Fearless Prayer: Why We Don't Ask and Why We Should
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
John
15:7
You've likely scratched your head over this verse, wondering how literally to take it. Could Jesus have been serious about His over-the-top declaration? Can you really ask for anything?
If you think these words can't possibly mean what they say, Craig Hazen wants to reveal the astonishing reality of this promise. You'll learn why Christians hesitate to embrace this powerful statement and how you can put it to work in your life for the sake of God's kingdom.
According to the Lord himself, "asking" is the center point of prayer. He wants us to bring our fruit-bearing requests to him boldly and with expectation for the blessing of his answer.
He wants to hear our Fearless Prayer!
Top Highlights
“On its surface, prayer is not complex or confusing. Prayer is conversation or communication with God. Most of us possess basic communication skills already. So presumably if we can converse with other humans successfully, we have the essential tool set we need to communicate with God.” (source)
“According to James, asking certainly can go awry, and we need to guard against that (see James 4:3). But once our safeguards are in place, we need to ask. We need to ask regularly, boldly, and with expectation. And we need to remember that asking, or petitionary prayer, is not a lesser form of prayer. Rather it is what the Lord himself taught us to do.” (source)
“Fourth, being in a relationship in which asking is a central and desirable element makes dependence on God a daily feature, if not a moment by moment feature.” (source)
“And as knowledgeable commentators have pointed out through the centuries, the Lord’s Prayer is a set of six requests, six ‘asks’ directed to ‘Our Father in heaven.’ Prayer is fundamentally asking. Since this is true based on the authority of Jesus himself, and since prayer is so central to a dynamic life with God, it makes sense for us to learn how to ask—to ask regularly, fearlessly, sincerely, expectantly, and humbly for his hand to move in our lives in all the right ways.” (source)
“Not only might we be intimidated by his immense power, knowledge, and holiness, but we also might be overwhelmed to consider the kinds of resources he brings to the table. Yet he invites us. He is a loving Creator and Father who has made it abundantly clear that he wants to hear from us, to interact with us, to have a full-fledged family relationship that involves close conversation.” (source)
“Insightful, inspiring, invaluable—here's a captivating book on
prayer that goes far beyond mere platitudes. My friend Craig Hazen
takes a unique approach that will stimulate your mind as it stirs
your heart. Read on—and be prepared to grow!”
—Lee Strobel, bestselling author of The Case for
Christ
“I could not wait to get a copy of professor Hazen’s new book on
prayer. And, wow, it exceeded my expectations! I could not put it
down and read it in one sitting. Fearless Prayer inspired me
with the affirmation that prayer actually brings answers, fed and
healed my soul by its careful and interesting treatment of
important biblical passages, and it motivated me to be more earnest
about bringing my requests before a loving Father who delights in
me and my petitions.
“What makes this book stand out from all the other books on prayer
is Hazen’s skillful grounding of prayer is a brief but powerful
defense of a Christian worldview and his destruction of the
naturalism that all of us in the West have absorbed from our
culture. This is now the go-to book on petitionary prayer.
We have all had times of disappointment with God, but Fearless
Prayer restores our confidence in a God who hears and
answers.”
—JP Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot
School of Theology; author of Love Your God With All Your
Mind
Product Details
- Title : Fearless Prayer: Why We Don't Ask and Why We Should
- Author: Hazen, Craig J.
- Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
- Publication Date: 2018
- ISBN: 9780736973809
Craig Hazen, PhDis the director of MA program in Christian Apologetics at Biola University. Author of the acclaimed novel Five Sacred Crossings, Craig is also an award-winning teacher and writer in the fields of apologetics, philosophy, and Christian life. He is a popular church and conference speaker worldwide, and a regular guest for radio and television commentary.