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 PrintableVersion Heart cries to heavenLeading in prayerHEART CRIES TO HEAVEN This book consists of 108 pages of prayers which David Campbell prayed at the church where he is a pastor in the US. They have been compiled by Sara Leone. The book is laid out in six sections: Prayers of Invocation and Adoration; Prayers of Confession; Prayers of Illumination; Prayers of Application; Prayers of Intercession; and Benedictions. The book is part of a series called Reflections. The aim of the book is to encourage prayer, whether in public or privately, by reading the prayers laid out on the page. The prayers do encourage personal reflection and would be good for private meditation and worship, although not all the prayers would suit this setting. The prayers could be read before an individual’s own devotions to give ideas and stimulate prayer. With each prayer there is a Bible verse or quotation in the margin, which can encourage wider reading. In terms of public praying, the book is useful for church leaders and for those who pray publicly because it can be used to inspire different prayer topics. For instance, there is a prayer for use at the beginning of the school year and another prayer for persecuted believers. Some of the turns of phrase used in the book could also be helpful for those praying publicly. Instinctively, I shy away from formal and liturgical prayers, in that they make me feel I am following a pattern and rote, rather than thinking through the words. I find that written prayers can be difficult to understand due to trying to follow someone else’s thought processes. Also, some of the language feels a bit traditional. Overall, however, I appreciated the book. I found that some of the prayers in the sections on confession and intercession were particularly helpful. Are the prayers heart cries to heaven? Yes they are! Jennie Muldoon, © Evangelicals Now - June 2011 |
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