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Praying with the Grain: How Your Personality Affects the Way You Pray
Why do so many struggle to pray? Dr. Pablo Martinez, a medical doctor and psychotherapist, suggests that our basic personality type strongly affects both how we pray and what we pray about.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 25, 2012
Praying with the Grain by Pablo Martinez is a book to revolutionize your prayer life by helping you analyze your personal style and then encouraging you to pray, without guilt or procrastination. Martinez writes like a professorial uncle, very intelligent yet sympathetic and without judgment. The book opens with a comparison of personalities: introvert vs extrovert and then expands into four categories: thinking/feeling and sensation/intuitive. He breaks down how each psychological function impacts our prayer life, and I was stunned at how accurate his insights were. His breakdown of how a thinking person prays made me wonder if he had been secretly watching me pray, he had every aspect correct, down to the tiniest detail. Once Martinez is done helping readers figure out what category they fall into, he gets into the nitty-gritty of prayer: difficulties in prayer, types of prayer, and the importance of prayer. I was fascinated by Martinez' insights and inspired to change the way I've been praying to better fit my personality (and to please God). The book is truly intelligent and an enjoyable read, and has truly changed my life.
May 21, 2012
How does your personality affect your prayer life? Do certain temperament types find different types of prayer easier than others? What about your past history? What are the therapeutic benefits of prayer? Is prayer just auto-suggestion, conditioned response or childish illusion? Are all prayers the same? What about Eastern meditation?
Psychiatrist and Bible teacher Pablo Martinez brings his professional insight to bear on the topic of prayer. In Praying with the Grain: How Your Personality Affects the Way You Pray, he offers biblically sound direction to developing your prayer with keen psychological insight from an evangelical perspective. The late John Stott wrote the foreword for this book (I think the foreword is a carry-over from the book’s previous incarnation entitled Prayer Life, 2001). I certainly appreciated that this book delved beyond your typical pop-psychology pap with good biblical grounding from an evangelical perspective. Really, I think this is a rare combination in the Christian book market!
This is a short book, composed of five chapters. Chapter 1-3 compose part 1 of this book which address the psychology of prayer. Chapter one focuses on how our personal temperament affects the way we pray. Martinez argues that different temperament types have natural strengths and weaknesses in their approach to prayer. Using Carl Jung’s temperament types he explores how the various types (thinking, feeling, sensation, intuition) and the proclivity toward introversion or extroversion has real affect on our prayer life. For example, introverts are introspective and turn inward while extroverts are activists who focus on other people and things. Thinking types tend to be rational and methodical in their approach to prayer making them effective intercessors and good at confession but they aren’t so good at expressing adoration and worship. Feeling types are more relational in their approach to prayer and are more likely to ‘feel’ God’s presence and show concern about concrete situations of social injustice; yet they can tend toward excessive subjectivism. Intuitive types are the natural mystics and contemplatives and prize freedom in prayer (which means sometimes they aren’t particularly grounded). The Sensation type addresses God through the senses and tend to relate to God in a childlike way but are sometimes too reliant on external circumstances and never pray for very long. Martinez’s goal is both to help us affirm and appreciate the different ways people experience God but also shore up and develop in areas where we are naturally weak (it is healthier to be nearer the center in each of the temperament types or in terms of extroversion/introversion).
Chapter 2 addresses emotional problems and prayer and difficulties people have when they come to prayer. These include difficulties in the course of prayer such as getting started, not feeling God’s presence, not wanting to be hypocritical, difficulty in concentrating (i.e. anxiety or nervousness, bad thoughts) and the inability to pray in public. He also addresses the different content of prayer (adoration and praise, confession, request and intercession) and asserts that a healthy pray life needs to include each element regardless of your natural proclivities. In chapter 3 Martinez describes the ‘therapeutic benefits of prayer,’ both existentially and in terms of a ‘psychotherapeutic process” of a growing intimate relationship, a cathartic unburdening, providing guidance and discernement, and personal growth. In both of these chapters Martinez’s psychological insight is helpful for entering more fully into prayer.
In part 2 Martinez provides an apologetic for Christian prayer. Chapter 4 addresses secularist/modernist criticisms of prayer (i.e. prayer as self-suggestion, prayer as conditioned response, or childish illusion. In chapter 5 he examines the differences between Christian prayer and meditation and Eastern style meditation and Platonic mysticism. I think he does a good job of dismantling psychologically shallow caricatures of prayer and demonstrating that there is real substance to prayer beyond a placebo effect. He also demonstrates how Christian meditation has a different purpose, method and content than either Eastern meditation or Platonism. What I really liked about his final chapter is the way he eschews method and technique (which is the Eastern approach) and proclaims that the Christian understanding of prayer is an intimate relationship.
While I found part 2 interesting and think that Martinez is able to articulate important points succinctly and with insight, I think the real value of this book is helping people develop as pray-ers. The insight that our temperament type and personal history provides us with a natural style of relating to God. For a short book, Martinez gives significant space to exploring the difficulties we have in prayer and the strengths and weaknesses we have as a result to our unique shape, temperament and history. There is a lot here that is of real help to those of us who want to grow at prayer and foster our relationship with God.
Martinez’s evangelical perspective makes him suspicious of some of the excesses of the contemplative and mystical tradition. He does affirm a lot in the Christian mystical tradition but is suspicious of the ways that Platonism has robbed much of it of its Christian content and thus urges that our approach to meditation should be focused on scripture. Certainly I can see how people get mystical and strange and become unhinged, but I wonder if there is more merit to some of the approaches to prayer that he criticizes. But this is more of a wondering, his approach to Christian meditation as centered on the word and our experience of the word is in keeping with my own practice, experience and conviction.
Thank you to Kregel Publications for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Psychiatrist and Bible teacher Pablo Martinez brings his professional insight to bear on the topic of prayer. In Praying with the Grain: How Your Personality Affects the Way You Pray, he offers biblically sound direction to developing your prayer with keen psychological insight from an evangelical perspective. The late John Stott wrote the foreword for this book (I think the foreword is a carry-over from the book’s previous incarnation entitled Prayer Life, 2001). I certainly appreciated that this book delved beyond your typical pop-psychology pap with good biblical grounding from an evangelical perspective. Really, I think this is a rare combination in the Christian book market!
This is a short book, composed of five chapters. Chapter 1-3 compose part 1 of this book which address the psychology of prayer. Chapter one focuses on how our personal temperament affects the way we pray. Martinez argues that different temperament types have natural strengths and weaknesses in their approach to prayer. Using Carl Jung’s temperament types he explores how the various types (thinking, feeling, sensation, intuition) and the proclivity toward introversion or extroversion has real affect on our prayer life. For example, introverts are introspective and turn inward while extroverts are activists who focus on other people and things. Thinking types tend to be rational and methodical in their approach to prayer making them effective intercessors and good at confession but they aren’t so good at expressing adoration and worship. Feeling types are more relational in their approach to prayer and are more likely to ‘feel’ God’s presence and show concern about concrete situations of social injustice; yet they can tend toward excessive subjectivism. Intuitive types are the natural mystics and contemplatives and prize freedom in prayer (which means sometimes they aren’t particularly grounded). The Sensation type addresses God through the senses and tend to relate to God in a childlike way but are sometimes too reliant on external circumstances and never pray for very long. Martinez’s goal is both to help us affirm and appreciate the different ways people experience God but also shore up and develop in areas where we are naturally weak (it is healthier to be nearer the center in each of the temperament types or in terms of extroversion/introversion).
Chapter 2 addresses emotional problems and prayer and difficulties people have when they come to prayer. These include difficulties in the course of prayer such as getting started, not feeling God’s presence, not wanting to be hypocritical, difficulty in concentrating (i.e. anxiety or nervousness, bad thoughts) and the inability to pray in public. He also addresses the different content of prayer (adoration and praise, confession, request and intercession) and asserts that a healthy pray life needs to include each element regardless of your natural proclivities. In chapter 3 Martinez describes the ‘therapeutic benefits of prayer,’ both existentially and in terms of a ‘psychotherapeutic process” of a growing intimate relationship, a cathartic unburdening, providing guidance and discernement, and personal growth. In both of these chapters Martinez’s psychological insight is helpful for entering more fully into prayer.
In part 2 Martinez provides an apologetic for Christian prayer. Chapter 4 addresses secularist/modernist criticisms of prayer (i.e. prayer as self-suggestion, prayer as conditioned response, or childish illusion. In chapter 5 he examines the differences between Christian prayer and meditation and Eastern style meditation and Platonic mysticism. I think he does a good job of dismantling psychologically shallow caricatures of prayer and demonstrating that there is real substance to prayer beyond a placebo effect. He also demonstrates how Christian meditation has a different purpose, method and content than either Eastern meditation or Platonism. What I really liked about his final chapter is the way he eschews method and technique (which is the Eastern approach) and proclaims that the Christian understanding of prayer is an intimate relationship.
While I found part 2 interesting and think that Martinez is able to articulate important points succinctly and with insight, I think the real value of this book is helping people develop as pray-ers. The insight that our temperament type and personal history provides us with a natural style of relating to God. For a short book, Martinez gives significant space to exploring the difficulties we have in prayer and the strengths and weaknesses we have as a result to our unique shape, temperament and history. There is a lot here that is of real help to those of us who want to grow at prayer and foster our relationship with God.
Martinez’s evangelical perspective makes him suspicious of some of the excesses of the contemplative and mystical tradition. He does affirm a lot in the Christian mystical tradition but is suspicious of the ways that Platonism has robbed much of it of its Christian content and thus urges that our approach to meditation should be focused on scripture. Certainly I can see how people get mystical and strange and become unhinged, but I wonder if there is more merit to some of the approaches to prayer that he criticizes. But this is more of a wondering, his approach to Christian meditation as centered on the word and our experience of the word is in keeping with my own practice, experience and conviction.
Thank you to Kregel Publications for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 3, 2023
Pablo Martinez provides a very helpful perspective on the effect that an individuals personality has on their prayer life. It reads as coming from a lifetime of study, thought, medical practice and theological teaching. It feels like the material has been worked and re-worked over many years. The final chapter on Christian prayer and Eastern meditation was helpful in engaging with our pluralistic society. While this is a strength, I feel it also becomes a weakness. The book fell short in the practical application of the material as I felt I was left asking the question, 'Ok, so how do I pray with the grain of my personality?' Perhaps that is for me to try and work out but I think I could have been helped by pointers or questions from Pablo. I also feel that at times he allows too much for our personality type and therefore provides an excuse for people not to pray. Perhaps dealing more with the nature and impact of sin on prayer would have helped this treatment.
December 31, 2021
Много хубава книга относно различните видове личности, различните черти на характера и как се отразяват на молитвата на християнина и източните практики, които навлизат в света все по-широко от гледна точка на психологията.
June 9, 2019
This took a while to get through and I didn't love it tbh - the concept was really interesting though and it would be interesting to read more in this space
May 28, 2012
I've never been one to spend a vast amount of time in prayer. I put my time in, but don't often dally when it comes to speaking with the big guy. Is this sad? Yes. Yes, it is. But I've never really felt the loss. In many ways I've thought of it as similar to the "morning quiet time" that I've always been encouraged to have. I don't particularly enjoy it and I wonder if it is really all that honoring to God if I'm falling asleep while doing it.
For the quiet time, I started practicing a constant communication thing throughout the day in lieu of time spent in the morning, but I've never really gotten a handle on whether I'm comfortable with this kind of thing replacing time set aside specifically to pray.
The Twitter² Summary:
In Praying With the Grain, Dr. Pablo Martinez looks at the psychology of how our basic personality type affects our prayers. Martinez helps us to understand and develop our own spiritual path when it comes to prayer.
The Low-down:
Have you ever thought about how your personality might affect how you pray? No? Me either. Luckily, Dr. Pablo Martinez has thought enough about it for the both of us. Praying With the Grain, a repackaged edition of his well-regarded Prayer Life, walks the reader through the many ways that our personalities can hinder and help our prayers.
Let me say that though Martinez occasionally drops psych jargon here and there, he does an excellent job of explaining each term as it occurs. That said, I'm going to drop some of the same without explaining it nearly as well. Here goes.
Martinez examines our personalities through the classic Jungian model of thinking/feeling and sensing/intuiting. This allows for specific address of multiple personality types. Martinez also provides examples form history of individuals who are known or widely assumed to match these types.
What I find both interesting and helpful about Martinez's book is his advice that we accept our personality type and how it affects the way we pray instead of striving in vain after someone else's idea of how to pray. Martinez argues that because prayer should be important and vital to our relationship with God, it is important to understand ourselves in order to help make it so.
Unfortunately though, Martinez doesn't give us much help in this department. Unlike other texts of this type, Praying With the Grain doesn't give us a handy quiz to determine our type. Instead Martinez leaves it up to us to self-identify our type and apply his advice accordingly. If you can self-identify, then Praying With the Grain will help guide you through ways of praying that will likely be better for you than what you've tried before.
Of particular note is Martinez's Q & A section on the most frequently asked questions about prayer. I'd actually start there and then come back to the beginning.
Martinez's heart is obvious throughout the book, that he wants prayer to be an exciting, welcoming, central part of every believer's relationship with God.
The Rating:
3 of 5 Stars (A book to check out from the library, but not to own.)
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Kregel Publications. 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 FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
For the quiet time, I started practicing a constant communication thing throughout the day in lieu of time spent in the morning, but I've never really gotten a handle on whether I'm comfortable with this kind of thing replacing time set aside specifically to pray.
The Twitter² Summary:
In Praying With the Grain, Dr. Pablo Martinez looks at the psychology of how our basic personality type affects our prayers. Martinez helps us to understand and develop our own spiritual path when it comes to prayer.
The Low-down:
Have you ever thought about how your personality might affect how you pray? No? Me either. Luckily, Dr. Pablo Martinez has thought enough about it for the both of us. Praying With the Grain, a repackaged edition of his well-regarded Prayer Life, walks the reader through the many ways that our personalities can hinder and help our prayers.
Let me say that though Martinez occasionally drops psych jargon here and there, he does an excellent job of explaining each term as it occurs. That said, I'm going to drop some of the same without explaining it nearly as well. Here goes.
Martinez examines our personalities through the classic Jungian model of thinking/feeling and sensing/intuiting. This allows for specific address of multiple personality types. Martinez also provides examples form history of individuals who are known or widely assumed to match these types.
What I find both interesting and helpful about Martinez's book is his advice that we accept our personality type and how it affects the way we pray instead of striving in vain after someone else's idea of how to pray. Martinez argues that because prayer should be important and vital to our relationship with God, it is important to understand ourselves in order to help make it so.
Unfortunately though, Martinez doesn't give us much help in this department. Unlike other texts of this type, Praying With the Grain doesn't give us a handy quiz to determine our type. Instead Martinez leaves it up to us to self-identify our type and apply his advice accordingly. If you can self-identify, then Praying With the Grain will help guide you through ways of praying that will likely be better for you than what you've tried before.
Of particular note is Martinez's Q & A section on the most frequently asked questions about prayer. I'd actually start there and then come back to the beginning.
Martinez's heart is obvious throughout the book, that he wants prayer to be an exciting, welcoming, central part of every believer's relationship with God.
The Rating:
3 of 5 Stars (A book to check out from the library, but not to own.)
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Kregel Publications. 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 FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
May 25, 2012
Dr. Pablo Martinez, a medical doctor and psychiatrist, has written Praying With The Grain, and it is phenomenal! I’ve not known a psychiatrist who explains so distinctly how your personality/temperament and your childhood background affect your prayer life.
Dr. Pablo’s section on the psychology of prayer is so enlightening in regards to the different temperaments and how each determines the way you pray. There are eight categories along the continuum of the thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuitive axis and Dr. Pablo helps us to understand how they interact with being an introvert or extrovert. (This is diagrammed in the book.) I found this very helpful to know and to discover more about myself.
Different Prayers for Different People: Dr. Pablo takes each psychological function and delineates the differences of the four different approaches and helps understanding each group’s approach towards prayer. His purpose is for you to identify where you function and how to grow deeper in prayer. It was an eye-opening experience to see myself in the different groups. It encouraged me to work through my method and to grow in the areas where I am weak.
Overcoming Difficulties: Difficulties in praying are the result of our biography/past memories—those things that we have done in our lives or what has been done to us. Our biography/past memories are ‘married’ to another part of our personality–our unconscious. They are meshed together to make you you! Because of emotional problems, difficulties may arise when we try to pray through the course and content of prayer.
The therapeutic value of prayer: This is the portion where Dr. Pablo explains the value of prayer–for God and for you. It’s a two-way street. Some of the values include an intimate relationship with God, yourself and others. It liberates us when we confess our sins and express our heart’s anguish. Prayer gives us light, guidance and discernment in all the areas of our lives we are willing to receive direction. Prayer is also a means of transformation—bringing our lives into alignment with God’s Word, transforming our minds so our actions follow God’s Word. Dr. Pablo ever so gently invites you to enter this wonderful world of prayer.
He ends the book with a section of questions and answers, a secular psychiatrist’s viewpoints on prayer, and the differences of Christian prayer and Eastern meditation. These sections are helpful to discern how a psychiatrist may discard your faith, answer questions you have, and to differentiate the different methods of meditation, some of which are not Biblical.
This book was very helpful to me to understand God, myself and others. To me, this is a ‘must have’ book to help those who struggle with prayer—which basically includes everyone.
This book was provided by Cat Hoort of Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
Dr. Pablo’s section on the psychology of prayer is so enlightening in regards to the different temperaments and how each determines the way you pray. There are eight categories along the continuum of the thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuitive axis and Dr. Pablo helps us to understand how they interact with being an introvert or extrovert. (This is diagrammed in the book.) I found this very helpful to know and to discover more about myself.
Different Prayers for Different People: Dr. Pablo takes each psychological function and delineates the differences of the four different approaches and helps understanding each group’s approach towards prayer. His purpose is for you to identify where you function and how to grow deeper in prayer. It was an eye-opening experience to see myself in the different groups. It encouraged me to work through my method and to grow in the areas where I am weak.
Overcoming Difficulties: Difficulties in praying are the result of our biography/past memories—those things that we have done in our lives or what has been done to us. Our biography/past memories are ‘married’ to another part of our personality–our unconscious. They are meshed together to make you you! Because of emotional problems, difficulties may arise when we try to pray through the course and content of prayer.
The therapeutic value of prayer: This is the portion where Dr. Pablo explains the value of prayer–for God and for you. It’s a two-way street. Some of the values include an intimate relationship with God, yourself and others. It liberates us when we confess our sins and express our heart’s anguish. Prayer gives us light, guidance and discernment in all the areas of our lives we are willing to receive direction. Prayer is also a means of transformation—bringing our lives into alignment with God’s Word, transforming our minds so our actions follow God’s Word. Dr. Pablo ever so gently invites you to enter this wonderful world of prayer.
He ends the book with a section of questions and answers, a secular psychiatrist’s viewpoints on prayer, and the differences of Christian prayer and Eastern meditation. These sections are helpful to discern how a psychiatrist may discard your faith, answer questions you have, and to differentiate the different methods of meditation, some of which are not Biblical.
This book was very helpful to me to understand God, myself and others. To me, this is a ‘must have’ book to help those who struggle with prayer—which basically includes everyone.
This book was provided by Cat Hoort of Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
May 27, 2012
Pablo Martinez in his new book, “Praying with the Grain” published by Kregel Publications tackles How Your Personality Affects the Way You Pray.
From the back cover: Dr. Pablo Martinez suggests, from his long experience as doctor, counselor and Christian leader, that our basic personality type strongly affects how we pray. Extroverts, preferring action, will struggle to develop a regular prayer life; introverts will be more likely to set time apart. Thinking types pray more easily with pen and paper; feeling types may long for intimacy with God. This book helps us understand, and work with, our own spiritual path.
When I was new to Christianity I was told I had to pray. I said okay and then I was told I had to kneel down beside my bed and pray. So I obediently did what I was told. And this drove me crazy! Me, I like going for a walk for an hour, hour and a half, I draw near to God and He draws near to me. Dr. Martinez tells us in “Praying with the Grain” that this has a lot to do with my personality type.
Dr. Martinez divides his book into two main parts: “The Psychology of Prayer “and “The Apologetics of Prayer”. The very first chapter is “Different Prayers For Different People”. If you, like me, were told this is the way you pray and find that way really doesn’t work for you then this book is for you. Dr. Martinez is bulls-eyes accurate with his personality types and the way they pray. Once you find out which you are and how you pray then the freedom you will feel will be spectacular. I highly recommend this book not only for yourself but to give to others as a gift for whatever reason. They will thank you for it.
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications. 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.”
From the back cover: Dr. Pablo Martinez suggests, from his long experience as doctor, counselor and Christian leader, that our basic personality type strongly affects how we pray. Extroverts, preferring action, will struggle to develop a regular prayer life; introverts will be more likely to set time apart. Thinking types pray more easily with pen and paper; feeling types may long for intimacy with God. This book helps us understand, and work with, our own spiritual path.
When I was new to Christianity I was told I had to pray. I said okay and then I was told I had to kneel down beside my bed and pray. So I obediently did what I was told. And this drove me crazy! Me, I like going for a walk for an hour, hour and a half, I draw near to God and He draws near to me. Dr. Martinez tells us in “Praying with the Grain” that this has a lot to do with my personality type.
Dr. Martinez divides his book into two main parts: “The Psychology of Prayer “and “The Apologetics of Prayer”. The very first chapter is “Different Prayers For Different People”. If you, like me, were told this is the way you pray and find that way really doesn’t work for you then this book is for you. Dr. Martinez is bulls-eyes accurate with his personality types and the way they pray. Once you find out which you are and how you pray then the freedom you will feel will be spectacular. I highly recommend this book not only for yourself but to give to others as a gift for whatever reason. They will thank you for it.
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications. 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.”
April 1, 2013
Pablo Martinez writes about how personality affects the way people pray in Praying with the grain. He hopes by helping people understand their personalities this will aid them in their prayers.
Martinez introduces his book by examining different personality types and then discusses how this impacts the way one prays. This section was quite interesting as he writes how personality might affect the desire to pray, the frequency of prayer and the length of prayer. There are some insightful moments in this rather lengthy section but his suggestions for overcoming difficulties are limited and not always practical (eg praying with a friend). Martinez seems to have quite a rigid view of prayer and doesn’t seem to consider suggesting other styles of prayer that might be better suited to some personalities. The topic also lends itself to helping people of different personalities to pray together but this was not mentioned at all. In the second half of the book Martinez gets unnecessarily complicated as he explains his apologetics of prayer.
Overall I must admit to being disappointed with this book that had such promise but often failed to deliver. It seems that Martinez’s main concern was helping people understand their personality type and then, apart from a few brief practical suggestions, leaves it to the reader to work out their own application.
The book was originally published in 2001, and the revised edition which I read was published this year, so it would seem other readers have found it more helpful than I did.
Martinez introduces his book by examining different personality types and then discusses how this impacts the way one prays. This section was quite interesting as he writes how personality might affect the desire to pray, the frequency of prayer and the length of prayer. There are some insightful moments in this rather lengthy section but his suggestions for overcoming difficulties are limited and not always practical (eg praying with a friend). Martinez seems to have quite a rigid view of prayer and doesn’t seem to consider suggesting other styles of prayer that might be better suited to some personalities. The topic also lends itself to helping people of different personalities to pray together but this was not mentioned at all. In the second half of the book Martinez gets unnecessarily complicated as he explains his apologetics of prayer.
Overall I must admit to being disappointed with this book that had such promise but often failed to deliver. It seems that Martinez’s main concern was helping people understand their personality type and then, apart from a few brief practical suggestions, leaves it to the reader to work out their own application.
The book was originally published in 2001, and the revised edition which I read was published this year, so it would seem other readers have found it more helpful than I did.
May 22, 2012
Let me begin by quoting one of my favorite people, Dr. John Stott, "Profound, practical and personal... I cannot imagine any reader failing to be helped by it, as I have been myself." (This was in his forward for Praying with the Grain.)
I found this book to be most helpful in my own struggles with prayer and knowing that it's not because I am a colossal failure, but rather due to my personality and temperament has helped me greatly.
He provides solid and factual information tempered with a strong desire to see God's children enjoy a personal relationship with their Lord through prayer.
Dr. Martinez reveals to us how our personalities, temperaments and even emotional problems can and do affect our relationship with others as well as our relationship with God. And that affects our prayer life.
I found myself in Praying with the Grain and I found ways to help me obtain a more satisfying prayer life.
Dr. Martinez writes in a manner that easy for anyone to understand and he writes from the heart, the heart of prayer.
Praying with the Grain is a book that should be in every home of every Christian who struggles with prayer and an intimate relationship with God our Father.
I want to thank Kregel Publications for providing me with this free review copy and making it possible for me to review this book.
May 26, 2012
Praying With the Grain by Pablo Martinez is a fascinating read! As you can see, the subtitle says, "How your personality affects the way you pray". It uses Carl Jung's psychological types to show how individuals with those typologies tend to pray. As a psychology junky, this greatly snagged my attention, and it was a book I just had to read. http://jamiswords.blogspot.com/
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August 4, 2016Fantastic book! provides a surprising broad insight on the connection between your personality and your prayer life. highly recommended
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews