Praying Like Jesus: The Lord's Prayer in a Culture of Prosperity

by James Mulholland

Jabez got it wrong. Praying is a central practice of spiritual life. Through prayer we turn our hearts and minds from our limited perspectives and concerns and begin to discern the divine will for the world. James Mulholland believes the self-correcting nature of prayer is being distorted by a culture of prosperity, which has refashioned prayer in its own image, making books such as The Prayer of Jabez huge bestsellers.

Prayer today bears little resemblance to the kind Jesus taught. For many, it has become a means of personal success and material gain, taking the form of a shopping list rather than a transforming spiritual discipline. Mulholland warns that we have forgotten the true purpose of prayer: He believes, "The point of prayer is not to tell God what you want, but to hear what you need. It is not approaching God with our demands, but listening for God's commands. It is not seeking our will, but learning to discern God's will. This is so important to understand in a culture that caters to our every whim. Prayer isn't about me. It is about God."Jesus understood the nature of prayer and taught his disciples to pray the beloved Lord's Prayer. Offering a fresh and compelling reading of this "Prayer of Jesus," Mulholland calls us back to the true essence of prayer. He shows how authentic prayer will lead us away from the self-interest of the prevailing culture of greed and move us toward the compassion, sacrifice, and love that are the hallmarks of the kingdom of God.
Praying Like Jesus is an invitation to rediscover the life we are called to as Christians'a vow to transform our culture and world. The early Christians prayed like Jesus and were legendary for their acts of compassion and service. Mulholland believes this can and should be the commitment of Christians today.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Genres: Christian, Religion, Christianity, Prayer, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Becca Nelson]

I wanted to like this book, and there were some good ideas to think about. I had a couple theological issues particularly the idea on page 64 that it was not God’s will for Jesus to die on the cross.

[Bob Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is much more than a rebuttal to prayers like the "Prayer of Jabez." This may be the best book I have read on "living out" the Lord's Prayer. This book unpacks prayer in the manner that Jesus intended for his followers. Not only was "Praying Like Jesus" convicting, it challenged many of my normal thinking patterns forcing me to rethink and reframe what I really am called to "do" as a Christian in this world. It is evident after reading this, we need to return to Jesus' words and teaching to overcome the culture of prosperity in which we live. Highly recommend.

[JD Waggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I read this through a way different lens than I think it was intended; it's meant to be a pushback against the fervor of the Prayer of Jabez that swept Christian circles a few years back, but I was using it in putting together a class on the Lord's Prayer and so was talking about what the prayer was and how each phrase works rather than what the prayer is attempting to do or how we can use it in being less selfish. For my purposes, this was fantastic. It's very readable, the theology is accessible, and the voice is challenging without being self-righteous. Because I was reading this en route to something else, I was able to leave bits of it behind pretty easily (and, also, I haven't read Prayer of Jabez, so I didn't get a lot of those allusions). The deliberate piecing apart of each phrase of the Lord's Prayer was how I structured my class, so I was glad to find that pace here. All in all, extremely useful for my purpose, but I don't know whether that accomplishes the purposes of the book itself.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a keeper. A polite smackdown on the prayer of Jabez (I admit I've never read the book but am familiar with the text and now see how "me" focused the prayer is and its appeal to the masses) - this easy read is filled with thoughtful insights, nuggets of wisdom and convicting anecdotes. My favorite takeaway related to prayers of self interest: The prayer of the self righteous and the prayer of self interest share a common theme. They are all about me. They are self centered rather than God focused.... The point of prayer is not to tell God what we want, but to receive what we need.

I wish I had read this book when it was first published in 2001. Looking forward to purchasing copies to share.

[Cody Zedaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10- quick read. Had some really good nuggets in here on the Lord's Prayer. Really liked how he looked at it through an American culture lens and how Americans appropriate certain things in the passage for prosperity's sake

[Gea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should you read this book and apply its principles? Do you believe in feeding the poor and digging wells or is your focus more inline with the prosperity gospel being preached in pulpits today? Where you are most comfortable is the real question as you read this book. When I chose this book I had neither in mind and instead began with the premise of seeking more helpful insights into how to practically use the Lord’s Prayer and to pray like Jesus as the title indicates. Imagine my surprise when the author begins with the prayer of Jabez and shows the error of those who think this is the way to pray. After is fire and brimstone chastening regarding the author of the author of The Prayer of Jabez, the author takes us on a journey to show us also the error of our lifestyles and how we should adapt our lives to share with the world our wealth. In reading this I came away with a guilty heart, a few practical guidelines in prayer, although not many, and a searching yet for more help in this arena of the Lord’s Prayer which really should be entitled The Disciple’s Prayer. The author seems that he is so guilt ridden with the poor of the world that he feels justified in teaching us what is wrong with our country. He may be correct when you see the waste accumulating in our garbage dumps but do I need guilt to arrive at that conclusion? Perhaps. What I disliked most of all was the way he used his own personal guilt trip to make the reader feel as guilty as he did. I really did not gather much in the way of help learning how to pray like Jesus. A better title for this book is ‘seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus’.

Would I recommend this book? That is a debatable question. If you are looking for a book on prayer this is not it, but if you are looking for a book that will help you begin to look at what you consider valuable in our day to day world then it is worthwhile. It does help you see where your priorities should be and hopefully we will see the need to be more generous to the poor whom Jesus said would always be with us. We are a selfish people and we do need this reality check.
I checked this book out of the public library in my city.

[Emmie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a call back to the true Jesus of the Scriptures and away from the false "bless me" Jesus who is primarily being preached today. The writer is not harsh towards today's Christians but, rather, he writes with compassion.
He speaks of us turning to Jabez's prayer as a model when Jesus gave us the model prayer. That part really touched me. The popular prayer today is not "give us this day our daily bread" - - today's ideals say that daily bread is not enough! Some of our leaders even teach us that "faith" will cause us to ask for more than just daily bread. Why do a lot of us Christians not get as excited about forgiving those who trespass against us as we do getting blessed and having our territory enlarged?
A couple of other things the author says in the book:
"The prayer of self-interest is more interested in getting God's blessings than in discerning God's will." And "What is the will of God? We often make this a selfish search. What does God want for me? What is the best path for me? However, in the context of kingdom of God, seeking God's will is always discerning our role in making earth as it is in heaven."
There are many other things the Mr. Mulholland writes that will cause us to think and repent.
If you've felt that something is lacking in some of the more popular teachings on prayer, this book will bless you.

[Adam Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had an appealing title, but seemed to focus much less on prayer and much more on social justice. Not that that is wrong in any way,but not what I expected. I agreed strongly with the author's stances on the topic of the poor and "least of these," and found it quite convicting. If you are looking for a book solely on prayer though, this one did not go into the depth I expected. It was more an antithesis on the health and prosperity message that is often preached amongst Christian circles than anything else. All in all, it had some great quotes and presented some convicting points on a topic needing to be addressed in the Western Body, but failed to deliver on the depth of going to God in prayer.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book that could make an interesting debate during a bible study. The author believes we should pray "like" Jesus instead of using "specific" words from the Bible. He is almost against the Prayer of Jabez. Also he claims we should use God's name in prayers so that other gods do not answer our prayers.

I would say I do not agree with every statement made by the author, but he does give statements to why he believes his statements are correct for him.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short but powerful book uses the Lord's Prayer as both a call to action and as an antidote to the temptations of a prosperity orientated gospel (whether the fully fledged versions seen on TV and in churches across the country or the more subtle temptations that can take root anywhere).

The author illustrates how the prayer of Jesus forces us to think more clearly about what we value, how we approach God, and whether we are truly seeking His Kingdom first in our lives.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book many times now, and given away a couple of copies to friends who expressed an interest. It's soul satisfying to go through the Our Father (as we Catholics refer to the Lord's Prayer) phrase by phrase and reflect on the meaning. I'm grateful to James Mulholland for writing this book and helping me pray with more depth and sincerity.

[Becks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good critique on the prosperity prayers of the American church. It delves into the purposeful structure of the Lord's Prayer and how this, more than the prayer of Jabez, should be shaping our prayers and pursuit ot the Christ life.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was used in Sunday School Class for serious discussions. The 6 chapters covered the 6 weeks of thought and prayer. The class found the book very helpful and assisted in our class decision to look into how to promote peace.

[Angie Chute · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book -- I'm married to the author, so I better think so!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, good insight and practical. it is how I see living out as a beleiver in the world, to your neighbors

[Ben Nighswonger · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books.