Praying the Bible

In a world overladen with books on prayer that leave one as overwhelmed as they were before, Dr. Whitney comes in with relief for the weary. This is - by far - the best book on prayer that I've ever read. That is no small compliment, especially in light of excellent books by devotional giants like Andrew Murray, Matthew Henry, and Martin Luther, to name a few. I cannot say enough great things about this book! There are several strengths to "Praying the Bible". Here, though, I will list only a few that come to mind: 1. Simplicity. It is the simplest book on prayer that you will ever find. Dr. Whitney is a scholar, but he is a pastor first, and it shows in how simple he lays out his tried and true method for prayer. He leads the dejected and spiritually parched Christian by the hand to an ever-flowing fountain of fresh spring water. My first-grader can follow this book and put it into practice. 2. Practicality. I've read some books on prayer that leave me lost in a fog, not knowing what to do. Prayer, above all, is a discipline to practice. It is something the Christian must do. Dr. Whitney gives the reader very concrete instructions and helps to immediately improve their prayer life. The reader leaves knowing exactly what to do and with a very clear plan on how to do it. 3. Theocentricity. That's the best word I could use to describe the overall flavor of the book. It points the reader back to his/her God. It drives the one who prays to the word of the One to whom they pray. It exalts the God of Scripture and his holy, inspired, inerrant word. This gives the reader a clear focus on God as they approach him in prayer. This is exactly what every Christian needs. Not just more methods, even simple, practical ones; but a reorientation to the glory of the Bible and the God who reveals himself to us there. 4. Brevity. I suppose this goes along with "simplicity" but it deserves its own mentioning. This book is very short. It is surprisingly short. You could pick it up and finish in a few hours, reading at a reasonable pace. However, I'd suggest taking a weekend to prayerfully work through the book. Dr. Whitney offers much profundity in very little space, and this is exactly what weary, prayerless sheep need. Do yourself a favor worth a billion dollars to your soul. Grab your Bible and grab this book. Read every page of this book and do what it says. I did, and my prayer life has not been the same since. Thank you, Dr. Whitney!

*Praying the Bible* by Donald Whitney is a practical and refreshing guide to transforming your prayer life through Scripture. Whitney offers a simple but profound method of prayer: using the Bible itself as a foundation for praying. By praying through specific passages, believers can move beyond repetitive or generic prayers and engage in more meaningful, Scripture-saturated communication with God. Whitney emphasizes how praying the Bible not only deepens one's relationship with God but also helps the believer grow in knowledge and love for Scripture. The method he proposes is easy to implement and suitable for any Christian, regardless of their level of spiritual maturity. His writing is clear and encouraging, providing a helpful framework for prayer that incorporates the richness of God's Word. Overall, *Praying the Bible* is an excellent resource for anyone seeking to enrich their prayer life and develop a deeper, more biblical approach to connecting with God. It’s both practical and spiritually enriching, making it a great tool for personal devotion or group study.

I have completed several books by Donald Whitney over the years and always appreciate the fact that he is doctrinally sound and extremely practical. This little book is no exception. Whitney's goal in this book is to help the reader overcome the "boring routine of saying the same old things about the same old things" by teaching the reader the variety, freshness, and excitement of praying through the Bible. Perhaps the most helpful chapter in the book is the section on "Praying the Psalms." He quotes Ben Patterson, "By praying the Psalms back to God, we learn to pray in tune with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." In learning to pray through the Psalms it helps the one praying to be (a) Balanced in prayer - as the Psalms convey every doctrine in the Bible; (b) Emotionally healthy - as the Psalms deal with every human emotion: joy, anger, fear, anxiety, discouragement, loneliness, etc.; (c) God centered - usually we have a tendency to be self-absorbed - the Psalms get our focus back on God; (d) Accurate - Whitney writes, "God gave the Psalms to us so that we would give the Psalms back to God. No other book of the Bible was inspired for this express purpose." Whitney, also has a helpful guide to praying through the 150 Psalms in the back of the book. Praying through this plan insures direction and guidance for prayer as well as momentum for prayer. The author gives great examples of how to pray other Scriptures and various genres and even tackles some thorny questions related to prayer. I have been tremendously helped in my own prayer life by this terrific book and I'm convinced that it will help anyone grow in their excitement and communication with the Lord in prayer.

Me encantó!! Muy práctico! Y le dio una vuelta a mis disciplinas espirituales para bien :)

This teaching is accessible to everyone and very practical. Why isn’t it more known in churches ? A French translation would be a blessing!

Praying the bible This is possibly the best book on prayer I have ever read. I have read hundreds of books on prayer. This is not a long book, I read through it in just three sittings. After just reading the first few chapters my prayer life was changed for the better, forever. I have read about praying the Bible before but never had it seemed so clear and concise as to what it was that praying the Bible meant. The Bible is God’s word, you’ve heard that a million time for sure. But when did you ever treat the Bible, or any other scripture, like the beginning of a conversation that you should respond to to make it a real conversation. God is a person who would engage with you and converse with you. When you read this book you will realise that this is not what you have been doing your entire life. You have either been listening mutely, and half heartedly and in a distracted way, or else you have been doing all the talking. Right now you can heart the Lord talk to you and respond in prayerful conversation. Why didn’t someone tell us this before, if they did why where we not listening. Perhaps I am only talking about myself here. I can’t believe how simply the author gets this message across and how easy it is to practice real, personal, prayer. Whilst reading this book, in just a short time, I’ve learned that instead of saying the same old, gray, colorless prayers, I can pray in fresh, new ways about almost everything I pray about virtually every time I pray. Mind blown. Great book

Simple, short and easy way how to pray in a biblical way

A simple but practical guide to praying using God's very word. An excellent and transformative work! I highly recommend this.