Why Bother Praying

Written by the best selling author of Where the Hell Is God?, this accessible volume is for everyone who wonders how to pray, everyone who wonders what happens when you pray, and everyone who wonders if God hears our prayers. In an engaging and informative style, the author explores the context within which we pray, what is distinctive about Christian prayer, praying to Jesus, what communal prayers do, how Mary and the Saints help us pray, and finally, what the point of prayer is--sending us out with Christ to witness to the reign of God in our world. He ultimately answers the question this way: Why bother praying? Because at its most basic prayer is making space for God to love us and, through the community of faith, inviting us to have the courage to return the compliment. It changes lives. Why bother praying? Because God wants us to bother him, and in the process develop a relationship that is marked by such love and joy that it changes us, our neighbor, and the world. "Richard Leonard has done it again, tackled a difficult theological and spiritual question with honesty, deep knowledge, humor and a warm heart. Why Bother Praying moved me to tears and to laughing out loud. But I was also enlightened on one the most fundamental aspects of what it means to be a Christian, namely engaging in a real relationship with God, which is what prayer is all about. If you enjoyed and profited from Where the Hell is God?, you don't need to be urged to read this one. If you missed that treat, I urge you to buy this book and then you will also want to get the earlier one." --William A. Barry, SJ +

Combines professional insights along with the author's own experience and insights to speculate on how believers can make sense of their Christian faith when confronted with tragedy and suffering.

Written by the best selling author of Where the Hell Is God?, this accessible volume is for everyone who wonders how to pray, everyone who wonders what happens when you pray, and everyone who wonders if God hears our prayers.

Given the fever-pitched controversies about evolution, Adam and Eve, and scientific evidence for the Flood, the average person might feel intimidated by the book of Genesis. But behind the heady debates is a terrific story-one that anyone can understand, and one that has gripped people for ages. If you are not a Bible scholar but want to be able to read Genesis and understand its big picture, this brief, witty book is the guide you've been waiting for. Clear summaries and thought-provoking questions provide direction for personal reflection and group discussion. Peter Enns, a Biblical Studies professor, and Jared Byas, an Old Testament professor, summarize the book's key themes and help us see Genesis as an ancient story, one with continued relevance for human experience today. Genesis for Normal People illuminates the characters that fill the book of Genesis, causing us to resonate with their choices and struggles even as we marvel at their distant world. And that's what you'll find here-not scientific proof texts or simple moral tales, but a distant world made available, and a story that is often strange, sometimes dangerous, and always filled with rich possibilities.WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GENESIS FOR NORMAL PEOPLE:"This book is a welcome antidote to the mystification about the book of Genesis that goes around. It is accessible for readers who want to take the plunge into this old text. It is gentle in leading readers to a critical sense of the text in response to a "late" trauma in Israel. It is imaginative in its articulation of a book that might otherwise be off-putting. The convergence of accessibility, gentleness, and imagination make this a very fine read."- Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus, Columbia Theological Seminary"Genesis for Normal People is the perfect starting point for Christians who want to read the book of Genesis more faithfully and honestly. Enns and Byas break down the history, genre, culture, and context of this fascinating book of the Bible, so that "normal people"--you know, those who can't read ancient Hebrew--can get a better sense of its purpose, meaning and relevance. The authors manage to simplify without dumbing down, challenge without confusing, and dig for deep truth without compromising their intellectual integrity. A must-read for anyone who care enough about the Bible to want to read and understand it on its own terms."- Rachel Held Evans, author of A Year of Biblical Womanhood"The stories in the book of Genesis are among the most well known in the Bible--so much so that it's easy to lose sight of the fact that Genesis is an ancient document from a cultural setting very different from our own. Enns and Byas have provided a highly readable volume that reminds readers of its reality while explaining the meaning and significance of Genesis in light of its ancient context. An ideal book for individual and study groups interested in understanding Genesis on its own terms."- John R. Franke, General Coordinator for The Gospel and Our Culture Network"Evangelical Old Testament scholarship has come of age and is now coming out from behind the shadows of suppression and secrecy. No one represents this fresh coming of age more than Peter Enns, who, with co-author Jared Byas, makes available to any Bible reader a fresh engagement with Genesis--readable, responsible, and recognizably fresh."- Scot McKnight, Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary

Women long to be loved, to be known, to be understood. But who can meet those needs at their deepest level? Only the One who created women--who knows them by name and who designed them--can bring fulfillment that truly satisfies. "Letting God Meet Your Emotional Needs" shows how God desires to help every woman: I need acceptance... God loves, forgives, and accepts I need security... God promises He will never leave I need to feel pretty... Christ sees me as new, spotless I need a companion... He is the perfect friend I need communication... He talks to me intimately through His Word Formerly "Heart Hunger."

Life’s inevitable difficulties and disappointments can discourage us from praying, but our response should be to pray anyway and keep praying. Whatever we seek, God invites us to come to Him with confidence, believing that He is able to answer—and He will answer. We can pray for: Forgiveness like David Wisdom like Solomon Healing like Hezekiah A child like Hannah Deliverance like Jonah Mercy like the 10 lepers Salvation like the thief on the cross But are you convinced that prayer works, even when you don’t get the answers you want? In It Happens After Prayer, Pastor HB Charles, Jr. motivates and encourages us to respond to the challenges of life with prayer, to pray without ceasing, and to pray with great expectations. Are you ready for a new level of earnest, passionate, God-size prayers? Don’t let another day go by without praying and seeking the face of God, because it happens after prayer.

- Is it humanly possible to pray like Jesus? - Since God knows what we need even before we pray, why bother to pray? - To what extent does one's relationship with God affect one's prayers? With questions like these, John Brokhoff takes you on a 13-chapter journey of prayer in Pray Like Jesus. This book will help develop more effective prayer for persons and groups. It examines and studies the nature of Jesus' prayers. It examines methods and techniques Jesus used. It explores a theology of prayer, and a study of prayers in the Bible, which culminates with a study of the Lord's Prayer. This book is ideal for personal use, group study or a sermon series. Each chapter concludes with a series of discussion questions. Chapter titles include: The Contents of Prayer The Variety of Prayer Prayer and Healing The Power of Prayer John R. Brokhoff is former Professor of Homiletics, Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He is a graduate of Muhlenberg College and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. His other popular CSS titles include Lectionary Preaching Workbook, A, B and C, Preaching The Parables, A, B and C, and Preaching The Miracles, A, B and C.