Prayer: The Mightiest Force in the World

by Frank C. Laubach

Prayer: The Mightiest Force in the World book

Genres: Prayer, Christian, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction

95 pages, Hardcover

First published March 3, 2006

About the author

Frank Charles Laubach (September 2, 1884 – June 11, 1970), from Benton, PA was a Congregational Christian missionary educated at Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University, and a mystic known as "The Apostle to the Illiterates." In 1915 (see Laubach, Thirty Years With the Silent Billion), while working among Muslims at a remote location in the Philippines, he developed the "Each One Teach One" literacy program. It has been used to teach about 60 million people to read in their own language. He was deeply concerned about poverty, injustice and illiteracy, and considered them barriers to peace in the world.

In 1955, he founded Laubach Literacy, which helped introduce about 150,000 Americans to reading each year and had grown to embrace 34 developing countries. An estimated 2.7 million people worldwide were learning to read through Laubach-affiliated programs. In 2002, this group merged with Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. to form ProLiteracy Worldwide.

During the latter years of his life, Laubach traveled all over the world speaking on the topics of literacy and world peace. He was author of a number of devotional writings and works on literacy.

One of his most widely influential devotional works was a pamphlet entitled "The Game with Minutes." In it, Laubach urged Christians to attempt keeping God in mind for at least one second of every minute of the day. In this way Christians can attempt the attitude of constant prayer spoken of in the Epistle to the Colossians. The pamphlet extolled the virtues of a life lived with unceasing focus on God. Laubach's insight came from his experiments in prayer detailed in a collection of his letters published under the title, Letters by a Modern Mystic.

Laubach is the only American missionary to be honored on a US postage stamp, a 30¢ Great Americans series stamp in 1984.

Laubach had a deep interest in the Philippines. He wrote a biography of the Filipino national hero, Jose Rizal: Man and Martyr, published in Manila in 1936. He also translated the hero's valedictory poem, "Mi Ultimo Adios" (My Last Farewell.)

His emphasis on the use of Easy English for literacy led directly to the development by WEC International in 1962 of an evangelistic paper using his basic vocabulary called SOON, which now prints 3 million copies a year.

Reviews

[Mark Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author, Frank C. Laubach is famous for his book "Letters of a Modern Mystic" based on his journals from his work as a missionary in the Philipines in the 1930's. That book brings up a theme that Laubach sought to follow his entire life to try to live each moment in the presence of God...an amazing thought and goal.

It is with the same enthusiasm that Mr. Laubach takes on the topic of prayer in this book. To say he is passionate about prayer would be to largely undersell his thoughts. This small book is an ongoing encouragement to each reader to take up the cause of prayer and in combined thought with others and God to literally change the face of the world.

Mr. Laubach emphatically describes how individuals may combine their prayers as part of God's plan to change the world, saying:

"We don't need to wait! It's in our power NOW! We can have a world of peace, justice, happiness, the Kingdom of God as soon as we want it. If we saw how important, each of us is for the saving of our generation; if we saw how easy it would be to tip the scales toward the Kingdom of God, (how) our right thinking builds a bridge between God and other men- the bridge that God needs if His will is to be done on this earth."

This book, written in the mid 1940's, does suffer in spots though for its scientific naiveté and so may not connect with modern readers. Those, though, who can look past the dated scientific references will find an impassioned plea toward the powerful potential of prayer.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredible this little book was written around WWII time and starts with outlining how prayer worked during a number of different conflicts during the war. In providing such examples, the author stressed the importance of people praying for world leaders so such terrible outbreaks don't occur again.

This is a book about the importance of intercessory prayer. Praying for others, not ourselves (as he says there are plenty of books on that topic) and taking both a marco and micro view of the world when we pray. So when I say macro, pray for world leaders, for world peace, and such like. At the micro level pray for the person sitting next to you (silently) in the bus on the way to work. And see how they respond.

I liked the author's practical ideas, some of which I'm currently trying out, and his passion for prayer. Yes, we need more people to pray and pray unceasingly. The world would be safer and more peaceful if we did.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Laubach is a really impressive person and wanted to read more about him and his thinking. This particular book was interesting because of its context after WWII, and the obvious sense of many people still being very scarred by the memories of the war and very nervous about the possibilities of another, hence Laubach's sense of urgency about increasing prayer. I thought his idea about prayer being somewhat like radio waves that we transmit to others around us, enabling God to communicate better with them through us, was very interesting, and this helped me understand better what's meant by "swishing prayers", since other books have referenced him talking about that. His ideas about prayer were interesting and helpful in conceptualizing what prayer is more, and definitely had a lot of practical applications that I've been trying out. For that, I think it would be worth going back to at a later point.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is where the term Flash Prayer comes from. This is one of the spiritual books that I feel is a little dated, but I like Laubach's ideas of trying to pray for people in small amounts of time. I'm not sure if he is alluding to the collective consciousness of people or not in his prayers.

[Agatha Glowacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beginning was a bit weird, focusing on prayer and WW11, but then the rest of the book got into some really practical and useful prayer suggestions and directions.

[John Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, first published in 1946, is badly dated, with numerous references to post-World War II personalities and institutions that have long faded from the scene. The author, a missionary in the Philippines, contends that if enough people are praying it will bring about world peace. It's a premise that transcendental meditation founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi adapted in the 1980s: if enough people meditate simultaneously, there will be world peace.
Laubach advocates that Christians should pray for 10 seconds several times daily to effect economic change to save the world, which at the time reeled from years of war and was on the brink of starvation. The author repeatedly dwells on the theme of a certain number of people needing to pray to make a difference, even though the Bible is replete with examples of the prayers of one righteous person altering the course of history.
The book suggests Christians offer "flash prayers" on trains and watch how the lives of other passengers will be blessed at the mere thought of Jesus being contemplated around them. Laubach wrote a booklet advising Christians to think of God at least one second every minute.

[Vicki Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the book is a bit dated, it is an inspirational work for anyone who aspires to take prayer out of the mundane and embrace a life of connection and communion with God.

I don't believe the book let's you know this impressive detail about the author.
There is a saying that one can be too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. After reading this man's testimony (in this book) about his journey to making prayer a lifestyle, I learned that he is the same 'Frank Laubach' who created the Laubach literacy program, which has helped millions to learn to read.

Being heavenly minded makes us productive on earth!

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. The main thought, that our prayers have a major impact on the world, no matter how great or small they are, should be an exciting thought to get behind. And Frank Laubach writing it should have made it interesting. But the book is so wrapped up in the quasi-scientific language of its time that the great majority of the book is really difficult to read today. There’s nothing inherently bad about the book, but it’s not worth prioritizing.

[Margaret Mechinus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rereading books on prayer that I had saved on my bookshelf. Not as impressed as I was the first time I read about Laubach and his “flash prayers.” This time I saw some questionable ideas in his numerous prayer experiments. Especially that is the number of people praying for something that makes the difference.

I didn’t think any book on prayer could be outdated, but this one is.

[Ed Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise is appropriate and the topics relevant. The addition of 1946 understanding of extra sensory perception is interesting to read. I’d definitely recommend it for those folks interested in prayer.

[Mark Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty strange little book on prayer. Knowing some of the background to Laubach’s story made it a bit interesting.

[Ajay SSharma]

ok

[Offiah Kenechukwu]

Nothing serious.

[Joy Faulkner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Opened my eyes to Pentecostal and congregational prayer…..and …intercessory prayers and telepathy use our sixth sense.

[Justin Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book isn't really about praying to God, but about having positive thoughts. If a person wants to learn about prayer, this is not the book to read. Regardless of the title, however, it is still a waste of time. Scientific references are select, and religious references are misused.