Book Review:
YOUR 100 DAY PRAYER--
By John I. Snyder
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, September 13, 2011
Url: www.community321.com
The thing that drew me to this book was the challenge of persistently
praying for one thing for 100 days and the hope of finding the key to God
answering that prayer.
The purpose of the book seems to be teach us to be
persistent in prayer, regardless whether we receive what we want, and to help
us embrace the transformation that often takes place in the waiting.
The book is written in a devotional format. Each day begins with a scripture, followed by
a short devotion related to that passage, a brief guide for prayer, and a place
to record progress or jot down whatever notes you may want to write while you
are on this prayer journey. As you reach these prayer posts at the end of each day, it’s almost as if the author has stopped to cheer you on or to give you one pinpointed word of advice before you
move to the next mile marker.
Along this journey, the author addresses some common “points
of interest” such as:
The Power of Persistence—through a reminder of
the story of the persistent widow (Luke 11), the author reminds of the need to
keep asking, knocking, and seeking and not to become weary.
- The Silent Heaven—here he points out that if the
heavens seem silent, we need to find out if our plans and purposes line up with
God’s will.
When God Says “No”—He reminds us that when God
says “no” to something we are asking for, it’s usually because he has something
better in store for us and there’s a greater “good” at stake.
God of the Last Minute—points out that God often
waits until the last minute, the fifty-ninth of the eleventh hour to answer our
prayers and to bring about his will and purposes for our lives.
But there is so much more. I found myself being reminded of many of God’s
attributes such as his Faithfulness, his Omnipotence, his Omnipresence, his
Loving-kindness, and more.
At times as I was reading this book, I felt as though the author was reading my mind because his parting comment would be something related to a struggle or a question that was looming in my heart or head when I finished a particular reading. For example, on Day 44, the parting word was,
“Are you getting weary today of praying and waiting? It might be time for some remembrance. Keep your history before you by recalling all that God has done for you and all his people. He was never too early or too late. Now thank him for his faithfulness that never
changes.”
The author himself states, “This book is a guide to lead you
through a 100-day period of prayer as you face a crisis or problem of greater
than normal difficulty. It’s offered as both an encouragement and a guide to sustained petition…it’s most effective when carried out by a group of people committed to praying together because, as most of us have discovered, it’s just hard to keep on praying by ourselves for something every day for any length of time.”
I found that it was difficult for me to narrow down one thing that I would consistently pray about for 100 days and as the author mentioned above, it is difficult to sustain prayer for a long period of time by yourself. Let’s just say that I’m not done with this spiritual exercise. Persistence is definitely not my strong suit.
Discussion Questions:
Have you persisted in prayer for 100 days or
more for one thing? What was the result?
What internal or external obstacles do you run
into when you are trying to be persistent in prayer?
Is it easier for you to persist in prayer for
others or for yourself?
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