Originally published as 'Facets of Prayer' Praying Always is a brief but remarkable study of the life of prayer. With great simplicity and directness of style it covers a variety of important prayer in secret, humility, effective prayer, unfulfilled prayer, and various other important topics.
Frans Bakker (1919-1965) was a minister of the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in The Netherlands, serving congregations in Huizen and Driebergen. He is best known among English speakers for his book Praying Always, published by The Banner of Truth Trust.
This little book is a treasure. I’ll post a few of my favorite sections below:
“I’m afraid that often thanksgiving is made for forgiveness of sin, while sin has never become a burden. Thanksgiving can be given for Jesus’ blood without knowing experientially the preciousness of that blood.”
“There is one prayer that has never been rejected - ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ That prayer can never be prayed too often. Here a sinner never asks too much”
“Reader… if the floors of your home could speak, would they witness to bended knees? Do you dare the walls of your home to witness to your prayer life? If the doors could speak, would they be able to testify that you have shut them to go into your prayer room? What could the walls and doors say about you?”
This book is excellent. Not only is Bakker profound on the subject of prayer. But he knows the human condition and cuttingly speaks to it. At fewer than 100 pages, the short read is beneficial for anyone to read.
This is a great little book on prayer. I enjoyed it so much that we are going through it in our prayer meeting at church. It is simple, which is what prayer is. The concept is simple. The outcome is so beneficial. But actually praying is the key. God powerfully works through prayer so let's be encouraged in this endeavor. Frans walks carefully through some primary passages on prayer and encourages us to our knees. Be sure to read the overview of his life at the beginning.
This book is a hidden gem. Short and readable. Bakker explores, as the subtitle indicates, different facets of prayer. There are many gems in this book but perhaps the central gem is the reality he returns to often that prayer is always for things undeserved, and the posture of prayer is that of a supplicant always in need of mercy and grace. At the end of the day, every prayer is a prayer for grace.
Solid if a little prescriptive - some excellent challenges, though I sometimes feel we just ought to pray and get on with communing with our Heavenly Father rather than pontificating about what prayer is and isn't in the abstract. On the whole, this book is a very encouraging one with some juicy nuggets liberally scattered throughout.
Una increíble y breve exposición de la esencia de la vida de oración: Eres pecador y ni siquiera orar mucho o bien te da derecho ante Dios. Absolutamente todo trata de Él. ¿Y yo qué hago? Reconocer esta verdad en lo profundo de tu corazón y aceptar que todo es una evidencia de la gracia de Dios, incluso el dolor y las oraciones no respondidas o rechazadas. Se tratan los temas más profundos que conozco y quedas con la fuerte convicción de tu pecado y la dulce inclinación a no querer separarte de Dios, a través de la oración, nunca más.