Prayers and the Heart of God

I've never encountered Shane Stanford before I read What the Prayers of Jesus Tell Us About the Heart of God. I was intrigued by the book simply from its title. Since 2003, I have been learning prayer in a more intensive way than I thought about it before. So, when this came up in my reading list, I was thrilled.

I learned or relearned several things:

God wants an intimate relationship with us
God wants to instruct us
God wants us to be intentional about our relationship with Him
God wants us

Shane uses several prayers to show us how Jesus sees us, sees His temple, sees His relationship with the Father, and how He wants us to be in relationship with Him.

There were so many significant points brought out in this book, it is hard to mention them all, but each point will help each pray-er grow in his/her prayer life and in his/her relationship with God.

I read this book while I was walking on my treadmill (three seasons of the year, I walk outside, but right now, I am too chicken to walk outside because of the cold weather, so I use my treadmill) and I came upon one prayer by John Wesley that Shane included in the book. My husband came out to the garage to ask me a question and I showed him the prayer and told him the next time he gave the "Call to Worship" in church, I wanted him to use this prayer. It is that profound. I am quoting it here because I want to be able to see it often.

I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,
exalted for you, or brought low for you;
let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessèd God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

Prayer by John Wesley

This is a Five Star book.

My thanks to Abingdon Press for allowing me to read and review this book.