Too Busy Not to Pray: Slowing Down to Be With God : Including Questions for Reflection and Discussion (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Most of us have trouble finding time to pray. There's church and school and neighborhood and job and friends and recreation. And then the crises hit! Time for prayer seems an impossible luxury. As a pastor, Bill Hybels knows hundreds of people with schedules like this. Yet in his own life he has made the hard discovery that prayer doesn't happen on the run. He decided he was too busy not to pray. Hybels's accessible introduction to prayer has already helped over 400,000 readers develop a rich and regular prayer life in the midst of life's busyness. Now, in this revised and expanded 10th anniversary edition, he includes new insights from his years of ministry and his own spiritual journey. He shows how to slow down to pray, listen to God, respond to what we hear, practice the presence of God and overcome prayer barriers. His fun and practical book offers the resources we need for growing, ongoing experiences in prayer.

About the Author

Bill Hybels is pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago suburbs, where over 15,000 attend each weekend. Willow Creek's "seeker sensitive" approach to worship has influenced many churches across the U.S. and throughout the world. Hybels has written a number of books, including Honest to God, Becoming a Contagious Christian, Making Life Work and Too Busy Not to Pray.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press; Revised edition (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830819711
• ISBN-13: 978-0830819713
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #235,523 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, easy to read, straight talk about prayer., July 19, 2000

By	Scott Furrow "Scott Furrow" (www.ScottFurrow.com) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One good thing that can be said about books by Bill Hybels: he hits the nail on the head with how Christians are today. In Too Busy Not To Pray, he accurately points out the flaws that many Christians have today in their attitude and approach to prayer. For example, Hybels asks why do we pray "Lord, be with us today", when we know from Scripture he's always with us? He suggests we pray "Lord, make us aware of your presence today." This small thing has helped me focus on what I'm actually saying in prayers, helping me to eliminate the jargon and have a more authentic and focused time with God. If you are a busy person like most of us, you may not be taking the time to actually know God, to pray, to know His will, to confess specific sins, to praise Him. This book gives good solutions and reasons for making prayer a priority above everything else. Good book, good scripture references, fast read. I recommend to anyone serious about knowing the Living God. - SCF.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionized My Prayer Life!, September 23, 2002

By	David R. Bess (Charleston, WV) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Too Busy Not to Pray: Slowing Down to Be With God : Including Questions for Reflection and Discussion (Hardcover)

This straightforward volume revolutionized my prayer life when I first read it ten years ago. I have read a number of Hybel's works, and I must say this one is the best yet. His points are simple yet profound as he makes his case for the necessity of a strong and systematic prayer life. This tenth anniversary edition reinforces and elaborates upon the truths Hybels illustrated previously.

In the first portion of his book, Hybels focuses upon God and his willingness to answer prayer. He then moves to the role we play, describing various challenges and obstacles to effective, life-changing prayer. The best part of this work is the third portion, in which he emphasizes the importance of listening to God, responding to His leadings, and living in His presence.

There are many books available on prayer, a large number of which I have read. I cannot think of one other single volume however, that describes the vital nature of prayer, and offers practical tools for prayer, than this book.

Get it, read it, then see for yourself the difference God makes in your own prayer life!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful practical treatment of prayer, April 5, 2000

By	Tim Allison "Tim Allison" (Manteca, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a refreshing an honest look at an important topic from a person of sound theology, personable style and some hard won experience. He does a beautiful job of painting a scriptural portrait of the heart of God and how prayer is the lifeline to experiencing his heart.He also does a nice job in exploring the necessary components for realizing the full potential of this powerful spiritual activity. In addition to this he wrestles with some of the toughest prayer challenges like: The hurt of unanswered prayer, Prayer busters and Hearing God's leading. I felt he treated these subjects relatively well considering the immense implications of each topic. The book also includes some great questions arranged by chapter, as a means to reflect upon the aspects of prayer in your life. I am finding these particularly useful in my journaling and prayer time as I work at developing this area of my walk. A very good book on prayer...I recommend it without reservation.