Someone who prays well

Finding Jesus in His Prayers H. Stephen Shoemaker. Abingdon Press, 2004. 118 pages.

Finding Jesus in His Prayers is precisely that: a short, challenging book that simply walks readers through Jesus’ prayers as recorded in the Gospels. Dr. H. Stephen Shoemaker writes as a pastor, a biblical scholar and a serious follower of Jesus.

When I want to learn how to pray more effectively, I ask someone who prays well to mentor me. This is precisely what Shoemaker does with the insights he offers into Jesus’ prayers. Delving into these prayers also gives us rare, transforming glimpses of our Saviour’s inner life and relationship with the Father.

Reading this book is like being invited to chat casually with a well-versed professor. Shoemaker weaves in background information from relevant sources and asks questions, inconspicuously building to a personal application, an “aha moment,” for each of Jesus’ prayers.

I will return to this book often, as a resource for preaching/teaching and as a source of inspiration for my own communication with Jesus. A four-session small group study guide is included.

Sharon Johnson is adult ministries director of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches, based in Waterloo, Ont.