Using the Lord’s Prayer as a framework, Adriel Sanchez, host of the Core Christianity radio broadcast, unlocks the mystery of prayer, helping readers understand what prayer is, how to navigate the challenges of prayer, and how to form a habit of prayer. Sanchez points the way to how the Lord’s Prayer helps us better grasp the essential truth that we are not meant to try to navigate life in our own strength and wisdom.
In Praying with Jesus, Sanchez considers some of the reasons behind an inconsistent prayer life and helps cultivate a consistent habit of prayer. He guides readers into a union with Christ that is only possible through the daily practice of praying with Jesus. Readers will learn that the daily practice of praying based on the Lord’s Prayer transforms them—giving them insight into God’s purposes, bringing the presence of God into lives, and helping to unearth treasures of grace.
Q: Why is there a need for another book on the Lord’s Prayer? What makes your book, Praying with Jesus, different from other books on prayer?
I don’t think we can ever be too encouraged to pray. While at times praying seems to come naturally, the discipline of prayer requires thoughtfulness and perseverance. Praying With Jesus is one more encouragement for people to experience the sweet communion with God that Jesus has purchased for them, and it includes helpful tips, devotional prayers from church history, and “Prayer Practices” as well as group discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I’ve tried to weave together practical/pastoral insights, systematic theology, and wisdom from the great prayer warriors of the past. I also address some of the less talked about topics when it comes to prayer, like the relationship between the body and prayer, and the importance of making time to pray. Even scheduled prayer can be powerful!
Q: You write that even though the Lord’s Prayer is the most known prayer in history, it’s also the most misunderstood. How so?
Yes, this was a point the Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther made in a short tract he wrote to his barber on prayer! With his trademark wit, he called the Lord’s Prayer one of the greatest martyrs on earth because everyone tortures and abuses it. His point there is that while we often recite the words, we don’t take the rich theology that undergirds each petition to heart. I think of Praying With Jesus as a kind of excavation process, digging deep beneath each petition to unearth the gospel treasurers that are waiting to be found. Some of this also gets at one of Jesus’ warnings with regard to praying in Matthew 6. We shouldn’t pray mindlessly. Praying the right words on autopilot is a way of feigning communion with God. The real thing is so much better!
Q: Part One of Praying with Jesus is a general teaching on prayer. What are some of the topics you cover in that section?
The first part of the book covers the heart of prayer, the postures associated with prayer in Scripture, and the time to pray. This section helps lead into the Lord’s Prayer proper. In the first chapter on the heart of prayer, I emphasize the fact that God wants to hear your sincere prayers. Prayer isn’t for the super spiritual, but for the poor in spirit. I unpack the warnings Jesus gave about hypocritical and superstitious prayer, and I conclude with hope for those who feel like their prayers are lacking.
Chapter two on bodily postures in prayer is important in a book that emphasizes the discipline of prayer. Just think about bodily exercise. Rarely do we feel motivated to wake up and go to the gym or run a couple miles. Those who value fitness do so because they see the health benefits over a period of time. Prayer is a kind of bodily exercise, and consistent discipline does yield results. I spend time talking about the significance of the various bodily postures seen throughout Scripture: kneeling, prostration, standing, hands raised, etc. These postures can be a way of aligning our bodies with the cry of our heart.
Chapter three is on the time to pray. Many of us don’t pray simply because we don’t have the time to. I trace the biblical and early Christian practice of setting apart times to pray. The early Christians had the same problem we do today, but they realized that time needed to be carved out for prayer because of how important it was. I give some practical tips on cultivating a habit of prayer without veering into legalism.
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