John Koessler is an author and a professor emeritus at Moody Bible Institute, and I am in full agreement with him. I don’t really need another book on how to pray or why I should want to. I have those books on prayer. My experience seems to be what Koessler’s is—”I don’t like the experience of talking to God when I pray.” Why? How could I not enjoy talking to the transcendent God of the universe? My Creator and Savior? Simple. “Our conversation seems awkward” (1).
See, I don’t really like to talk. It’s difficult for me. It takes a long time to get to my point and I ramble. Or I get straight to the point and that’s all I have to say. How specific ought my prayers be? Koessler has thought often about this, and noticed that many of our problems with prayer have little to do with motivation or method or mechanics. Our problems “are the sort of problems we might describe as relational” (2).
How do we hold a conversation when God doesn’t respond? How do we know we got what we asked for, or if we need to wait, or what if the answer is different than what we asked for? What do we do with our anger at others or even at God? Is it inauthentic or lazy to pray the prayers of others? Am I committing the sin of spiritual plagiarism? How much faith do I need for my prayers to be effective? What about when our words fail us and we simply don’t have words to speak, whether due to grief, disappointment, discouragement, or distress? Koessler hits on all of these topics, and notes that the key to prayer is God himself (3).
Koessler helpfully navigates these issues with wisdom and biblical understanding. Even in the Bible God does not speak very often nor for very long. He has however spoken to us through his Son and in his Word. Koessler writes, “What more can he say than he has already said” (21)? We have his words and it is from his words that we respond to him. He doesn’t speak because he is listening. We already have his attention (1 John 5:14–15). He doesn’t interrupt or speak over us. So, “what would we say differently if we really believed that he was listening?” (21).
Koessler carefully handles angry prayers (granted this doesn’t match with the picture above!). We should not hide our anger, nor should we ignore evil that has been done. We ought also to remember both God’s patience toward us and that God alone holds the right to retribution. He will dole it out exactly how and when it needs to be given. We see times when prophets and God’s people were disappointed, angry, and impatient over the way their life had turned out. We could be truthful like Jonah in our prayers, but that means “we must also expose ourselves to the scrutiny of God’s question: ‘Is it right for you to be angry?'” (96). And we may already know the answer to that question.
Recommended?
I quite enjoyed this book. Koessler writes very clearly, and I read most of this book on a trip to Rwanda. He presents his points from the Bible and helps you not to fall into various ditches of worry over your prayers. Well recommended.
Lagniappe
- Author: John Koessler
- Paperback: 235 pages
- Publisher: Lexham Press (August 9, 2023)
Buy it on Amazon or from Lexham Press
Disclosure: I received this book free from Lexham Press. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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