{Book Review} 40 Questions About Prayer

40 Questions About Prayer is authored by Joseph C. Harrod (Ph.D in Biblical Spirituality, SBTS) and published by Kregel Academic. This book is part of a larger series—the 40 Questions series—that is edited by Benjamin L. Merkle. 

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40 Questions About Prayer

I’ve enjoyed reading the volumes in the 40 Questions series by Kregel Academic, and I am thrilled that they decided to publish a volume on prayer! This is a topic that every follower of Jesus would do well to study since it is a necessary and crucial part of the Christian life. And though there are many excellent books on my bookshelf about the topic of prayer, this book is one of my personal favorites. Why? Two reasons: (1) the content, and (2) the format. Let me expound on these two areas. 

Content

First, the content. The author is scholar and teacher Joseph Harrod who has clearly done his homework before writing this book. He is an excellent communicator and articulator of biblical doctrine, including those doctrines which are hard to understand and really hard to explain. Some examples of this would be his chapters on topics such as: “If God Is in Control, Why Should We Pray?” and “Does Prayer Change God’s Mind?”.

Here is an example of Harrod’s writing (as found in his summary of “Does Prayer Change God’s Mind?”): 

It would be wrong to presume that God’s sovereignty is exercised impersonally, for God is indeed personal! He relates to his children as an adopting, loving Father, inviting us to pray, inviting us to glory in his perfections, to trust his powerful hand, to marvel at his control. With this relational dynamic in mind, then, we see that prayer is part of God’s providential governing of all things according to his will. He wills that we pray and that our prayers become the occasion for his acting. This situation in no way binds God to human will, for he need not answer as we ask since we always ask from a position of ignorance and limited foresight.

Do you see how part of his summary here is richly theological and also, as it should be, beautifully experiential and practical? In addition to that, it’s understandable. This age-old question is not easy to explain, but Harrod handles the complexity well. This is just one example of his writing style that I think is a job well-done. 

The contents of 40 Questions About Prayer are divided into 5 sections:

1. General Questions about Prayer
2. Prayer and Theology
3. Prayer in Scripture
4. Prayer in Practice
5. Prayer in Historical Context

I don’t even know which section to refer to as my “favorite” section. I personally gravitated toward the theology aspect and the historical aspect (shoutout to chapter 40 on what the Puritans can teach us about prayer), but let me also highly recommend the practical section as well! I sense that many readers will probably find this to be the best part of the book as Harrod does a wonderful job of taking the first 3 sections of the book and putting them into practice. 

I found his writing to be very easy to read, making this a book that is great for everybody. Pastors and theologians will enjoy it, but I would feel comfortable recommending this to newer Christians as well. 

RELATED BOOKS ON PURITANS:

• Ore from the Puritans’ Mine
• Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans
• The Puritans Day by Day
• Voices from the Past

Format

As I mentioned, I’m a fan of the 40 Questions series, and a large part of that is due to the format of these books. I love to read, so reading a book from cover to cover is my normal approach. And I would recommend that the reader do so with this book. However, that is not necessary for a book such as this. There is a logical sequence to the book’s different parts, but the reader need not follow the sequence for the individual chapters to make sense. I love this book because it is an edifying read, but it’s also a very useful resource that can be consulted over and over again. The reader can just glance at the table of contents, find the question they’re looking for, and read the chapter that typically consists of only a couple of pages (perhaps an average of about 3-6 pages). It’s very useful and helpful! 

Conclusion

This is a book that will serve the church well for many years to come! I hope that Christians will invest in good books such as this for this own spiritual edification and for teaching others how to grow in this very important aspect of the Christian life. I highly recommend this to you! Tolle lege, take up and read! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to the Kregel Academic for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own. 

Other Book Reviews in the “40 Questions” Series:

• 40 Questions About Islam
• 40 Questions About Heaven and Hell
• 40 Questions About Pastoral Ministry
• 40 Questions About Roman Catholicism
• 40 Questions About Typology and Allegory