Crafted Prayer: The Joy Of Always Getting Your Prayers Answered

by Graham Cooke

Book by Cooke, Graham

Genres: Christian, Prayer, Spirituality, Christianity, Faith

95 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2003

About the author

Graham Cooke is a popular conference speaker and is well known for his training programs on the prophetic, spiritual warfare and intimacy with God, leadership and spirituality. He functions as a consultant, specifically helping churches make the transition from one dimension of calling to a higher level of vision and ministry.

Graham has written sixteen books and co-authored two more. He is presently engaged in completing a six volume training series on the prophetic; the first two books in this set are already in print. He has just completed a three book series on The Way of the Warrior and is also working on a second book in The Wisdom Series.

Originally from Manchester, England, he now lives in California. He is the founder of Brilliant Book House and My Emerging Light.

Reviews

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the title of this book “The joy of always getting your prayers answered” turn you off or mislead you. Graham isn’t claiming God’s a genie in a magic lamp. Rather he challenges us to let our prayer life be a conversation with God, of finding out His will, and praying in accordance until He says “enough.”

[Lori Galaske · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of an assignment for a class at church on stress management. I think that the subtitle is a little misleading and could easily turn people off, but it has nothing to do with twisting God's arm to get what you want and everything to do with quieting your soul.

[Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the best books on prayer - will change the way you approach God.

[Ging · Rating 1 out of 5]

1star given but only because one can't choose zero. I have an issue with the cover title.... and have read only as much as I can bear to. I feel the title ignores our God's supreme sovereignty. How can we, by mere fallen and human effort even dare presume we have the power to sway God's perfect will, manipulate Him into "getting what we want". This book was given me by "a friend" a while back. I read a little and put it down with reservations - maybe I would approach this differently if it weren't for this "friend" being manipulative and self-serving; but now I am seriously concerned that our God is presented here as a shopping mall or a benevolent grandfather - not the Awesome, Creator, All-knowing, All-present, All-powerful (all the "Omni's") and terrifying but loving God that He is. For this reason it is being shelved - as "read" - but not really. I hesitate passing it on to someone else. Forgive me - I have judged this book by it's cover (title). Just can't get into it because of this. The title smacks of an heretical prosperity doctrine.

[Glen Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not with prayer that we enter His gates, but with thanksgiving.

The apostle Paul wrote, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Prayer, in the initial stage, is not about speaking. It is about listening and reading. It is about thanking God because, of the billions of people who walk the earth, Christians are supposed to be the most relaxed and the most grateful. We are called to be the Disneyland of faiths- the happiest people on earth. Even on the toughest days, the joy of the Lord is a force of strength for us. If we are filled with the fullness of God, we behave in ways unlike the world around us.
There is no place for worry or panic in a Christian's life. Faith and anxiety cannot exist in the same space at the same time. One of them has to go, and you have the power to choose which.

[Kelly Arrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disregarding the click-baity subtitle, this little book is full of helpful and perspective-changing ideas about prayer.

Much of my struggle with committing to prayer is due to my inability to focus or feelings of not knowing what I “should” pray over a given situation. I run to the Father with a million prayers, then quickly run away because there’s too much going on in my mind.

This book calls out of the importance of stillness and entering the Lord’s presence through praise. When we praise the Lord and are still in his presence, we can hear his voice and then join alongside the present conversation in Heaven through our prayers. Found this really helpful!

“It is this initial head noise that we convert into ‘prayers’ when we rush too quickly into intercession. Because we have not stilled ourselves, we pray in our own strength, and we come to God’s door under the weight and panic of the circumstances facing us. We speak often and are rarely still - in fact, we are the complete opposite of God. God is always still and He rarely speaks.”

“A crafted prayer is not a magical formula. It will take a process, over time, to be answered. We are now free to be conformed to the image of Jesus. We are free from the stress of the situation to begin to interact with God personally to increase our intimacy and devotional walk.”

[Evonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tiny little manual brought together so many pieces about prayer that have resonated with me for decades. By reading other people's insights into prayer and by experience I have been learning how to pray for all these years, but Cooke's simple method puts this bit and that bit in order. It's not everything - he mentions briefly spontaneous prayers and prayers that have no words - but it sets out strategic, humble, scriptural, and relational prayer in a way that affirmed and grew my own repertoire.

Highly recommended.

[Chris Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham Cooke reframes prayer so that it can be the joyful experience God intends it to be. In simple, practical ways, he helps us reach a new level of powerful and effective prayer. Worth reading several times!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good points on learning to be still and listen, so you can pray Gods will rather than your own.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book which instructs us to take the time to listen to what God actually wants to do and then to pray that.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always nice to read a book that is just the perfect length: no fluff, no writing to meet a certain word count. Small and succinct and very practical.

[Savera Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's all about prayer with simple words.light reading and great thoughts that inspires us to do the prayer the author suggests.

[Andrea E · Rating 5 out of 5]

My prayer life has been transformed by this book.

[Jenneth Graser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent approach to prayer, very worthwhile reading. It reminds me of Lectio Divina. A simple yet life changing stance to being with God in prayer.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

For most of my life, I have struggled to pray. Cooke is right when he says that we must turn to the ancient ways of God for His ways are higher.

[Michael Burdick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the book. Simple to read and grasp. Requires consistent application to realize the potential of the Holy Spirit in one's prayer life.

[Candice Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

For quite a short book, "Crafted Prayer" packs a punch, in a good way. I had so many "Aha!" moments while reading this book. It made sense of so many aspects of "praying in faith" that I had been heretofore confused about.

I highly recommend this book to Christians who would like to move forward into praying WITH heaven rather than toward heaven. I read it a few times over and was left wishing there was a little more detail about certain aspects of this style of prayer, but it does include practical exercises to facilitate moving forward into this new way of interceding.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very Spirit-led, yet practical guide to a fulfilling prayer life. I highly recommend it. I’m challenged to up my intercessory game, but in a fun and life-giving way. Unfortunately, most teachings on intercession leave me feeling burdened and responsible. This teaching shows me how to take on Jesus’s yoke for the things I pray for.

[Andy R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the single most important book you can read if you are interested in learning about prophecy but don't have a clue where to start. This is a few dozen pages that I guarantee will improve your faith journey even if you ultimately decide not to take the path of the prophet.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This instructs in the mandated way to pray. See Mark chapter 6. Let it be on earth as it is in heaven.

[Barbie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book literaly changed my life, and the way I talk to God!!

[Brenna Bonner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think he was just up and over my head.

[JD Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, as always!