Effective Prayer

by Russell H. Conwell

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

228 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Russell Herman Conwell was a Baptist minister, philanthropist, lawyer, and writer best remembered as the founder of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and for his inspirational lecture, Acres of Diamonds.

Reviews

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually, I'm not reading this particular edition, but I'm making an ebook from an older publication in the public domain and reading it as I go. It was split in three parts:

* Health, Healing and Faith: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36891
* Praying for Money: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36899
* Subconscious Religion: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37143

Some of it struck me a bit superstitious -- probably in that second part, Praying for Money.

Now I'm in the last part, and reading the chapter of the same name -- Subconscious Religion, and I'm finding that I completely disagree, to the point where I gotta wonder what the author was smoking ;)

We are generally moved about by powers and mechanisms beyond our comprehension and are unconsciously working out designs in the making of which we have no consciously important part.

Okay... I guess there are people who think that in this age too; that it's all the genes, or the way you'd been raised, et al. I don't agree; I believe we can choose what we do and become, despite the various influences that we had no control over.

What one does consciously may not represent his real character, but that which he does without meditation or conscious limitation represents the true disposition or tendency of his real nature. Inasmuch as ye are disposed by nature or by second nature to be a good Samaritan or to aid "the least of these," ye have lived a continual good deed for the Master.

Umm, no. I think it's the reverse. What you conciously choose to do, is your real character. If you are disposed naturally/subconciously to these good deeds and do them without thinking about it, it's worthless. It is very much different than if you aren't naturally disposed and instead choose to do them anyway consciously, because you know that's God's will, and you want to obey and serve in this way.