Prayers Were No Help

by Paul Lawrence

Jack's wife, Cindy, died after an agonizing fight with pancreatic cancer. Jack retreated to his home and the bottle, unsure if he wanted to continue without her.

When his parents threatened to come to his house, Jack escaped to the family's lake cabin, to be free of phones, TV, and the internet and to finally make a decision.

But Jack didn't count on the presence of a mysterious stranger named Toby at the lake. At first, Jack was rude and obnoxious, but Toby's persistence tore down his defenses.

After one week of intense, emotional confrontation, Jack overcame his grief and depression and began a new way of living.

Bothered by the fact that he never really thanked Toby, Jack returned to the cabin, only to find that Toby was not who Jack thought he was.

78 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2017

About the author

Retired computer security professional. Wrote technical articles for Securityfocus.com (now Symantec) and authored Chapter 6 of AVIEN Malware Defense Guide for the Enterprise

Reviews

[Agnieszka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit it's one of the most difficult books to rate and review I ever read.
The first six chapters I was convinced it will become one of my favorite books and was amazed about the story, the intensity of emotion and how realistic it was. The next three chapters I wanted to chuck my Kindle against a wall and that's something I'm really not used to - even if I dislike a book. The last few chapters I was dithering between - what a crap (just my very subjective POV) and I think it could get really great.
I was really struggling with the positive thinking ideas overriding the core of Christian faith. I'm aware some if it is tied to past hurts and I'm really great a book that started so great and written in such a wonderful way has so much potential to hurt people that are already hurting - just because the author transports the conviction all negative happening in our life is more or less our own 'fault' or at least we caused it ourself - because we have the 'wrong' beliefs and that's something I got very much hurt about and ask myself where that leaves God's sovereignty.
I know that's one of the controversial subjects in many Christian churches - but I still can't see any possibility to agree this brand of positive thinking with the Bible.

This book was provided by the author in exchange for an fair and honest review and did not biase in any way my opinions.

[Kara Liane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will begin by saying that Paul is a phenomenal writer.
This book was recommended to me, and it came at a significant point in time when I needed reaffirmation to be grateful for both the small and big things in life. This type of story is not in my wheelhouse, but I can appreciate it for what it is, and what it represents.
I am a very open-minded person, so I am intrigued by subjects I tend to not know a lot about; religion being one of them. What I liked about this book is it did not beat me over the head with religious references, it was more spiritual; which I suppose those go hand-in-hand anyway, but he wrote it in such a meaningful way.
Paul demonstrated great use of metaphors, and I was thankful for that, given the context of the storyline because some concepts don’t come naturally to me. There was heavy introspection among the main character, and I really considered this an uplifting story. I went through the motions with Jack during his grieving, and bouts of despair. I think we can all relate on some level to experiencing a loss, and it was easy for me to understand his state of mind. Heartbreak and sorrow are difficult feelings to navigate, so finding a sliver of hope, or comfort, in this life is imperative; Toby gave that to him.
We all need to be reminded of faith and love, whether you’re a believer or non-believer. Faith can mean something different to everyone.
My takeaway is that among the black curtains hung around the room, sometimes you need to let a little light shine through the veil, and you may be surprised by what is illuminated.

[Cathleen Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prayers Were No Help is an interesting read, and has a superb title for the story. I have a cordial dislike to most overtly Christian literature, despite being Catholic myself. I usually find it too didactic. But this volume has superb writing in a line-edit sense—I didn’t have a single wince as I read, and that’s a rarer occurrence than I would wish.

The book opens with the main character dealing with his wife dying of pancreatic cancer, and it’s easy to sympathize with his terrible plight. The faith journey the character takes is believable and interesting, and the result of his increased faith is inspiring.

Pacing-wise, the story moves right along, and that is also a rarer thing than I could wish. If you’re looking for a faith-based narrative without a saccharine aftertaste, Prayers Were No Help is a worthy read.

[Augustine Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding God

People react to loss in different ways. Some turn to alcohol and others to God. Jack, who lost his wife to cancer, turns to both—first to alcohol and then, by some miracle, to God—which, in a way, is a blessing that eludes many.

Prayers Were No Help is a Christian literature with a biographical feel. It distinguishes itself from regular preachy religious books by creating a narrative around the fictional character of Jack. There is an encounter at the lake which draws out compelling arguments about God and the need to have him in our lives. But many Bible readers might take issue with the reference to Job because the notion that he lost everything “once he started listening to his miserable comforters” is somewhat flawed. According to Biblical accounts, the saga of Job was actually a deliberate design—for him to be subjected to ‘tests’—to determine the extent of his faith. When he refused to denounce God in the face of harsh sufferings, loss, and total impoverishment, choosing instead to cling to his faith despite Satan’s taunts, God rewarded him by giving him back everything he lost and more.

This obvious lapse in the story and the narrator’s reliance on “telling” and not “showing,” somehow rob it of substance. Still, based on its subject matter, the book remains an inspirational work.

[Emily Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The start of this short novel really grabbed me. I really felt for Jack as he found out his wife was dying and how hard they both tried to fight to save her. It read like a true account and I had to remind myself that it was a fictional story. I really wanted to learn more about his wife and their relationship, but the main part of the novel was about Jack and his coming to terms with her death afterwards. The first part had me fascinated so I was sad it was over so quickly, but I'd invested in Jack enough to stay with him as he continued his journey alone.

The novel really explored how people come to terms with death in different ways. It revolves around how Jack turns to God to help him and takes himself away from the world of technology. I haven't read Christian fiction before, but I enjoyed this as a fictional story. It wasn't too preachy, just a gentle spiritual approach to the Christian element which I really warmed to. Both readers that enjoy fictional stories and Christian novels would enjoy this special book.

[Shashane Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prayers Were No Help was an awesome read for me. I love inspirational books and this one was no different. About the second page, I was hooked on this book with this line “We had one hundred fifty dollars in savings, an excess of ambition, and unlimited funds in our dreams account.” The book is one that tells the tale of how one very ambitious man who had dreams for himself and his wife, lost her and now had to deal with grief. He turns to God where he finds solace. The journey isn’t easy but as you read on, you will be tugged into a world of emotions. The book is a gentle nudge in the direction of God without being overpowering so it’s a perfect read even for those who are not Christians or believers. You can still enjoy a great literary piece if work. The writer is gifted with words and his use of metaphoric expressions. Though short, it was a great read and I’ll probably read it again.

[Annabelle Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably the first piece of Christian fiction that I've ever read. I think that religious people would probably enjoy the message of this book and find it reaffirming. It seemed like the protagonist Jack experienced a meaningful journey, and I think religious people would appreciate that.

I do wish there had been more substance to the story and less summarizing of events. The protagonist's entire relationship with his wife was essentially just summarized. The dialogue was also somewhat stilted in places. For example, "It is I."

Overall, this was a quick read. I think people with a religious background would enjoy it.

[Cissy Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lost my mother to cancer about 5 years ago. This book really hit home with me. This book brought back some of what I felt during my loss. I went through the emotional turmoil with Jack during his grieving, and bouts of despair. I think we can all relate on some level to experiencing a loss, and it was easy for me to understand his state of mind. I loved the part Toby played in Jack's life.

[Paul Lawrence]

I wrote this, so reviewing it would be rather silly.