Prayer: Answered in the End

by Stephen R Holmes

Western academic analyses of the notion of answered prayer fail repeatedly to be attentive to claims that, within a specifically Christian theology, should be normative. The author proposes a theological construction, centred on the thesis that human beings are created to pray. Given this, the prayers of Jesus are paradigmatic for understanding human prayer. The author examines the ministry of Jesus under the rubric of the munus triplex, the threefold office, and on this basis, an exegetical account of the relationship of prayer and sacrifice is proposed, in which the transforming redemptive power of the sacrifice of Jesus makes possible the answering of prayer, even misdirected prayer. On this basis, a new account of how we should understand prayer being answered is offered, and this is developed into some modest reflections on the proper practice of prayer within Christian communities, paying specific attention to early English Baptist debates.

70 pages, Hardcover

Published July 2, 2026

Reviews

[Noah Senthil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a balanced, constructive, creative, and often personal theology of prayer. Balanced—in it’s interaction with scripture, tradition, and contemporary scholarship. Constructive—in its attempt to develop both an academic contribution and normative ethic of prayer. Creative—as Holmes relies upon the resources of African theologians, while constructing a theology of sacrifice, and later his own English Baptist tradition for extemporaneous prayer. Personal—as he shares his own experience with corporate and individual prayer, ending with a deeply moving account of his own battle with mental health and suicidal ideation. This book is certainly academic, but it’s also spiritually fruitful and edifying. What Holmes achieves—and what I suspect is the whole point of the book—is a defense of the idea that prayers are sanctified by the intercession of Christ, and God really…actually…truly answers them!

“We can pray, because Jesus has made sacrifice, and now prays for us: under this reality, the most fragmentary and hesitant prayers that we offer can be powerful—and when we can frame no prayer, we are still held…Prayer—all prayer, every prayer, is answered, sometimes immediately, but certainly in the end.”