Pray Big (Review)

" It’s a blessing to soak up over forty years of strong biblical exposition and preaching from a man who has seen firsthand the powers of scripture and big prayers."
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​Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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Prayer is a massive endeavor. It also reveals a lot about us. Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s quote is timeless: “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and nothing more.” There is nothing more vital to our faith than prayer.

Yet it seems that prayer often falls to the wayside. Why does something so important take the backseat for smaller, often insignificant things in life? Put simply: our view of prayer is too small

In Pray Big: Learn to Pray Like an Apostle, Alistair Begg lays out a path toward bigger, more enjoyable prayer. God makes prayer grand, and we have the ear of the universe’s Creator and our Redeemer. This should impact not only that we pray, but also how we pray. Begg brings us into the prayer life of the Apostle Paul to give a glimpse of how Paul prayed.

This devotional read is not a theology of prayer, rather it’s an exposition of the posture of prayer. Rather than pointing to human ability or man-centered boldness, Begg calls for dependence and genuine spiritual intimacy with the Lord. He then lays out five great qualities of prayer found in Paul’s prayers for the church in Ephesus:

• Focus
• Hope
• Riches
• Power
• Love

Paul displays each of these elements in his bold and powerful prayers in Ephesians 1:16-21 and 3:14-21. Begg hinges the book on these prayers, keeping us anchored to the text of scripture as we work through the elements on big prayer. It’s a blessing to soak up over forty years of strong biblical exposition and preaching from a man who has seen firsthand the powers of scripture and big prayers.

Praying big means praying in faith that God can and will do what He has promised for our sake, the sake of others, and the glory of His Holy name. This is all made possible through the faithful Father, sacrificial Son of God, and sanctifying Spirit of God. We pray big because our God is big. If the apostles, a ragtag bunch of sinful men could pray this way, so can we!

At just over 100 pages, Pray Big is the perfect book for your devotional time, a small group, or some one-on-one discipleship. Learn to pray. Teach others to pray. Do it all for the glory of Christ.

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