Sinclair B. Ferguson referred to the Lord’s Prayer as a miniature seminar on the Christian life. Richard Pratt commented on this book, “In our day when new forms of spirituality are appearing all around us, we need to return to this prayer once again.”

Praying is absolutely essential to living the Christian life and Christians are characterized as people who pray. But praying is not something that we learn once and for all. Praying is a process, a never-ending process that Christians must practice.

We get many books across our desk on prayer. In one sense it is good that people are writing about prayer. All too often, though, prayer is written about in a way that the focuses on man. There are also those who talk about prayer as though their prayers are without error and God must do what they ask. Too often we do see prayer as an act of worship before it becomes an act of confession and petition. Derek Thomas has written one of the best and most challenging books on prayer that I have read. He uses the Lord’s Prayer as his base. After all, Jesus taught his disciples “to pray like this.”

In the opening chapter, Thomas gives a good overview of how Christians have tended to view the Lord’s Prayer in history. What was Jesus’ intent is giving it to his disciples? Was it to be a public prayer or a private one? Were we meant to use it as our only prayer? Did he not give us other models of prayer in the Bible? Thomas helps us to understand the answers to these and other questions.

He points out that this is a prayer form intended to be used occasionally in worship. It is a form that is always instructive, whether for public or private prayer. While it might be helpful to read a host of other books related to prayer, I can think of no better primer, refresher or graduate course on prayer than revisiting the Lord’s Prayer. Thomas points out that this prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray does several things. It reminds us that prayer is first worship. This prayer is a comprehensive prayer. It contains the main elements of prayer: adoration, petition, and confession. And, he says, it is brief.

Thomas points out that while some think analyzing our prayers is unspiritual, that might be the very thing we need to do. With that I totally concur. I used this book to do just that and have already found great blessing in doing so. In chapter one, he explains the Lord’s Prayer that three things emerge: it is a conversational response to God or it reveals who we think God is. It is also covenantal in that it reflects the relation we have with God. Finally, it speaks of consistency in praying.

We have written both in previous book reviews and articles that God intends for our theology and doctrine to be life-oriented. As I read this book, especially the first five chapters, each dealing with deep theology and doctrine, Thomas dealt with those topics so practically that he shows us how to make our theology and doctrines of the faith, a daily part of the warp and woof of our lives.

Thomas reminds us that the Lord’s Prayer is all about putting God first. It is a matter of attitude. In doing that we are able to pray with a better perspective about God, his will, and our daily lives. One quote will give you a sampling of its readability. He is talking about people’s confusion about prayer. He writes, “The problem seems to be one of trying to point satellite dishes in the right direction in order to pick up the signals that God is sending.” He then states, “Putting the Bible first will keep us from error in thinking and error in practice.”

Derek Thomas is the assistant professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. and no stranger to most of us. This book will be a great blessing to you and certainly help each of us to better understand how to obey Christ’s instruction “to pray like this.” I recommend it heartily.

 

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