Cover Image: How to Pray in a Crisis

How to Pray in a Crisis

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First sentence: If you are in a crisis of any kind right now, God has brought you to a divinely orchestrated crossroads. The higher path calls you to renewed trust and transformation. The lower one allures you to hide in the cocooned space of comfort, complacency, and self-protection.

How To Pray in a Crisis is a book encouraging believers to...you guessed it...pray during a crisis. But it isn't necessarily individual prayer he's urging and encouraging. He believes that you best learn to pray--in a crisis or out of a crisis--by praying in community. He is a big, big believer that prayer is something "caught" not "taught." Better to learn to pray by participating in group community prayer and watching older and wiser prayer warriors at work than by reading a book. (Odd that this advice should come in a book? Perhaps.)

He shares with readers a four step guide to renewed prayer.

STEP ONE DECIDE TO LET GOD BIRTH FRESH CONVICTION
STEP TWO DEVOTE YOURSELF TO A CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE OF PRAYING IN COMMUNITY
STEP THREE DEVELOP YOUR BIBLICAL, LIFEGIVING PRAYER COMPETENCY
STEP FOUR DETERMINE YOU’LL BECOME SPIRITUALLY CONTAGIOUS

I have slight issues with the phrasing of the first step, I must admit. I don't believe we "let God" do anything. God is God is God is God is God. We are not. God is not waiting around for permission to do anything. If the new birth is accomplished without letting us let God, then certainly letting God birth fresh conviction in us is a bit ridiculous. But aside from the phrasing, I didn't have any huge issues with the theology.
Prayerlessness is my declaration of independence from God. Conversely, prayerfulness is my declaration of desperate dependence on God.

I think that offers food for thought right there. I would imagine most people don't reckon the relationship between the two that bluntly. By not praying, I am declaring my independence from God.

I do agree that crisis offers OPPORTUNITY for great growth spiritually.

I do agree that an open Bible is a great place to start with any prayer.

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Daniel Dean Henderson's book How to Pray in a Crisis challenges readers to move from obsessing with the reasons for a crisis into an attitude of "what does the Lord have to teach me through this crisis." But he doesn't just offer a challenge. Rather, Henderson offers a process for readers to reorient themselves during a crisis--four steps that help readers:
decide to let God birth fresh conviction;
devote yourself to a consistent experience of praying in community
develop your biblical lifegiving prayer competency
determine you'll become spiritually contagious.

The book is relatively short and easy-to-read, and while the process itself is simple and not complex, that doens't make it easy. To intentionally take Henderson's challenge, readers must be prepared to do some hard things, to deal with pain, and to be transparent with others regarding their struggles and pain. At the same time he offers readers hope that there is a greater purpose in their pain and that God doesn't waste it--that they can trust Him, and He can use even a crsis to bring about spiritual growth and glorify Himself in the process. It all starts with a change in how one prays when in a crisis, and Henderson walks you step by step through that process.

Henderson offers up a book full of biblical wisdom and practical application that sure to end with spiritual transformation for those who take it seriously. There are also some helpful items in the appendices, helping churches develop a culture of prayer and showing husbands and wives how to make prayer together a priority, and how to develop a regular family prayer time. I highly recommend Henderson's book, How to Pray in a Crisis, even if you're not in a crisis. It's biblical, practical, and helpful, encourage readers to be intentional about how they pray.

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

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#How to Pray in a Crisis# by Daniel Dean Henderson is a Christian Living book. This book gives a 4 step approach to praying during a crisis. In 1860 Charles Spurgeon attributes the success of his church to the twice daily prayer meetings. We can open our Bible to learn how to pray. We can ask the Holy Spirit to guide us. WE can ask ourselves what does the passage reveal about Himself. We need to pray for our world during times of crisis. We need to develop a prayer culture in our church. We need to pray for missions, the city the nations, missionaries, our pastors . We need to have prayer meetings with other pastors. We need to use the Psalms for prayer and pray what we read. We need to pray for revival in our land. This book would be helpful for pastors, Christians , counselors. Thank you to the publisher, netgalley and the author for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions are my own. I will post my review on Goodreads, netgalley, my blog, bookbub, facebook and for the church staff.

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