I must admit that I did not set out to read this book for a review in Equip for Ministry. Actually, I picked it up from the stack one day when I was struggling with some personal disappointment and confusion about what God was doing or not doing with my situation. One of the nine chapters was entitled “The Prayer of Deep Disappointment.” I needed some encouragement and help with my struggles. The title and sub-title really reflected my thoughts and feeling at that time.

This is a book about being honest with God. Owning up to our doubts and maybe even a bit of an angry spirit with God are important in maintaining honesty and integrity with God, because he already knows those things. Opening up to God about those matters are important because they can be all too real. We tend to have all kinds of preconceived ideas about how to approach God, which actually cloud the issues.

Mark Littleton is a good writer. In these nine chapters, Littleton has found some very helpful lessons from the lives of biblical characters as he examined how they talked with God. Littleton suggests that we examine our hearts before we pray and know our thoughts. What are we concerned or anxious about? What are we doubting or struggling with? God wants us to talk to him about those things first in order to be open and honest with him. Remember Jonah? He told God just how he felt and God responded honestly. He did not want the Ninevites to be converted and he told God so.

This is a book on prayer but it also deals with the importance of being open and honest with God and ourselves. It uses the Scripture to reassure us that God does listen and answer our prayers, even though we may question that at the time. If you are ever tempted to believe that our prayers really do not matter as far as God is concerned or that prayer will not change anything, you need to read this book. Look at the biblical examples of how Moses challenged something God on destroying the rebellious Israelites in Exodus 32. Moses challenged God with his Word to save them and God did not destroy them. Knowing God’s Word is the key to knowing how to pray honestly and sincerely.

Using Abraham’s example in Genesis 18 in his prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah, Littleton helps us to see how to pray with boldness. “The first is to pray with boldness. Over and over God has told us to come to him with our requests, expectantly, with the idea that he’s happy we’re there and happy to help.” “I want you to come to me. Stop thinking I’ll be bothered. What matters to you really does matter to me. So come. Run to me. Be bold. No hesitation. No fear. No worry.”

You will be blessed, challenged, encouraged, and filled with a greater desire and knowledge of how to pray. You will also want to buy another copy of this book because you may not want to pass your marked up copy on to a friend, but you will want to share it.

 -Charles Dunahoo

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