Prayer Changes Things: Curing Timid Piety

by P. Andrew Sandlin

One striking difference between our Christian forebears and us is their repeated emphasis on prayer and our comparative de-emphasis of it. They prayed frequently and fervently. We pray infrequently and languidly. They called prayer meetings. We call staff meetings. They had revival and reformation. We have apathy and apostasy. A leading reason for these distinctions is that they were inclined to believe what God said about prayer. We are often less confident in God’s word when it comes to his promises about prayer. A blunter way to say this we commit the sin of unbelief. Prayer changes things. When we pray, we are asking God to change things. And when he answers our prayer, he does change things. This brings us to a most telling fact that we don’t often if we are perfectly willing to accept the way things are as God's unchangeable will, we will never be people of prayer.

Genres: Prayer, Theology, Christian Living, Christian

63 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2018

Reviews

[Mason Sherrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still mulling over all the admonishment Dr. Sandlin offers in this book. It rubbed against all my reformed, Calvinistic tendencies in the best of ways.
Can’t say I agree with everything, but oddly can’t say I don’t 😂
It is a short read and a Biblically defended case against feeble prayer in the Church. I needed to hear it and I would recommend this book to anyone struggling to understand the tension between God’s sovereign will and the reality that prayer changes things.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can genuinely say that I have never been more encouraged or emboldened to pray than I am now after reading this booklet. In the course of 6 years, I went from a word of faith type theology almost immediately into reformed theology and a biblical framework for prayer was completely lost in the midst of that change.

Dr. Sandlin’s work here has been a pivotal shift for me. This book does an excellent job of convincing the reader that God’s sovereignty and bold, expectation filled prayer are not actually at odds with one another.

I have so many thoughts on this book but ultimately you just need to read it for yourself! You will be blessed.

“Big, bold, daring prayers do not upset God. Little, anorexic, unbelieving prayers upset God.”

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book. I need to work through and wrestle and study a few concepts that he presents, but it is convicting and encouraging. Too often I am timid in my prayer because I assume that my prayer might not be in God's secret will. But the Bible teaches us to pray boldly based on his prescriptive will revealed in Scripture. He delights in answering the prayers of his children.

I wish he had spent a little time dealing with when we have prayed faithfully and fervently and the prayer is answered differently. But if anyone is looking for a book to push you to pray big, this is one I'd recommend.

[Jenni Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, convicting, and encouraging booklet on prayer! Sandlin has no doubt shed light on timid piety so prevalent among all Christians. He writes, “we should pray more, we should pray more often, we should pray more fervently, we should pray more confidently, and we should never settle for the status quo, because the whole point of prayer is for god to change the status quo.” He uses many Scripture references showing how the saints of the Bible prayed, not of timid, so called reverence of God’s “declared purposes,” but of faith filled petitioning to God in persuasion of changing the status quo. God’s character and nature is unchanging, but he uses prayers to bring things about in our world today. I highly encourage this read!

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prayer Changes Things: Curing Timid Piety is Dr. P. Andrew Sandlin’s most important work. This short booklet, highlights the prayerlessness of our age, I am more convinced now than ever, one of the greatest reasons the Church is so impotent is due to its prayerlessness. The body of Christ most come back to practicing faith-filled, expectant, bold prayers. This is one of the primary ways, if not the primary way, that we see the Almighty’s will done on earth as it is in heaven. Pray big, expect big! I commend this to every sincere disciple. Paradigm-shifting book.

[Austin Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very disappointing. Although what Sandlin said about praying with faith and praying boldly was very edifying and convicting, his heterodox views on the Doctrine of God shone forth brightly. Attacking impassability, Sandlin plainly states things like “Prayer changes God” (many worse quotes could be supplied). Yikes

[Hailey Dahlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly challenging, convicting, transformative, inspiring work on the power of prayer in the believer’s life!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! A great little book on prayer. Brought out a couple of insights that are going to really improve my own praying. Well worth the minimal investment. Worth reading and re-reading.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a convicting little book! We have not because we ask not or if we ask, we are unbelieving. (A VERY truncated synopsis.)

The author encourages believers to pray - about everything - and to expect answered prayers. He encourages us to persevere in prayer, not giving up with the assumption “it must not be God’s will…”.

Sandlin makes his case from Scripture and chides “sola Scriptura” Christians for ignoring the myriad passages that promise He WILL answer prayer.

This small book has been a big encouragement to me and quite beneficial to my prayer life.

[Dylan Stinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and challenging book on prayer. Sandlin fits in a heap of encouraging challenges in under 70 pages. It's drenched in scripture and has valid exegetical arguments. I was looking for a short book that would motivate me to pray more, and this was the medicine my soul needed. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

[Brett Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandlin does well to challenge the way that I have historically viewed prayer. He stays rooted almost entirely in Scripture (rather than, for example, philosophy) to give a positive argument for what prayer should look like in the life of a Christian, and then holds the mirror up to the reader to allow self evaluation. I found the book to be easy to read, but thorough and challenging still. When tackling some of the more theological topics, such as prayer and the relationship with predestination, God's will, etc, I found the treatment to come up just a bit short of where I would have liked it to. Not that I necessarily have a suggestion for a subtopic that was missed, but I found the treatment of that topic felt slightly less satisfying than the others.

I think that this short 60 page book is well worth the read for any Christian, and I hope that you will find it to enhance your prayer life as I have.

[Tyler Busha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book recommended to me by one of my pastors. A very helpful redirect for reformed christians, as we have the tendency to be cold, or functionally timid in prayer to use the book's title. We tend to say things like 'if it's in your will, O God' which is ultimately not the approach to prayer that we see in scripture. Here is one quote from the book: "...[God] relishes great visionary faith from his children. Earthly fathers delight when their children exercise great confidence in them. Can you imagine how the heavenly father feels when his children have faith the he can do anything for them?"

I would pair this book with 'Enjoy Your Prayer Life' by Michael Reeves, which I read this past July. Both are short, good reads.

[Lisa Doorenbos · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Prayer Changes Things” changed me…what a wonderful, short, encouraging book on Prayer! I ordered a BUNCH of copies to share with others.

The line that sticks with me… “our Lord is never miffed by daring prayers. Never in the Bible do we find an example of Jehovah in the OT or Jesus in the NT complaining that people ask God to do too much for them. Big, bold prayers do not upset God. Little, anorexic, unbelieving prayers upset God.”

If your prayer life needs a kick in the arm (or even if you think your “ok” with how your prayer life is going) give this short 60 page book a try!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wish he had hired an editor for this self-published book. The many errors were distracting. He also quoted great swaths of Scripture (from a modern translation never attributed) but did not state he had permission to do so. Bold and fervent praying is emphasized - well noted. But he also quotes from particular people who seem to differ from his emphasis in a disparaging way that seems ungracious. All this contributed to my negative impression of the book, and kept me from being fully receptive to its message.

[Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is no doubt the best book I’ve read on prayer, even if it’s also the shortest. Every Christian ought to read this book, but especially those in the Reformed crowd who champion God’s sovereignty. It is convicting, encouraging, and biblical. It crushes the pietistic mindset about prayer that is so rampant in the church today. Read this book!

[Jerome Bushnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drawing from Scripture, outside sources, and his own experience, Sandlin corrects and clarifies the apparent tension between predestination and supplication in prayer. Challenging and illuminating, and timely for our generation.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

An encouraging, convicting (like a good swift kick to the pants), and truth-telling book. While I had quibbles with small things in chapters 1,2, and 4, chapter 3 is worth the price of admission. Read it, discuss it, and rethink how you approach prayer.

[Crystal Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

phenomenal. it was a harder read with kiddos around bc it intellectual/deep in nature but all the points are supported in scripture and he provides other supporting references. It taught about things I've never thought deep about before.

[Rusten]

One of the most important books I've read in awhile.

[Hopefully Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small volume on prayer packs a powerful punch in common misconceptions of prayer and causes you to pause and think about why your prayers are remaining unanswered.

[Aubrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not enough stars for this one. Calls us to bold, faith filled prayer, not simply “if it’s your will”. It greatly encouraged my heart. This is a booklet so an easy and quick read.

[Kyle Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much needed admonition for the Church.

[Matias Garnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, helpful and convicting booklet

This is the first book I have read about prayer, and it has really exposed my evil and unbelieving heart in prayer. This has been evidenced by me seeking to justify God for not answering prayers, lessening the expectation that God will answer and thus not being preserving nor expectant in my prayers.

Prayer not only changes the one who prays, but circumstances, peoples and even God! And the way Sandlin shows this from the Scriptures (by quoting it!) was really helpful. Towards the latter end of the book he quickly addresses how classical theism and its idea of the immutability of God, in fact lessens God (to less than personal) and hinders us from believing the word of God regarding prayer. This section was very enlightening!

Due to the book’s immense helpfulness, relevance, biblical fidelity, brevity and directness I would highly recommend this book for anyone seeking to grow in the area of prayer.

“Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:2)

[Grady Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seek First the Kingdom of GOD

One of the best if not the best on prayer, I have ever read. It actually answers why it seems the church is losing the culture wars. We must get back to Biblical praying! This book must be read throughly and put into practice. If not you may come to wrong conclusions because of the teachings of the church on prayers over the last one hundred years.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and easy to read. Sandlin doesn't beat around the bush but calls Christians to believe God's promises to answer prayer. It was helpful for me to read that God's character can still be unchanging and constant even if he changes his mind in response to prayer. They are not contradictory. Thanks Andrew Sandlin for a good book.

[Missy A Staggers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book and the perspective on prayer. It has definitely helped me to reconsider my prayer life and shown me just how important prayer should be in my life

[Jon Swerens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short treatise on prayer for the Christian. If you are like me and often find your prayer life pretty dry, this book by Pastor Sandlin offers great hope and encouragement.