Paul Miller has written a great book on this most important of subjects. There are a lot excellent books on the market that deal with prayer and “A Praying Life” can safely be placed in that category. In 32 short, easy to read chapters, Miller challenges his readers to a deeper, more meaningful prayer life. This book is filled with stories (mostly from Miller’s family) that entertain but also help to illustrate his message. Miller shows us that prayer doesn’t have to be that dreaded exercise which Christian’s feel obligated to do, but never seem to actually follow through on. In a step by step manner, Miller takes us through the different dynamics of communicating with the Creator God. He is not afraid to address the tough questions about prayer, and shows us how certain roadblocks to “a praying life” can be overcome.

The book is comprised of an introduction followed by 5 different parts. Part 1: Learning to Pray Like A Child, Part 2: Learning to Trust Again, Part 3: Learning to Ask Your Father, Part 4: Living in Your Father’s Story, Part 5: Praying in Real Life. Time and time again, Miller offers excellent insights into the world of prayer, and shows how God uses prayer to shape our lives. Given the anemic condition of North American Christianity, we really need to go back to the basics and learn how to pray. The sad reality is that most professing Christians don’t have “a praying life.” While they might send up a prayer every now and then, they don’t have a dynamic relationship with their Heavenly Father which has been cultivated by prayer. This is where Miller’s book is desperately needed and I would highly recommend it.