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The Eagle handbook of Bible prayersDown-to-earth inspirationTHE EAGLE HANDBOOK OF BIBLE PRAYERS The book mentions all the major prayers of the Bible, and arranges them thematically. Many of them are printed out in full, using various translations of the Bible, so the book can be read as such, at the same time as being a useful reference tool, an encyclopaedia of prayer. But does it work to have this double objective in one volume? Actually, I think it does. The sections are a good outline for personal or group Bible study as they systematically consider all the various types of prayer found in the Bible. I also enjoyed the fresh, clear language the authors use, free of jargon and thus unlikely to date quickly. The book is divided into six parts - Prayers that say 'Father', Prayers that say 'Amazing!', Prayers that say 'Thanks!', Prayers that say 'Sorry', Prayers that ask 'Why?' Prayers that say 'Please'. Each of the 42 chapters has an introduction before quoting and commenting on the Scripture texts. There are also lists of See also... references, and a 'Relevance for today' summary at the end of the chapter. Since spirituality is moving to the forefront of our point of contact with non-Christians, and since we as Christians often struggle in how to talk to God our Father naturally and easily in prayer, how can we afford not to make the most of such a down-to-earth yet inspirational book on prayer? David Brown,
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