Praying with the wise

ABIDING WISDOM: Prayers inspired by the Book of Proverbs
By Ryan Whitaker Smith and Dan Wilt
Brazos Press. 215 pages. £16.99
ISBN 978 1 587 436 239

This attractively produced hardback book is a real treat if you love the Book of Proverbs and you want to keep your prayer life fresh. This book gently roams through the Book of Proverbs, chapter by chapter, turning selected passages into imaginative prayers.

The authors, a filmmaker and a songwriter, use their creativity which comes through in the prayers that they have crafted here. They write that: “These prayers are not translations or paraphrases of the text, but rather free verse renderings intended to inspire your conversations with God.”

Each prayer begins with a passage in Proverbs but then weaves in other Scriptures (all of which are footnoted) to create a rich prayer.

I set aside time to read a chapter of the Book of Proverbs and then read the assigned prayers for that chapter. Some chapters only have one prayer, but others have as many as four.

Here is an extract from one of the prayers.

Father, the story of my life is the story of your telling.
May I trust that at the end of days, you will bring this tale to a fitting end.
That all pain will be redeemed,
All failure righted,
All virtue rewarded,
All riddles unravelled –
As I behold you face to face,
And dwell with you forever.
Amen

These prayers became a launch pad for seeking more of the wisdom of God in my life. Highly recommended.