Praying Through

Reviewed by:

Ellie Tiemens, a Professional Writing student at Taylor University in Upland, IN.

REVIEW INTRODUCTION

Title:

Praying Through

Author:

Jarrett Stevens

Publisher:

NavPress

https://www.navpress.com

Publication Date:

January 2020

Format:

Print book

Length:

198 pages

Overview:

Prayer is one of the most fundamental aspects of the Christian life. But what does one do when praying seems like an impossible task? Jarrett Stevens, pastor and founder of Soul City church in Chicago, approaches this question with grace and truth as he explores topics related to prayer. In eight short chapters, he covers practically every major concern Christians have when approaching God in prayer. He explores praying with thanksgiving, praying in times of grief, praying when God seems to be silent, praying and asking for help, and praying when struggles overwhelm to the point of having no words left to say to God. While the main focus of this book is prayer, other topics that are relevant to the Christian faith are also laid out in a simple and engaging way.

This book will fly by as a reader picks up little nuggets of advice and truth to store away when praying gets tough and life is tougher. Stevens speaks with such honesty about his own struggles and shares parts of his testimony that it allows the reader to feel invited into this conversation about prayer. Each chapter is divided into short, digestible sections and includes an inspiring quote, Scripture, ways to apply the lessons to your life, and a prayer.

Assessment

Rating (1 to 5):

4.5

Suggested Audience:

This book is written in such a way that most age groups would be able to glean something useful from it. However, those ages 16 and up would most benefit from reading this. Christians in all walks of life or circumstances will be able to find something they can apply to their faith, so one should not be deterred if they are a new Christian or one who adopted the faith decades ago.

Christian Impact:

Prayer is one of the least talked about, least written about, but most important parts of the Christian faith. Books like this one are essential to those who are struggling to understand how to pray and feel more connected to God. As this book does not cover only prayer, but also speaks to other aspects of the Christian faith, one can learn a great deal from these chapters and feel prepared and inspired to keep practicing prayer and look to Scripture for more guidance.