Reviewed by: Gabby Carlson, Professional Writing major at Taylor University.

Introduction

Title: When You Pray, What Should You Say?

Author: Kristine Marie Mulholland

Publisher: TJT Designs and Publications

Publication Date: November 21, 2012

Format: Paperback

Length: 248 Pages

OVERVIEW

Do you ever wonder what you should say to God when you pray? God listens to all prayers, but sometimes it may seem difficult to find the words we want to say. When You Pray, What Should You Say? is a topical book on prayer. Each page examines a new perspective on prayer. The topics are organized alphabetically, so they are easy to find. The book outlines how to pray for strength and guidance in any area in which someone may be struggling. Many Christians want to pray about specific issues in their lives, but they aren’t sure what to say to God. Mulholland provides an outline for those who are unsure of their words.

Each topic spans 2-3 pages. Each begins with an introduction and the author’s personal statement, prefacing her thoughts regarding what the reader should pray. She outlines why she thinks the topic should be prayed about, and it significance biblically. Next, she writes a sample prayer the reader can recite, complete with biblical principles, verses, and definitions. Each passage ends with the classic “amen” and the next topic can be found on the following page.

This book, although a helpful guide to prayer, was written and produced with poor writing mechanics, as is often the case with self-published books. There are several spelling and grammatical errors throughout the book, and the verbs jump around in tenses causing constant confusion. Sometimes it’s impossible to discern who is speaking. Also, in her introduction she states, “When you are free to pray, you do not have to stick to man’s rules about praying. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to guide as we pray.” Yet, the entire book is prayers for the readers to recite aloud in situations in which they feel unsure about the topic they are reading about. The book has solid concepts and a good base, but the writing is lacking and, overall, the book concept is executed poorly.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

2 out of 5 stars

Suggested Audience

Adult

Christian Impact

The biblical accuracy is one of the only parts of the book that is consistent. She gives Bible verses in her prayers throughout and uses biblical principles to back up all of her topics. She makes some assumptions when it comes to topics, such as angels, that she does not back up with Scripture, but that is the only fault found when it comes to the accuracy of her biblical principles.

Gabby Carlson is a freshman Professional Writing major at Taylor University.

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