Ten Prayers That Changed the World: Extraordinary Stories of Faith That Shaped the Course of History

by Jean-Pierre Isbouts

From time immemorial, prayer has provided comfort in our darkest hours, stirred us to action beyond what we thought possible, and shown us the way through seemingly insurmountable challenges. In this engaging tour of world history, author and historian Jean-Pierre Isbouts takes us on an inspiring tour of 10 prayers that played a pivotal role in world events - from the divine inspiration of Joan of Arc to Martin Luther King's powerful Prayer to Open Hearts and Minds; from George Washington's prayerful words to the newly formed American states to the horrors of Auschwitz; from Constantine the Great's prayer before battle to Gandhi's deeply moving "prayer of peace." With an attractive package and highly approachable format that includes the full text of each prayer, Ten Prayers That Changed the World is a perfect book for seekers of solace and the intellectually curious.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, History, Christian

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Jean-Pierre Isbouts was born in 1954. He is a humanities scholar and graduate professor in the doctoral programs at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. He has published widely on the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including the bestseller Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas; Young Jesus: Restoring the "Lost Years" of a Social Activist and Religious Dissident; From Moses to Muhammed; The Shared Origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam; and The Mysteries of Jesus. An award-winning filmmaker, Isbouts has also produced Charlton Heston's Voyage Through the Bible, The Quest for Peace, and Young Jesus.

Reviews

[Michele Morin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where Faith and History Intersect




In this election year, I’ve heard it said that foreign policy doesn’t fit on a bumper sticker. True enough, and I would go on to say that theology doesn’t either, but that doesn’t stop us from trying to put it there. One bumper sticker that’s been around for decades reads: “Prayer Changes Things.” You’ve seen it, and depending on your theology, you’ve either rolled your eyes or said “Amen.”

Historian and professor Jean-Pierre Isbouts has added the weight of scholarly evidence to that three-word declaration in Ten Prayers that Changed the World, for he asserts that among the “things” that prayer may have changed is the course of history. Dr. Isbouts has selected ten stand-out characters from the past and shared the stories surrounding their impactful words of faith.
1. Hand-picked by a God who — unbelievably! — spoke to humans and made stunning promises, Abraham walked with God and found Him to be trustworthy. Although he made a few wrong turns into cowardice and deception, he persevered in faith and saw the fulfillment of God’s promise: a son, born to two senior citizens. When God put Abraham to the test on Mount Moriah, it is quite likely that Abraham prayed to be spared from the horror of sacrificing his son, and although Scripture does not record the words, the ram was given and the son of promise lived. Dr. Isbouts has highlighted Abraham’s story because his influence is felt in three major world religions. This brings to my mind an actual recorded prayer from the lips of Abraham that was answered when God preserved the life of Ishmael, and although both sons were present at Abraham’s burial, their descendants have been in conflict ever after.
2.The Sermon on the Mount provides the context for Jesus‘ well-known and well-loved prayer to His Father in Heaven. Dr. Isbouts provides historical context as well, helping his readers to recognize Herod’s brutal economic oppression, which compounded the political claustrophobia of Roman occupation. While his assertion that Jesus was a disciple of John the Baptist is unlikely, his narrative effectively captures the disciple’s puzzlement: Who is this teacher? Could this be the Messiah? What is the nature of this Kingdom of which He speaks? Our impatient hearts ask similar questions today and find expression in the prayer which Jesus taught His disciples to say. The Lord’s Prayer (or The Our Father) effectively summarizes the scope of Jesus’ teaching in four brief sentences.
3.By the fourth century, the Roman empire was in a constant state of flux and infighting, and the Emperor Constantine was caught between the biggest and most difficult fight of his current campaign and a series of disturbing — what? Were they dreams? Visions? Heavenly signs? Becoming a follower of Christ could be awkward when you’re the leader of the polytheistic world, but the end result was a decree that granted religious freedom to Roman citizens, accompanied by a majestic and little-known prayer for the favor of the Supreme God. Constantine went on to secure sole command of the Roman Empire and immediately began restoring the rights and fortunes of the church and Christians. His influence was felt in ecclesiology, architecture, liturgy, the establishment of our calendar, and therefore, in all of western civilization.
4.The piety, the calling, the political acumen, and the undeterred courage of Joan of Arc have been shrouded in mystery through the years. Did her “voices” truly come from the Archangel Michael or are the gnomes and faeries of the Middle Ages playing tricks on our 21st century sensibilities? Since she stood trial twice, the young woman’s story is well-documented, and her unlikely leadership role may have been the force that led to her beloved France becoming the dominant monarchy in Northern Europe at its zenith.
5.The timeless hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, was a paean of praise that flowed from Martin Luther‘s pen following his accusation of heresy and the harrowing trials that followed — and his narrow escape from a martyr’s fate. Finding himself barred from publication of books and sermons, he turned to the “fair and lovely gift of God”: music. Ministry to victims of the bubonic plague cast Luther upon the truth of Psalm 46, and from “God is our refuge and strength” budded Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. This along with his translation of Scripture into the language of the people were hallmarks of the Protestant Reformation whose shock waves ripple through the church even today.
6.Whatever George Washington‘s spiritual leanings, he certainly recognized the role of prayer as a unifying force for a fledgling nation. Few realized as grimly as he the hardships and close calls that marked the path toward independence. Cementing his image as a man of prayer, colonist Isaac Potts witnessed Washington kneeling in the snow and overheard his prayer for the salvation of the Continental Army. The dilemma comes in sifting truth from fiction in the Washington legend. Dr. Isbouts demonstrates insight and historical acumen in his assessment that Washington was probably influenced by 18th-century Enlightenment thinking and was more intent on discovering what “Providence” could do for America than what God expected from His creation.
7.It turns out that the prayer of St. Francis has very little to do with the 13th century cleric, and while I knew this, I had never read “the rest of the story.” At this point in Ten Prayers that Changed the World, Dr. Isbouts demonstrates his gift for historical tale-weaving, sharing the World War I-era story in true you-were-there fashion. The actual source of this much-beloved prayer is an anonymous entry in a Catholic magazine that ended up on a prayer card intended for distribution to soldiers in Europe. The connection with St. Francis? His picture was on the card! Nonetheless, these words continue to send prayerful hearts on a biblical path toward peace.
8.Since there are no atheists in foxholes, perhaps the converse is also true: that there are plenty of people who pray in foxholes. General George Patton was no exception when he ordered his chaplain to write and to distribute a prayer for good weather to facilitate his battle plan for Bastogne in the European theater of World War II. I’m always skeptical of prayers for good weather — the baseball coach wants sunshine while the farmer prays for rain. Whether or not it was because of the collective Prayer for Bastogne, the fact remains that the weather stayed clear for six days in late December, and Patton was able to carry out his plan.
9.If you’re looking for diplomacy, a high view of humanity and the dignity of every people group, Gandhi is your man. However, if you’re looking for biblical theology, look elsewhere. The “Great Soul” was clearly a praying man, but it seems unclear at times who he imagined might be listening to his prayers. His best known prayer for a peaceful India was read at a daily prayer meeting with his followers. Although he clung to the illogical notion that contradictory faith traditions can all be true, Gandhi was likely correct in his belief in the “unifying power of prayer across all religions.”
10.Mother Teresa, born Agnes Rose Bojaxhiu, was also a global force-to-be-reckoned-with. Her recent canonization process has endeared her even more deeply by revealing her feet of clay — likely clinical depression. Her focus on the needs of the very poor in India allowed her to transcend the darkness of her doubts, and her daily prayer embodied the words of Jesus to those who minister to the needy. Her example lives on, inspiring others to transcend doubt and to make a difference where they are.

At some point in my reading, it dawned on me that many of Isbout’s subjects viewed prayer as a force in its own right rather than as a line of communication with God. While it is true that God “did not limit His revelation to one particular group or faith alone,” His general revelation through conscience and creation requires the specific content of His special revelation in order to clarify and to interpret His goodness. The fact that the New Testament is almost completely devoid of all cultural baggage attached to worship demonstrates that God intended (and still intends) the Truth to be trans-cultural.

Dr. Isbout observes that “prayer can move in hearts regardless of what faith tradition we belong to,” but it is also true that it is not prayer that changes things — it is God, and God has spent considerable time in the dock in recent years being either blamed or acquitted for His role in everything from terrorism to tsunamis. In 2016, it is refreshing to read a book that documents the actions of a sovereign God on behalf of His creation — even when He foreknew that the credit would go elsewhere, for it is God who changes the world, and prayer is the means by which humanity is invited into cooperation with God. This in itself is a gift, for often it is the pray-er who needs changing most of all.

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my review. 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.”

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Jean-Pierre Isbouts, is a humanities scholar who studied ancient Greek, Latin, art history, music, and archaeology at Leiden University. Later, he earned his PhD from Columbia University. Today he is a doctoral professor in the Social Sciences PhD program of Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California, and does other work as an author, filmmaker, and producer focusing on art and different historic periods but especially on the Renaissance and biblical period.

In Ten Prayers That Changed the World, Isbouts places ten prayers into a biographical and historical context. Each chapter is around 15-20 pages in length and is written as a narrative for a general audience. The chapters include: Abraham, Jesus, Constantine, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, George Washington, the Prayer of St. Francis written by an unknown person, Patton, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa.

It is important that readers understand this is not a book written only for persons of faith but also for people interested in the intersection of history, personality, words, and faith. Isbouts is a historian so uses the tools of his trade to tell his stories. He also freely admits that as a historian he must also interpret events and even “fill-in-the-blanks” at times.

Rather than writing to “prove” the existence of God, Isbouts shows readers how persons have used prayerful words to shape history. For example, the chapter about the Prayer of St. Francis tells the story of how a short prayer written by an unknown person was eventually used to give encouragement and comfort to soldiers fighting in World War I.

Written in short stand-alone chapters at a high school reading level, Ten Prayers That Changed the World is a quick book to read. I usually read a chapter before bed. Though I did not finish it thinking I had read a memorable book, I did appreciate it as a quick tour of history and faith. I think, however, I might have better liked the book had Isbouts used prayers from more religions (almost all of these are Judeo-Christian). As it is, the book feels unbalanced.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book was written by a historian and each chapter tells the story of a person, their historic obstacle, and an impactful prayer. The ten people he chose are Abraham, Jesus, Constantine, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, George Washington, St. Francis, General Patton, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa. These are all historic figures that I admire, so I enjoyed learning more about each of them. I also appreciated the faith aspect and how each turned to God in their time of need. While I knew pieces of each of these stories, I had never heard about General Patton directing his troops to pray for good weather during the pivotal Battle of Bastogne during WWII, so I especially enjoyed learning about that miraculous answered prayer.

-Isaac Potts about George Washington: “’It was the voice of one speaking much in earnest,’ he would later remember. And when he comes closer, he sees a natural bower of ancient oaks and the commander in chief of the American armies in its midst, at prayer, on his knees. ‘And there he remained,’ Potts would later say, ‘until, having ended his devotions, he rose; and, with a countenance of angelic serenity, retired to headquarters.”

-“O’Neill paused. ‘Well, sir,’ he confessed, ‘I don’t believe that much praying is going on.’ In the heat of battle, yes, of course. But when they’re not engaged, the troops ‘just sit and wait for things to happen.’ Patton nodded. ‘Between the plan and the operation, there is always an unknown,’ he said. ‘That unknown spells defeat or victory, success of failure. Some people call that getting the breaks; I call it God. God has his part, or margin in everything. That’s where prayer comes in’…in the end, the prayer was distributed to more than 300,000 soldiers through the Third Army..[with an order]…to focus their attention on the importance of prayer.’” And to “pray for good weather.”
-George Metcalf later wrote “the weather cleared and remained perfect for six days”—a very unusual development in late December in that part of Europe.

-The Prayer of St. Frances: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me offer pardon. Where there is discord, let me create harmony. Where there is falsehood, let me offer truth. Where there is doubt, let me inspire faith. Where there is despair, let me offer hope. Where there is shadow, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.”

[JournalsTLY]

A book of 10 prayers that saints (understandably) and surprisingly soldiers (generals and fighters) made. Perhaps it is because each one faced stakes and battles that were way higher than their own resources.

The book is not about spirituality yet it is .

Each essay describes the historical situation surrounding the person, the obstacles faced and the tenor of society and social pressures. It tells of the silence that Mother Teresa faced. The fasting in the midst of communal riots that Gandhi went through. The dogged determination of General Patton to print 250,000 copies of a prayer, in the midst of a severe winter and facing the onslaught of a German counter-offensive. Patton insisted that every man in the 3rd Army gets a copy of the prayer - "At this stage of the operations, I would call upon the chaplains and the men of the 3rd United States Army to focus their attention on the importance of prayer".

Patton gave the order to "pray everywhere. Pray when driving. Pray when fighting. And especially, pray for good weather".

The sun came shining for Patton and the Allies - paving the victory at the Battle of the Bulge and thus the end of Hitler.

But the same could not be said for Gandhi - his fasting and prayers stopped the riots for a season but Pakistan and India have been at loggerheads since.

Thus the prayer of St Francis is still much needed : Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Prayer can be that sowing. We will find out in history next time.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a singular book as the prayers gathered here are from various faiths. To try to create some consistency within such differing faiths, the author maintains that there is one “God” who can be accessed through many faiths….That the only way to truly “love” others is to allow them the freedom to choose which “God” they will follow. Hence the prayers he picks do not adhere to one faith which created a bit of imbalance, in my opinion.

While I disagree with him, believing as a Christian that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, I enjoyed the narratives & historical descriptions that went with each chapter. [Exploring the notes at the end re: chapter 2 “Jesus’ Prayer to Abba” reveals the author’s 21-century cultural bias against any one faith being the true faith… hence my comment about the author’s misinterpretation of Scripture when describing the intentions of Jesus.]

Each chapter/character is first described in a semi-fictional tale which features a special prayer by that person; then the character’s documented history is described.
I do believe that all of these people had an important impact in their time, but the book is misnamed. The prayers weren’t always particularly “special”… it was the people who said them that made the difference.
Perhaps the title is better read as ten “pray-ers” that affected the world.

[John Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Isbouts didn't necessarily make the case that these ten persons changed the world, or how the specific prayers related to that change, but that's not the point. How faith and prayer buoyed the lives of these ten people into doing remarkable things is definitely the point.

As Isbouts says in the epilogue, as well, it would be well for all of us to accept that the divine communicates and works with people in different ways across religions. Though the majority of these stories are Christian, the point of divine sustenance available for all remains the same.

Granted, I do take issue with the chapter on General Patton and the Battle of the Bulge. The prayer referenced in that chapter seems to attempt to take advantage of God, to use God for violence sake... then again, I have to ask, how is that different from multiple scenes in the Bible or the rest of history?

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🙏🏻

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find it interesting that this book is in the 242's as there is a bit of supposition. So-so read.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book everyone could and should read, no matter if they are religious or not. It includes the following prayers, and then tells the story:

Abraham’s Plea
Jesus’ Prayer to Abba
The Dream of Constantine
The Voice of Joan of Arc
Martin Luther’s Hymn
George Washington’s Prayer
The Prayer of St. Francis
The Prayer for Bastogne
Gandhi’s Prayer for Peace
Mother Teresa’s Daily Prayer

It also includes a note by the author, Epilogue, Acknowledgments, Notes, Further Reading, Illustrations Credits and an Index.

On of my very favorite prayers was from Chapter 7:
The Prayer Of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, let me offer pardon,
Where there is discord, let me create harmony,
Where there is falsehood, let me offer truth,
Where there is doubt, let me inspire faith,
Where there is despair, let me offer hope,
Where there is shadow, let me bring your light,
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

The author says he has dramatized the stories a bit, but he has kept them true to documented historical sources.

This book is very interesting and I learned a lot from it. I’ll keep the book within easy reach so that I can pick it up from time to time and read random chapters.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is said that prayer changes things. Jean-Pierre Isbouts offers up ten prayers that he believes have changed the world. These ten prayers range from Abraham's plea for relief from the command to sacrifice Isaac to Mother Teresa's "Daily Prayer," which she created as a spiritual foundation for her missionary order of sisters.

The collection is predominantly Christian, though there is the prayer of Abraham and that of Gandhi that lie outside the Christian tradition. Several prayers are military in nature, including those of Constantine and the prayer requested by Patton for the relief of the forces at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Though the former seems to have led to religious toleration, at least for a time, within the Roman Empire.

Isbouts offers up the prayers, and the stories behind them, in the hope that they will encourage the "moral superiority of spiritual pluralism and the great civic virtue of religious tolerance." Written for a general audience, the stories are interesting.

I will be sharing a fuller review in service of the TLC Book Tours. I will post a link at that time.

[Rudy Gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost closed the covers on this one. I really did not like the first 2 chapters at all. The book is portrayed on the premise of being a historical account, but the first 2 chapters, Abraham's Plea and Jesus Prayer are filled with details of how the characters were feeling. The biblical account give no such reasoning for any of the actions spoken of in the narrative. If this was a work of fiction or just the authors personal take on the matter it would be a different story but to portray the book as being a historical account and then filling the first 2 chapters with personal feelings was in poor taste as far as I am concerned. The rest of the 10 prayers were better documented and a good summation of the historical account. I'm glad I kept reading it did get much better.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be religious, or even spiritual, to love this book. It's really a history lesson surrounded by 10 prayers just about everyone knows.

They include "The Prayer of St. Francis" (Make me an instrument of your peace ...) as well as prayers from Ghandi, George Washington, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther and even Jesus.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to look at history from a different perspective.

I received a free copy of this book in preparation for an interview with the author.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful discussion of nine prominent figures who prayed at critical points in history from Abraham to Mother Teresa written by a historian (not theologian) and from a non-faith based perspective of "this is what seemed to have happened as a result of their. prayer. You are left to decide if you believe this demonstrates "the power of prayer" and the bigger question "Does the outcome necessarily support divine intervention?" Admittedly a little dry though this might have been influenced by the narrator of my audio version but engaging.

[Eileen Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of faith. One to read slowly to capture its essence.

[Nelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting accounts of some historical figures, such as Joan of Arc and Ghandi.