{Book Review} A Way To Pray: A Biblical Method for Enriching Your Prayer Life

The Banner of Truth Trust is the publisher of Matthew Henry’s classic book, A Way To Pray: A Biblical Method for Enriching Your Prayer Life. This edition was edited and revised by O. Palmer Robertson. This book was first published in 1710, and the Banner of Truth first published it in 2010. In 2020, this book was reformatted and re-typeset in a larger format. 

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A Way To Pray: A Biblical Method for Enriching Your Prayer Life

For a long time now, I have had a favorite book on prayer. It’s called The Valley of Vision, and I use it nearly every day. I thought that there was nothing in this world that could compare to it when it comes to written prayers. That was until I read A Way To Pray. Matthew Henry has provided the church with an absoultey phenomenal resource! The subtitle is “A Biblical Method for Enriching Your Prayer Life.” I can promise you this: that subtitle is not an exaggeration! 

Henry does something that may seem so simple and obvious, and yet it was so different and refreshing. What is it that he does? He prays Scripture! Sometimes he prays Scripture verbatim, and sometimes he prays Scripture by paraphrasing. Regardless, there is no doubt at all that your prayer life will be enriched by this book! 

I like that there are 9 different sections to the book, as it provides a sort of topical structure. Under each “chapter,” the reader will find subtopics that give the topic of the prayers one will find in that particular section. For instance, under the chapter of “Confession,” you’ll see the first heading of “Confess the Many Ways You Have Rebelled Against Him and Violated His Laws.” Sometimes you will find one prayer under a heading, and other times you’ll find many different prayers under the heading. 

One of my favorite aspects of the book is that Scripture is placed in parentheses at the end of every single paragraph. This allows the reader to know exactly where Henry is getting the words that he is praying. I cannot express how much I enjoy reading these prayers! It’s such a wonderful approach to praying to our Triune Lord, and it makes me wonder why we (or at least I) don’t do this more often.

As Palmer Robertson mentions, praying the Words of God back to Him is nothing more and nothing less than “pleading the promise,” a phrase that Puritans used often. This technique only furthers my desire to memorize Scripture so that I would be able to pray those memorized words back to the Lord. We ought all to strive to pray as Henry has done so. 

I cannot tell you how happy I am that Banner placed a ribbon marker in this edition! There have been so many books that I have given rave reviews for, and yet I had to complain about a lack of a ribbon marker. Not this time! Banner has not disappointed at all in this reprint and redesign of Henry’s book. 

This book will be useful in private, corporate, and family worship settings. Again, it is sure to enrich your prayer life! You will be grateful that you picked up this book and have begun to not only pray these words along with Henry, but you’ll also be thankful that you’re learning a method of how to pray that can be applied in your personal prayer life.

I could only hope that more and more Christians will be faithful to “plead the promises” of God in their prayers. If you couldn’t already tell, I very highly commend this book to you! Tolle lege, take up and read! 

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