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I really liked Paul Miller’s book A Praying Life because he is refreshingly honest. He talks often of his own life and struggles related to prayer. I sensed tremendous authenticity while reading the stories he uses to illustrate his points. Early in the book he gives a wonderful description and explanation for why many, like me, have a rather poor prayer life when he tackles cynicism – a huge problem in American Christianity. He then effectively discusses how to move past this.

I’ve always known intellectually about the importance and necessity of prayer, but if my actions are a reflection of what I really believe, then I suppose I didn’t hold prayer in very high regard. Miller does a wonderful job of imparting a tremendous vision for prayer. His writing gives me the “want to” for prayer.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes:
“When you stop trying to control your life and instead allow your anxieties to bring you to God in prayer, you shift from worry to watching. You watch God weave His patterns in the story of your life. Instead of trying to be out front, designing your life, you realize you are, instead, part of God’s drama. As you wait, you begin to see Him work, and your life begins to sparkle with wonder. You are learning to trust again.”

I loved this book so much that I used it as material for both a faculty Bible study and a student Bible study on campus, and I’ve been going through it with my wife (also a professor) as we learn together to become more connected with God. Now she’s going through it with one of the women that she mentors.

I highly recommend reading this book!  – Mark Marten, Professor of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
University of Maryland, Baltimore County