Prayer

Our publishing team at RBC Ministries has been reading and discussing Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference by Philip Yancey.

It's always a pleasure to read one of Yancey's books if only for the sheer craftsmanship of his writing. In the three chapters of this book that I've read so far, he does not disappoint.

In chapter 3, "Just As We Are," Yancey writes about how we ought to understand ourselves as we approach God in prayer. A recurring theme so far is that as we pray, we must never forget who God is and the necessity of seeing things from His point of view. And so in this chapter, he reminds us of who we really are. Because we are guilty, he suggests that prayer ought to start with confession. We must set aside our self-reliance and independence and recognize our helplessness. Humility must characterize us as we recognize our smallness and God's greatness.

One of my favorite Yancey insights from this chapter is his discussion of a trip to Japan where he had a lengthy conversation with a pastor who was agonizing over the 99 percent of Japanese people who do not know Jesus. This pastor wondered if these people would truly burn in hell. He had heard of those who believed that people might have a second chance to repent after death, and some believed in a universal salvation. He asked Yancey what hope he could offer him for these people who had not repented.

Yancey, exhausted from travel and sleep deprivation, reviewed aloud with the pastor certain doctrines, Scriptures, and even Lewis's view of hell from The Great Divorce. At last Yancey responded, "I do not know the answer to your questions. But I believe strongly that at the end of time no one will be able to stand before God and say 'You were unfair!' However history settles out, it will settle on the side of justice tempered by mercy." Yancey concludes that we come to know God better through prayer, and as we encounter Him, we learn to trust.

So far it's a thought-provoking, interesting read, and I'm looking forward to future readings and discussions on this seemingly never exhausted topic.