before him and will continue to ask long after him. Unfortunately, the answers he provides are often less than scriptural. Those who read this book and follow it by investigating the sources he recommends, could find themselves confused indeed. At the very least they will find themselves led further from the objective reality of Scripture and towards experiential and mystical subjectivity. While this book is meant to be an honest account of Yancey's struggles with prayer, I couldn't help but feel he was far more honest with his misgivings and his questions than he was with what he feels are the answers and solutions. When it comes to answers, he seems deliberately vague.
With books on prayer crowding the shelves at the bookstores I see no reason to recommend this one above the many alternatives that may not be as interested in asking the tough questions, but are surely far more honest in directing the reader to the Bible where the answers may be found.
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