Prayer Participant's Guide: Six Sessions on Our Relationship with God

In this six-session ZondervanGroupware? video curriculum, award-winning author Philip Yancey probes the very heartbeat?the most fundamental, challenging, perplexing, and deeply rewarding aspect?of our relationship with God: prayer. What is prayer? How does it work? And more importantly, does it work? In theory, prayer is the essential human act, a priceless point of contact between us and the God of the universe. In practice, prayer is often frustrating, confusing, and fraught with mystery. Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? is an exploration of the mysterious intersection where God and humans meet and relate. Yancey explores such questions as: ?Is God listening? ?Why should God care about me? ?If God knows everything, what?s the point of prayer? ?Why do answers to prayer seem so inconsistent and capricious? ?Why does God seem sometimes close and sometimes far away? ?How can I make prayer more satisfying? The Prayer DVD and Prayer participant?s guide are available separately. Review '...a new and powerful effort....Philip Yancey asks the tough questions about prayer that many are afraid to ask....Yancey writes as a friend and fellow-struggler, giving voice to the questions we may ponder but never bring up....This questioning process...inspires us to pursue prayer more earnestly....[This book] will encourage you as you meet with God daily and bring the details of your life before Him. You'll develop a stronger prayer vocabulary and a richer sense of the mystery and joy of prayer?' -- Presidential Prayer Team'...theological substance, quality of biblical reflection, and readability...make it accessible even to those coming to faith, Bible reading, or prayer for the first time....Yancey writes more as a journalist, with a sharp eye for detail and an investigative unwillingness to force conclusions....One of the chief benefits of Philip Yancey's work is that he'll go where the evidence leads....' -- Christianity Today'...one of the many small evidences of this book's forcefulness is the number of times I did put it down -- the number of times I interrupted my reading because I was inspired to pray....[This] is the rare book about prayer that, rather than inadvertently distracting me from the pursuit of a praying life, actually prompts me to pray....' -- Books and Culture'Yancey strikes a moving chord with this book that is more full of yearning and wonder than it is of easy answers....[It's] suffused with a cautious hope....The book's strength lies in its balance, with Yancey holding equally important ideals in a beautiful tension...' -- Publishers Weekly'Gently and with intelligence and compassion, Yancey works toward a vision of prayer as a kind of 'awkward rehersal' and, ultimately, toward the kind of conversation humankind had with God at the beginning of creation.' -- Library Journal'[Prayer] is well researched, captivating, and meets the reader right where he/she is at in the moment....If you are like me and have difficulties in praying then this book is a must for you.' -- 1340MAG.com'He knows that the main purpose of prayer is not to make life easier, but to know God.' -- Christian Science Sentinal'...the author's exploration of the topic includes a candid assessment of his own sense of failure, along with his growing sense of wonder at the possibliities of conversation with God....' -- Today's Christian Woman'Yancey's combination of talent, research, and openness about his own struggles make 'Prayer' worth looking into if you...have ever felt frustrated with your prayer life.' -- Relevant Magazine'...offers readers' compelling insights about the topic of prayer, exploring the mysterious intersection where God and humans meet and relate....' -- Homecoming (Bill and Gloria Gaither)'Philip Yancey approaches the mysteries of communicating with God in this thoroughly researched yet highly accessible book....[He] skillfully interweaves Scripture with insights from Christian thinkers of many