Book Review - Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God

Author:
Cheryl Chapman
Date:
January 18, 2023

book by Tim Keller

Prayer is something every Christian knows is a significant part of the Christian life, but sometimes we are unsure about what prayer is or even how to pray. Tim Keller has taken a thorough look into prayer, combining a great depth of theology with practical insights on how prayer is presented in the Bible.  

The book opens by revealing how important prayer is to our daily life, “It is the way we know God, the way we finally treat God as God. Prayer is simply the key to everything we need to do and be in life. We must learn to pray. We have to.” (p. 18). This is not written as a desperate attempt to convince the reader, but a plea to see that connection with God is as necessary to life as air is to our lungs. Throughout the book, Keller moves from theory and theology to practical tips on how to pray – what does it include, what about the struggles and questions we have about prayer? He includes some ideas on how to pray daily. He brings a depth of discovery about how our hearts interact with God through prayer. 

This book is easy to read with many ideas for anyone who wants to grow in prayer. Expect your understanding and practice of prayer to deepen as you uncover more about the God we pray to.  “Prayer turns theology into experience. Through it we sense his presence and receive his joy, his love, his peace and confidence, and thereby we are changed in attitude, behavior, and character” (p80). 


Cheryl Chapman works part time with ENGAGE Work Faith as Prayer Lead. Not claiming to be an expert herself, Cheryl is passionate about encouraging Christians to grow in their faith and prayer life.

Photo by Héctor J. Rivas on Unsplash

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