A review by Daisy J. Serrano, Library Member and Contributor

What is the proper way to pray? What should I do when it seems God does not answer my prayers? How can I be sure I am praying according to God’s will? Must I persistently pray until my prayer is answered? What is the prayer God longs for? The breath of spiritual life is prayer (p. 10). Prayer is vital if we desire to have a personal relationship with God because it is the best way to communicate with God. The specific prayer God wants to hear us pray is the prayer taught by Jesus to His disciples, “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13). White provides an analytical look at the world’s most famous prayer by taking it line by line, and consider the meaning behind it. He explains to us why we address our prayer to God (“Our Father”) and not to a triune Being, Lord Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit. Yet, he emphasizes that prayer is still deeply Trinitarian in nature, we pray to God the Father in Heaven in the name of the Son and through the Holy Spirit. He explains why our prayers to God should have similar structure or format. What should we pray for? We have been directed to pray for our past (forgiveness), our present (bread), and our future (temptation and evil). He answers questions that are often in our mind. White considers the Lord’s Prayer as presented in two movements: first, the focus on God himself – His name, kingdom, character and will. The second movement focuses on our needs: daily sustenance, forgiveness, and deliverance. Why do we pray for our daily needs and spiritual sustenance when God already knows we have those needs? When we pray for our daily bread, we are coming to God to say that we be given today the insight and patience we need, the sensitivity and commitment for our relationships, the money, knowledge and strength we need in the spirit of daily dependence, not demand. We are encouraged to pray to God when we have problems overwhelming us, face pressures that seem insurmountable, or too busy to pray. He reminds us never to forget to pray to Abba who longs to give the desires of our heart, according to God’s will. Allow the Lord’s Prayer to guide your conversation with God. Read it also as a meditation on prayer. White reminds us that when we confess and pray for forgiveness of our sins (God, forgive me for all my sins), we are confessing specific sins by identifying them and seeking forgiveness for them. There must be true repentance when we seek forgiveness of our sins. This book does not say anything about whether we should stand, sit, kneel or lie down when we pray; it does not mention the best time or day to pray, much less a direction to face. Jesus does not care what we should wear. Read the book and find out other questions about prayer, which White adequately answered using scriptures. Highly recommended.