Sense and Nonsense about Prayer by Lehman Strauss.
The message of this book speaks to my own generation. It grew out of a condition which has existed in the church as long as I can remember, and is growing increasingly worse. I refer to the low view of prayer. As I have travelled back and forth across our own nation and ministered in almost eleven hundred different churches, I have met professing Christians who admit to ineffectiveness in their prayer life.
Our loss of the biblical concept of prayer shows up critically at a time when we need it most. Religion seems to be making dramatic gains. But costly church buildings and programs which call for highly paid staff members are not sufficient in themselves to produce spiritual power. The alarming fact remains that while our gains are material, our losses are spiritual.
There are two major weaknesses, as I view the situation. First, there is weakness in the pulpit ministry. Too many congregations are not getting sound, solid Bible teaching. Biblical exposition is almost a lost art. Instead, topical sermons on social reform are the usual pattern. The second weakness – a prayerless church – grows out of the first.
One way to recover our spiritual losses is to return to God’s Word. The decline of the knowledge and practice of prayer will then give way to a rediscovery of our lost spiritual resources. It is my humble opinion that a return to the biblical way of praying will bring spiritual power back to our lives and our churches.
May it please our Lord to use this small volume to assist believers in developing an effective prayer life.
