Prayer: A call to a spiritual reformation by Carson

Today I'm adding A call to a spiritual reformation by D A Carson to the Master Reading List under the category of Prayer (Available from Amazon).

As Christians we're expected to pray.  But what should we pray for?  That we will be healthy, wealthy and wise?

Carson's book tries to answer this question by encouraging us to model our prayers after the prayers of the apostle Paul.  In his many books Carson is a careful and even-handed expositor of God's word and no less here.  Eight chapters are given to eight Pauline prayers and teach us to pray for the things that are on the heart of God, not on the hearts of our sinful selves.

In addition there are four helpful chapters on the subject of prayer.  Chapter 1 Carson provides some general counsel on how to pray (e.g. maintaining lists etc).  Chapter 3 encourages us to pray for others.  Chapter 7 tries to help us overcome excuses for not praying (too busy, too spiritually dry, don't feel the need, too bitter, too ashamed, too content with mediocrity).  And Chapter 9 answers the age old question of why we should pray when God has sovereignly planned everything already (this chapter is actually a great primer to Carson's doctoral dissertation, 'Divine sovereignty and human responsibility', available from Amazon).

The only possible danger of this book is that you might misunderstand it and think that the only models for your prayers are those Biblical passages that are definitely prayers (e.g. Paul, the Psalms, John 17).  Whereas I find it helpful to use the whole Bible as my prayer book.  When I read the Bible in my devotions each morning, I try to turn every verse I read into a prayer and it is most edifying.

In sum, this book will change the way you pray; and it will be a change for the better.