"Say a Little Prayer" (Joanne Redmond)

TITLE: Say a Little Prayer
AUTHOR: Joanne Redmond
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2023, (176 pages). 
 

The Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing. How can we do that in a busy world? Is there an effective way we can pray especially in a world of short attentiveness and an increasingly attention-deficit world? How is it possible to pray all day? According to author Joanne Redmond, one way is to learn to pray short prayers throughout the day. She helps us expand our repertoire of prayer opportunities throughout the day with her "101 everyday ways to pray." It could be the start of the morning or the end of the day. It could be making a payment at a kiosk, reacting to a tense situation,  typing on a computer, reading about troubles in this world, having a coffee, or just about anything that we encounter or do on a day-to-day basis. Each day has a specific idea for us to consider and practice throughout the day. Each short prayer idea is accompanied by an illustration, a prayer, a quote, a template, a Bible verse, or a prayer from selected spiritual practitioners. In fact, the brevity of the idea makes it an ideal pick-up prayer moment(s) each day. It is not meant to be skimmed through, but to be pondered and remembered throughout the day. When Redmond says it is a "little prayer," it literally is. After giving us a short idea, the length of prayer is really up to us. We can pray one long prayer from that idea, or we can have multiple moments of prayer throughout the day. We can also call these moments where the Spirit leads. 

Three Thoughts

Let me give three thoughts about this book. First off, I am reminded of Jesus' teaching to avoid babbling prayers. In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us not to practice the Pharisaic forms of righteousness for self-gain. One of the key reminders is not to pray long prayers like the Pharisees to attract attention to ourselves when in public places. For such acts, there will be no heavenly rewards. He challenges his disciples to practice righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees and the religious leaders. Concerning prayer, that means praying in secret and not engaging in babbling long prayers. Even though God loves to hear our prayers, regardless of length, He is more concerned about the attitudes in our hearts. Making our words count and our hearts humble is a great way to please God. 

Second, brevity is the in-thing. Growing up in a busy era where time management is the most common prayer request, I have many friends who want everything short and sweet. A few decades later, this desire has not dissipated. Instead, the mood to "save-time-so-that-we-can-do-more" has spread to many other parts of society. From long talks on the phone, people are preferring short texts. Across institutions, many speak in the abbreviated language. In a social media world, even abbreviated words are increasingly replaced with symbols and emoticons. With inflation these days, people try to get the most value out of their buck, which explains the modern maxim: "Do More With Less." 

Third, it is hoped that this book can encourage us to pray more. Prayerfulness is a mark of a Christian. Prayer is trusting God to intervene in this world when things seem to be out of control. Most importantly, prayer is cultivating that relationship with God. Any book that can move people to pray more is always worth reading, and this is one of them.

Joanne Redmond is an executive communications leader who takes complex business concepts and creates succinct, easy-to-understand messages that inspire and motivate. She has a passion for helping people connect more frequently with God through everyday, practical ways.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Our Daily Bread Publishing via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.