When I first got this book from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze.com, I remember thinking to myself that this has to be interesting especially with something titled mystically. We do not general accept mystical in the realm of Christianity, so I was intrigued as to what the book would say in respects to this.
What I got out of this book is that the author, Ken Wilson, is trying to prove the point that we are “wired” for prayer. That is as beings created in the image of God, our human instinct is for prayer and something that we need as part of our survival. It is a vital part of who we are and a vital part of how to stay connected to the Creator.
If I am to be honest, the first half of the book is a little tedious. It is written to explain the science behind being hardwired for prayer. It was refreshing from the stance that the author was addressing this, which is generally not what Christians do, but I was ready for and looking for tips and ideas for having a better prayer life. I did get this in the second half of the book, which was basically the handbook to improving your prayer life. The author even proves some simple prayers to get you focused on increasing your prayer life.
This book is not a traditional self-help Christian book. It really focuses on the science behind it and is uncommon in the way that it presents ways for you to improve prayer. This is probably difficult for many Christians who have a hard time intermingling the science and the divine together, but Wilson does provide some solid research and understanding behind prayer. This type of approach could also be very upsetting to some Christians and make it difficult for them to want to read.
The good part about this book is that Wilson really tries to walk you through understanding prayer, his journey with prayer and he really tries to make you understand that it is not about just doing it, but why it is an important part of who we are as a created being. He pushes us to prayer as the importance of who we are and the relationship we have with God, not just because we are supposed to do it. The practical suggestions are also very helpful and I look forward to integrating a few of them in my life.
The negative part about it was that the scientific part could be a little difficult to wade through and hard to comprehend. Even as intriguing as the concept of praying having a physical impact on the brain is, it was still hard to get to that point of understanding it with all the information Wilson provides. I even found myself have to read some passages several times in order to get it.
All in all it was a good book, I might not have picked it up in the book store, but it is worth a read if you are interested in prayer, but if you are not interested in the science you might want to skip the first part.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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