In Praying with Jesus, Adriel Sanchez explores the most famous prayer in history, the Lord's Prayer, and gets to the heart of each thing Jesus told his disciples to pray for.
Using the Lord's Prayer as a framework, he unlocks the mystery of prayer, helping readers understand what prayer is, how to navigate the challenges of prayer, and how to form a habit of prayer. Sanchez points the way to how the Lord's Prayer helps us better grasp the essential truth that we are not meant to try to navigate life in our own strength and wisdom.
Readers will learn that the daily practice of praying based on the Lord's Prayer transforms them giving them insight into God's purposes, bringing the presence of God into lives, and helping to unearth treasures of grace.
"Most of us really want to pray, but we haven't yet figured out how to become people of prayer, people for whom it is as natural and consistent as breathing. Adriel Sanchez helps us in this quest, not by becoming a guru for prayer himself, but by showing us how Jesus comes alongside us in our feeble efforts to pray, helping us to rightly see who we're praying to, how we should approach him, and what we should talk with him about."
Nancy Guthrie, Bible teacher; author of I'm Praying for You
"No one wants to 'spam' God with prayer, but it happens, and it probably occurs more frequently than we'd like. It's why I love Adriel Sanchez's new book, Praying with Jesus. The author exposes tired, old habits that wheedle their way into our prayer life while affirming the delight we discover when conversing with the God of the universe. The book you hold in your hands will dismantle all pretenses in prayer so that your praise, confession, and petition are renewed and refreshed. The author offers the right mix of tender pastoral soul and a firm commitment to solid theology, and what he writes about Jesus's teaching on prayer will enrich your time with the One who cups his ear to hear your heart. I happily recommend this book."
Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center
"In Praying with Jesus, we encounter a profound exploration of the most important and well-known prayer in the Bible. Adriel makes it exceedingly accessible and illuminates its significance for our daily lives and our relationship with God. He offers refreshing wisdom, theological reflection, and practical insights on this timeless prayer."
Justin S. Holcomb, Professor of Theology and Apologetics, Reformed Theological Seminary; bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida; author of more than twenty books
I thoroughly enjoyed Adriel's book. His writing style is very accessible, yet wonderfully written like a work of art. He does a fantastic job of weaving Scripture, ancient writings from the church fathers, and contemporary illustrations from his life. His words and thoughts on the Lord's Prayer have not only have inspired my own prayers, but inspired me to purchase the book for each of the staff and elders at my church as a Christmas gift.
This is a great, quick read. I picked it up as a candidate for reading as a Bible study in the fall, and it is definitely a winner. It is very accessible, and walks line by line through the prayer and how it impacts our theology and life in practical ways. I don't think there's anything theologically that would really stretch someone that have not grown up in a traditional Christian Church, but it would be a great walk through or new believers while still reinforcing and reminding those of us who have grown up in the church what the Lord's prayer has to teach us and shift it from something we might mindlessly recite as we pray.
This is a wonderful book on prayer I will share it as often as I can.
Praying with Jesus is a brief read yet it is very delightful. That being said it is difficult to see how it is written for. It’s not a commentary and not really an exposition on the Lord’s Prayer. There is a reliance on Luther, Calvin, Witsius that Reformed Scholarly Christian’s would like, yet it lives on a more foundational and basic level. No matter where you are on the spectrum, it is a reminder that all need to focus on the elementary. That we need a return to that child like faith as we call on our Father.
In the first part of this book, Sanchez explores what prayer is and some of the challenges we may encounter when we pray. The second part contains teaching on each of the petitions in The Lord's Prayer. I like that Sanchez reminds us true prayer is from the heart. He cautions us to watch out for hypocrisy and superstition. He writes about the use of our bodies and what the different positions in prayer indicate. He cautions us to not just go through the motions. He also encourages us in the frequency of prayer and the use of aids, such as written prayers. Communication is so important in relationships and this book helps us understand how to communicate with God from the heart using The Lord's Prayer as a framework. I like the addition of a written prayer from history at the end of each chapter. There are also exercises to incorporate the teaching in the chapter and discussion questions. This is a good book for new Christians looking for teaching on prayer and seasoned Christians looking to renew their prayer life. It would be a good choice for small groups.
In the first part of this book, Sanchez explores what prayer is and some of the challenges we may encounter when we pray. The second part contains teaching on each of the petitions in The Lord's Prayer. I like that Sanchez reminds us true prayer is from the heart. He cautions us to watch out for hypocrisy and superstition. He writes about the use of our bodies and what the different positions in prayer indicate. He cautions us to not just go through the motions. He also encourages us in the frequency of prayer and the use of aids, such as written prayers. Communication is so important in relationships and this book helps us understand how to communicate with God from the heart using The Lord's Prayer as a framework. I like the addition of a written prayer from history at the end of each chapter. There are also exercises to incorporate the teaching in the chapter and discussion questions. This is a good book for new Christians looking for teaching on prayer and seasoned Christians looking to renew their prayer life. It would be a good choice for small groups. I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
What I like about this book is that the explanations and teachings source other saints in the church as well as scripture, so it shows the Lord's Prayer as people have thought about it and prayed it and it is put in context with other scriptures. This is also written with clarity so that I can read it together with my family and my kids aren't lost or bored. A keeper for my library.
I'm loving this book, it's hard to put down.
I've purchased the kindle edition and I'm only on page 15. Adriel has already brought in provocative themes...ones that I've wondered about. Like "what does it mean to be poor in spirit"? What does the 'heavenly hush' mean in Rev 8:1? He says in the introduction, "in less than 100 words, Jesus' prayer encapsulates not only the gospel but the entirety of heavenly doctrine". I had a feeling that the Lord's Prayer was packed with a lot of 'somethings' and I'm excited to learn what those 'somethings' are. Adriel also uses quotes and teachings from the early church fathers plus other theologians. This tells me that he is well-read and will be bringing in some very interesting thoughts and teachings.
