The Papa Prayer
(The Prayer You Never
Prayed)
By Larry Crabb
Reviewed by Pat Beaty
Dr. Crabb states he offers this
book to “restore prayer to its highest purpose.” With this goal in mind, he has
written a book that is designed to answer two fundamental questions: Why must
we pray? And how must we pray? In answer to your first question regarding the title
of this work – no, this is not an exposition given to theauthor by his dad when
he was a mere lad. The author states he
sharing with us “a way to relate to God that lets us hear Him speak.” It is a
personal story, heart-warming in many aspects, that stems from his own
difficulties with prayer, and the assistance God has given to him in this
regard. He states – “the Papa prayer is simply
a way to come to God and learn to wait, to listen with a little less wax in our
spiritual ears and, most of all, to be relentlessly real.”
The writer explains what each
letter of the word PAPA represents in a most fascinating manner and these “steps”
are, or seem to be, not only universal but also fundamental to our daily prayer
life. Although the reader may feel at
first that he prays in a fashion similar to what Dr. Crabb is describing, as
you read through this eloquent offering, you will discover much you have never
even considered.
This is a worthwhile effort on the
part of this gifted writer, and I recommend that you add it to your reading
library.
September 22, 2014
