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Knocking on Heaven's Door: A New Testament Theology of Petitionary Prayer

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David Crump is a professor of Religion at Calvin College; Grand Rapids, Michigan. The chief purpose of his book entitled "Knocking on Heaven's Door" is, by examining prayer in the New Testament, to seek to understand as much as possible about the nature of prayer, and especially of petitionary prayer. To that end, Crump examines the prayers of Christ - particularly the Lord's Prayer and the prayer in Gethsemane - and of the Early Church and of the Apostle Paul. He also brings to light various faulty beliefs about the nature of prayer. One poignant example of a belief that, by means of his own exegesis and superb argument, he utterly refutes, is that of "insufficient faith" - that is, if a petitioner does not receive whatever he has asked of God, the only possible explanation is that his faith as he prayed was not sufficient in volume or potency to bring about the desired effect. Crump spends an entire chapter dealing with this question, and soundly defeats it by means of two stories wherein Christ talks about petitions in prayer.
The discussion in this book is an excellent resource for that season in the life of any Christian which C.S. Lewis called a "trough of dryness" (Screwtape): a period of his life wherein he cannot see the hand of God, despite his own prayers for help and deliverance. The scriptural prayers discussed in this book, particularly those of Christ, provide superb insights on the proper Christian response to such a situation. This is an extremely worthwhile book to any who desire greater understanding on the subject of petitionary prayer. However, those who are not professional scholars of the New Testament should be warned that this book constitutes, to use the words of Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, "solid food" rather than "milk" (3:2), consisting largely of exegesis and either refutation of or agreement with other scholars who have expressed opinions on the topics at hand. This book will prove challenging to a reader without some New Testament background, but by no means an insurmountable one. It anticipates many questions and problems likely to arise within its own arguments and answers them admirably. Overall, this book is highly recommendable.

In my experience, books written about prayer tend to gravitate toward two extremes: blindly inspirational and hopelessly scholastic. Where the former does its best to leave the reader feeling "powered up" without sharing much Bible or rationality to fuel the fire, the latter sacrifices accessibility and/or practical application for stuffy exegesis and word studies that most find superfluous.
David Crump's work, however, manages to interweave comprehensible, practical application and theology with serious scholarship - quite a refreshing combination! I highly recommend this book to those interested in prayer on a devotional or scholarly level, or best, both. Crump does not so much offer the reader a lens through which to view the Biblical text as he does point out important issues, and then guide the reader to a thoughtful, New Testament-based understanding of them.
When I began reading this book, I was skeptical. Other books on prayer which I had attempted to read had not much impressed me. However, my skepticism faltered when I began to read. Even having grown up in the church and having been well-educated in my faith at school, I have taken from this reading new perspectives that will positively alter the way in which I think about prayer, and, more importantly, the way I pray. For Crump, prayer is not simply "talking to God," as it is so commonly expressed today; it is presenting oneself to Him as a servant, willing above all to align oneself with His will, presenting requests of concern to God's kingdom. For Crump, "thy will be done" lies at the heart and soul of proper prayer, and it is this mindset that the Christian is to pursue. How else are we to serve, if not in the mindset of Christ, who was one with the Father? Prayer is not a Christian luxury, Crump shows; it is a necessity.
Crump's honest treatment of the Biblical text, combined with the quality of his scholarship have produced a work worth reading. Crump realizes that any useful foray into the area of petitionary prayer necessitates semi-tangential discussions of relevant issues - for example, the character of God and the responsibilities of Christians. Instead of making the book bulky and difficult to follow, these explorations of related issues often serve to strengthen the discussion at hand; they do not stand as obstacles to the continuing flow of ideas, but instead deepen the channel through which the ideas flow. This is accomplished partly by means of abundant footnotes - often several per page - which contain citations, as well as further explanation or discussion of points with which the reader may be unfamiliar or curious. The result is a comprehensive, well-reasoned treatment of the subject of petitionary prayer.

Prof. Crump's book was the text used in a seminary course I audited. This text creates a different kind of course than one based on the writings of Thomas Merton, Teresa of Avila, Basil Pennington, Richard Foster, or other prayer "greats." I found Crump's theological approach to prayer the most refreshing study of prayer I have had. He tackles the tough issues that those of us involved in church leadership face so often when the new diagnosis has been given or in the conversation with someone torn as to what God's will is for his or her life. His exegesis keeps us honest, unable to offer the pat answer for the large questions.

Often times even the most passionate and persistent prayers remain unanswered. This can leave one perplexed, disappointed, and frustrated as to why God would choose to ignore us or cause us to question what we said or did wrong. However, in Knocking on Heaven's Door author David Crump offers a biblical view of petitionary prayer that challenges many popular misconceptions regarding prayer held by the twenty-first century Christians. Woven together with an excellent balance of New Testament exegesis and personal anecdote, this book reminds us that "the Father who always loves us always hears our prayers and always responds in the best of all possible ways, at the best of all possible times." Knocking on Heaven's Door carefully examines instances of petitionary prayer found in the New Testament, including parables, the Lord's Prayer, and Pauline letters, in order to develop a biblical theology of prayer. Because of the author's academic background and wealth of knowledge of the subject, the book offers an incredible depth of insight. However, Crump does not allow this to become a barrier to those having less experience with an exegetical approach to biblical studies. While he utilizes original languages and historical interpretations to support his arguments, he also offers examples of real experiences relevant to each topic, reminding us that we are ultimately trying to connect biblical theology with our own lives. In addition, the book contains helpful summaries at the end of each major section, highlighting the major arguments discussed and their overall significance towards petitionary prayer. Though the topic of petitionary prayer is familiar to most Christians, numerous questions and misconceptions remain. As Crump affirms, "Knocking on heaven's door, asking for an audience with the cosmic king, and then making our requests clearly known is a mysterious enough activity for those of us consigned to inhabit the physical limitations of flesh and blood." For those who desire to know more about petitionary prayer from a biblical perspective, Crump's book is a great resource. The academic approach and personal style offer a depth which can be valued by both scholars and general readers. Through the examples of New Testament prayer studied, we learn that when we pray no fixed amount of faith or persistence is required and no formulaic rituals are necessary (nor are they effective in directing God's divine will). We can be encouraged to present our requests to God because we know that he hears us and responds in the best way at the best time.