After reading a different book from BookSneeze the night before, this book didn't seem all that great. Thankfully the book was not a long book and I was able to get through rather quickly. However, about a third of the way through the book, I actually started to get into it.
Benson is a poet, a writer. He's not a theologian. He doesn't even have a college degree. He doesn't go into depth about the history of prayer. He is sort of sarcastic, but I found him to be raw and real on the topic of prayer.
He talks about "The Office", which is a type of prayer that is done every day throughout the day. Well, it's not just one prayer, but a series of prayers that have been recited for what I gather thousands of years. What spoke to me and got me more interested in this book was Benson's own struggles with prayer itself. He grew up in a Christian home and was surrounded by God stuff, but inspite of that, just even the fact of praying consistently, even if for a short bit, was incredibly challenging.
He puts this in language that is plain and understandable. There is an honesty that is refreshing. But, it gives us room to improve, to seek God.
In the back of the book, there is sample Office prayers. I've heard the term "the Office" before, but after reading this book, I have a better understanding of the background and can see the purpose. What truly spoke to me about the value of constant prayer is "Discipline is the price of freedom."
I may explore some of the other books in the series.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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