Praying with the Writings

Prayer is one of those things. We know we should do it, and maybe we even want to. We see others do it, and maybe we do it ourselves. For some, it is a discipline or a habit, but for others, it is a struggle. But would any of us say we are great at it?

Join the Praying with the Bible Series on the next stage of a Scripture-shaped journey: Praying with the Writings invites readers to slow down and let the Bible's poetic, wise, and heartbreaking books teach us how to pray. Rather than treating these pages as only material for study, this book guides you to hear them as prayers - voices that teach longing, lament, gratitude, wisdom, and faithful endurance. This volume walks through eight remaining books of the Ketuvim (the Writings of God's people), showing how each book shapes our words to God and widens our imagination for prayer.

Praying with the Writings pays particular attention to the many emotional registers in the Writings - the quick wisdom of Proverbs, the raw honesty of Job and Lamentations, the passionate lyricism of the Song, the providential twists in Daniel, and the wrestling prayers of the Chronicles. These are the prayers of God's people. Enter into them. Pray with them. And allow your prayer habits to be shaped by them.

Whether you are new to praying with Scripture or you've used these books in devotion for years, Praying with the Writings will deepen your ability to listen and to speak - to let the Bible not just inform your mind but form your prayers. Each prayer is a doorway into a particular way of praying, so that the Writings stop being merely ancient pages and become companions that teach us to kneel, lament, praise, and wait with hope.

Praying with the Writings is the fifth installment of the Praying with the Bible Series. This series presents prayer in a way unlike anything else. Rather than leading readers in reiterating scripted prayers, this book explores how the Bible presents prayer, in both positive and negative perspectives. If you're searching for a comprehensive look at the way the Bible presents how to pray-and if you want to learn from the earliest followers of God how the practice of prayer is intended to be used-then you'll cherish Praying with the Writings as an indispensable resource.