Prayer

Prayer
by Tim Keller

1. Would you Recommend this Book?
Absolutely, as for my personal prayer life, this book has been more impactful for me than any
other by a fair margin.

2. What is the Main Point?
The main point and goal of the book is simply to get you to see what prayer is and can be and to
pray more as a result. Keller dives deeply into scripture along with Christian thinkers throughout
history to define prayer and to stir in the reader a desire for and awe about prayer. Keller
acknowledges the difficulty of prayer, and encourages the reader to press onward into it amidst
these difficulties.

3. Which Parts should I read if I’m short on Time?
Chapters 1-3 absolutely need to be read, as well as chapters 8 and 10.

4. Why does this book Matter?
John Piper said, “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day
that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.” It is easier to avoid prayer than it has ever been
in the history of the world, and yet prayer is no less necessary and powerful.

5. Is this Book an “Easy-Read?” (Include Length)
Yes, only because Keller is such an amazing author.

6. Who is this Author and what did you think of their writing?
Tim Keller is a modern C.S. Lewis, his writing is almost poetic in its beauty and besides Lewis. I
am not familiar with any author that is as profound while being as clear and easy to understand
as Keller. I have said, “Wow” out loud when reading Keller more than any other author.

7. What is One Key Take-Away or Application for my life?
Probably the most impactful single thing from this book for me personally was the call to
connect prayer back to the scriptures. It is good of course to pray at any time; however, praying
in response to reading scripture will help your prayers be as varied as scripture, less repetitive,
and allow you to conversate with God through the depth and width of the Word. This also helps

ensure that you aren’t just praying to a God that you have created in your own mind, molding
God into the image of you, but to the actual God of the Word and the universe while you allow
Him to mold you into His image.

8. What was One point of Disagreement?
Some may object that Keller could be considered too formal in his approach; those people are
wrong.

9. What are any other things that stood out to You?
Along with praying in response to scripture, the guidance to pray the Lord’s prayer, pausing after
each phrase to expand from your own life on that line, has been invaluably helpful to me.

10. Have you read any books similar to this one that you would recommend one
to read first to help with this one?
No books to read first, but D.A. Carson’s “Praying with Paul” has also had a big impact on me
and been a great help to my prayer life.