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Book review: "How to pray" by RA Torrey

The blokes have just finished reading this on Friday mornings ... and the girls are reading it on Thursday mornings. I'm so pleased it's been reprinted (for just £1!); I have half a shelf full of books on prayer, but not many actually get me praying. This one does.

Torrey was a sidekick to the influential evangelist DL Moody over a hundred years ago. They both had Pentecostal/charismatic leanings, and sometimes I find myself raising my eyebrows at some of his emphases and conclusions. But even when I disagree with him, I find I have to take him seriously - because he always wants to take the Bible seriously, and his love for Christ is so passionate. Whenever we've been discussing the book, we always at least say: '... but he's got a point, hasn't he?'

Torrey's ruthless analysis of bible verses is very challenging. Time and time again we find ourselves knowing that if that's the case, then pray! Motivation and practical advice abound.It's the sort of book to come back to again and again whenever prayer gets sluggish. Thank you Mr. Torrey.

The joy of keeping the Sabbath!

It was good to look at the bible's teaching on 'the Sabbath' last night at growth group. It's a subject that Christians can get very worked up about - whether you should work, or shop, or play sport on a Sunday - and we didn't want to upset anyone over it. But we did see something very striking.

It's seriously strong teaching in the Old Testament: death to anyone who works on the seventh day! And yet it's hardly mentioned in the New Testament. The only direct teaching we find there on the matter is that you're not to let anyone judge you over the issue; it's just a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16). The importance of looking forward to 'rest' is fulfilled in Jesus.

What I think we failed to see is just what good news that is! From the story of creation onwards, 'rest' is what it's all been looking forward to: fulfilment, peace, an end to all our strivings. With Jesus, we have that rest! We know forgiveness, peace with God, even God as our Father. Wow! What the world strives for and longs for, by God's grace we have. As the Christmas carol says:

O ye beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.

Jesus: "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Devoted to... the breaking of bread



How do you go about remembering something - particularly something important - when you’ve got a brain like a sieve? Tie a knot in your hanky? Write it on your hand? Leave a reminder on your phone? Doing something tends to work better for me than merely trying to remember. And I often find that setting a reminder makes me remember anyway! There’s something of this going on in what the bible calls ‘breaking of bread’.

‘The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’ (1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Jesus’ death is so important and affects so many different parts of our lives. That’s why he wanted us to remember it above all else. We forget our partners’ birthdays, our car keys, or the shopping; but this is something we really mustn’t forget - our lives depend on it!

So Jesus took two everyday things - bread and wine (a staple part of the Middle Eastern diet) - and made them the key reminders. It was a simple and easy gesture which would continually remind the early disciples of the central aspect of their faith. So its no surprise to find the early church was ‘devoted … to the breaking of bread’ (Acts 2:42).

How does that look for us? It means to take communion seriously, reverently, regularly and in community. It’s so easy to drift from the heart of the gospel; but being devoted to remembering Jesus’ death in this simple way helps us not to drift. Plus, we need each others’ encouragement, so we ‘break bread’ together. We’re all equal before God - and equally in need of Jesus’ death for our forgiveness. We ‘break bread’ as part of our meals together, where all are welcome to express their trust in Christ by feeding on the symbols of his body and blood.

By Mike

Using down time to build up


It's one thing to do the things we have to. (Like what the boss tells us, for example; or like preparing for Sunday Club in time.) But what about the things that don't make a difference if we don't? What about: reading a good book, reading the bible, praying, planning ahead, fixing things that could actually wait, calling someone we could call tomorrow just as well...


In the profound words of Reggie Perrin, 'The problem with living for the moment is that it buggers up the next moment.' Bit rude, but true. Let's think it through: I can put off reading a good Christian book. It doesn't make any real difference for today. I don't feel like I've missed out. But if I read good stuff regularly, I'll be growing in ways I didn't know I needed to. I'll be learning things I didn't know were there to learn. I'll be spotting areas of godliness I didn't know I needed to grow in.


I can survive without. Like I can survive without good meals. In time, though, I'd be healthier with them. If we want to be growing as Christians, living productive lives, being useful to others - then we need to learn the habits of useful things that others won't see immediately.


'... make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.' (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Do what you want - as long as it doesn't affect me


It's the motto of the day. How many times have you heard that? How often have you thought it? Here's a long quote, but worth it - it's Dr James Dobson in a Q&A session:
"Question: Tell me why I shouldn't be totally free to do anything I want, as long as my behaviour doesn't affect anyone else.
Answer: Nothing that you do is without influence on others. To illustrate this fact, let me ask you to take in a deep breath of air and hold it for a moment. The air that you inhaled contains at least three nitrogen atoms which were breathed by every human being who ever lived; literally, a portion of that same vilume of air was inhaled by Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci, and Winston Churchill. In fact, your breath also contained at least three nitrogen atoms which were breathed by each of the dinosaurs of ancient times. Every living thing interacts with every other creature on earth, and the smallest act can reverberate for centuries.
Let me illustrate this interaction further. Suppose in the year 1500, a seemingly insignificant event served to delay sexual intercourse in a couple who produced a child. By delaying conception, even by five minutes, it is likely that a different sperm cell would have penetrated the egg in the mother. That would mean that a different person would have been born as a result of that minute interference. Ther is a 50-50 chance that the sex would not even have been the same. Then, the influences of the person who might have been would be replaced by the impact of the person who was actually conceived, multiplied day by day throughout his lifetime. How many other conceptions would the replacement alter in a sixty-year period? It is impossible to measure, but the impact of that original act would echo through the decades, perhaps resulting in a totally different population on earth than exists today. Just imagine, for example, how different the world would have been today if Adolf Hitler's sibling had been conceived instead of the tyrannical dictator.
In short, it is incredible foolish to think we can do anything without affecting our associates and fellow citizens on this earth. For this reason I react with irritation to the idiotic motto of the dropout culture, 'If it feels good - do it.'"
Go, Dr Dobson - such wisdom, once again.