A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul E. Miller, © 2017

NavPress, previous edition published 2009





My Review:
This will not be a quick study for me, to ponder and apply directly to my heart. There are added Notes in the back referencing chapter content.

Jesus' example teaches us that prayer is about relationship. When he prays, he is not performing a duty; he is getting close to his Father.
   --A Praying Life, 35

Morning and/or evening to gather with Him ~ upon awakening or reflecting on a new day ahead. A reference to praying aloud helps me to become more aware of my need.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  ~ Psalm 143:8

As I begin journaling, I will see what He has specifically for me; to be able to look back and see progress in yielding.

   Time in prayer makes you even more dependent on God because you don't have as much time to get things done. Every minute spent in prayer is one less minute where you can be doing something "productive." So the act of praying means that you have to rely more on God. (37)

Beginning five minutes; just meeting alone with Him.

   Regardless of how or when you pray, if you give God the space, he will touch your soul. God knows you are exhausted, but at the same time he longs to be part of your life. A feast awaits. (39)

I love this! Prayer and Grace multiplied.

The very thing you were trying to escape––your inability––opens the door to prayer and then grace. (47)

I am looking forward to enJ*O*Ying application of growing deeper in God's Word. I want to know Him more.

When you open a door to God, you find some amazing treasures inside. (49)

I have mentioned parts that stood out to me. I have wanted a consistent time with God beyond touching base throughout the day. I am glad I have become aware of and connecting with this helpful instruction to learn to expand time God has already provided for me to enjoy Him and His presence.

~*~

***Thank you to the publisher for sharing this print copy with me. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received ~ Yet ~ until I open and obey, entering "a gateway to joy!" :) .***

More than 300,000 copies sold!


This new edition includes an expanded chapter on using the practical “prayer cards”—a hallmark of the teaching found in A Praying Life—and a chapter on the need and use of prayers of lament.

Prayer is so hard that unless circumstances demand it—an illness, or saying grace at a meal—most of us simply do not pray. We prize accomplishments and productivity over time in prayer. Even Christians experience this prayerlessness—a kind of practical unbelief that leaves us marked by fear, anxiety, joylessness, and spiritual lethargy.

Prayer is all about relationship. Based on the popular seminar by the same name, A Praying Life has discipled thousands of Christians to a vibrant prayer life full of joy and power. When Jesus describes the intimacy He seeks with us, He talks about joining us for dinner (Revelation 3:20). A Praying Life feels like having dinner with good friends. It is the way we experience and connect to God. In A Praying Life, author Paul Miller lays out a pattern for living in relationship with God and includes helpful habits and approaches to prayer that enable us to return to a childlike faith.

Paul E. Miller is executive director of seeJesus, a global discipling mission that develops interactive Bible studies. A Praying Life Study and Seminar, which form the basis for the book A Praying Life, is the second curriculum released by seeJesus. The first curriculum, The Person of Jesus Study, is the foundation for Paul's book Love Walked Among Us (NavPress), written for both Christians and non-Christians. Paul's latest book and study,  A Loving Life, looks at the biblical story of Ruth. In addition to writing, Paul also teaches seminars that train people to lead studies with friends and neighbors. Paul and his wife, Jill, have six children, numerous grandchildren, and plenty of animals. They live near Philadelphia.
   As a global discipling mission, seeJesus offers a variety of products and services to support your spiritual growth and your own discipling efforts. To learn more, visit seejesus.net, follow Paul on Twitter (@_PaulEMiller), like seeJesus on Facebook.com/seejesus.net, or e-mail info@seejesus.net.