35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic Protestant Devotional, December 15, 2002
This review is from: A Simple Way to Pray (Hardcover)
This is a very small book containing Martin Luther's response to his barber's questions about prayer. This is a book that can be read within the confines of an hour, but reveals both thoughts and techniques about prayer that the serious minded Christian will want to take with them and apply for a lifetime.
When it comes to the subject of prayer, there is no shortage of books and other materials that are available for Christians to peruse. But this little book by Luther is quite substantive not only in its approach to prayer, but also in its attitude of total reverence. In many ways, the book is a recital of a number of Luther's actual prayers and this provides an extremely insightful look not only into the prayer life of Martin Luther but also about the scope of prayer that Luther adopted. I suspect many modern readers will be extremely impressed and even marvel at the depths to which Luther made prayer the centerpiece of his Christian walk, and how such devotion to prayer seems so beyond what many of us contemporary Christians tend to practice in our quiet time with God.
There are two main strengths in this book that can transform a person's prayer life. First are the words of Luther himself in his prayers. The reader gets the sense of Luther's crystal clear understanding of the eternal immensity of the power of God and the utter helplessness of man absent God. Gaining a proper perspective in prayer means understanding who it is we are praying to, and understanding why we pray. I happen to think that a widespread return to Luther's perspective in these areas would revolutionize the universal Church through much more effective prayer that comes with having a Biblical understanding of the sovereignty of God and why we need Him.
Second, Luther's technique toward prayer in this book is hugely important. In particular, his fourfold partition in prayer of instruction, thanksgiving, confession/repentance, and request after meditating on a Scripture passage is outstanding. Luther properly puts the emphasis on Bible reading as a key way to ready the heart for sincere and meaningful prayer. Further, he stresses the need for the Christian to follow the guidings of the Holy Spirit in prayer so as to have a dynamic and heart-filled prayer life rather than a prayer life of mind numbing ritualism or legalism.
In summary, this is great instruction from a giant of the Christian faith that we as Christians should strongly consider in our attitudes towards prayer.
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Small Diamond awaits your perusal, September 17, 2000
This review is from: A Simple Way to Pray (Hardcover)
A Simple Way to Pray is an excerpt from volume 43 of the American Edition of Luther's Works. In that sense nothing new is in this book; that does not mean the book is worth little. Luther explains and shows how on can pray The Our Father (Lord's Prayer), the Ten Commandments, and the Creed. Surely, anyone can repeat these, but Luther entreats the reader to approach each Commandment (or petition) as a fourfold garland: a schoolbook, a hymnal, a penitential book, and a book of prayer.
For example, for the 5th Commandment, "You must not murder," Luther writes:
[Garland 1] Here I learn, first of all, that God desires me to love my neighbor, so that I do him no bodily harm . . . that I am obliged to assist and counsel him in every bodily need.
[Garland 2] I give thanks for such ineffable love, providence, a faithfulness toward me by which he has placed this mighty shield and wall to protect my physical safety.
[Garland 3] I confess and lament my own wickedness and that of the world, not only that we are so terribly ungrateful for such fatherly love and solicitude toward us-but what is especially scandalous, that we do not acknowledge this commandment and teaching, are unwilling to learn it, and neglect it as though it did not concern us or we had no part in it.
[Garland 4] I pray dear Father to lead us to an understanding of this his sacred commandment and to help us keep it and live in accordance with it.
This is an abbreviated version of each garland, for Luther writes more in depth on each fourfold area. I found myself praying some of what Luther wrote as I read it, realizing that I do not pray as I would like.
I this era when many do not pray, or pray ineffectually, this book teaches us the hows and the why. In the same way that children must be taught to speak properly, so, too, must the Christian be taught-for Jesus Himself gave the Our Father for that very purpose. Prayer is a result of what God has done for us, for without God's mercy and granting of faith, what person would have the desire to pray to the one, true God? Prayer is never a work that one does for God. God speaks to us in His Word, and we speak to Him in prayer.
This little book can easily be read in one sitting; yet, one may want to reread it often! The book's only fault, which is minor, is that the translation seems wooden and stilted to the modern ear. For instance, Pg. 32 reads: "It seems to me that if someone could see what arises as prayer from cold and unattentive heart he would conclude that he had never seen a more ridiculous kind of buffoonery." See how much crisper this translation reads from By Faith Alone: "If it were possible to see into a person's heart, nothing would be more ridiculous than seeing the thoughts of a cold, undevoted heart in prayer."
Because of this sometimes wooden translation style, this book garners four stars instead of five. Nonetheless, do not let the awkward turn of a phrase keep you from buying, reading, and rereading this book. This book has value to any Christian desiring to learn how to pray better; "It is a good thing to let prayer be the first business of the morning and the last at night." (Pg. 18) In your grace and mercy, dear Father, make this so.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read, but don't pay the money for the book, April 22, 2007
This review is from: A Simple Way to Pray (Hardcover)
A Simple Way to Pray is an excellent resource for all Christians. I highly recommend it. But I wouldn't by the book. It is a little book (3 inches by 5 inches I would guess) with only 70 pages or so. Of that only 45 are actually Luther's writing. The material is free domain, so if you do an internet search for "Luther simple way to pray" you'll get access to all the text easily. I copied that to Word and put the font to Times New Roman 12-point and it is only 13 pages long. That's a much cheaper option than the $10 or $12 plus shipping for this little book and you get the same blessings from reading the text.
Summary - great read, but get it cheaper.
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