BOOK REVIEW

“Praying the Lord's Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough” by Elmer L. Towns





“Praying the Lord's Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough” by Elmer L. Towns

Introduction

Dr. Elmer Towns, the author of over one century books, wrote Praying the Lord's Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough to help the reader “talk to God”. Elmer Towns is an award winning author, who furthermore assists at Liberty University as the vice president and the School of Religion's dean. His contribution to the literature of Christian Spirituality will not be overstated. His straightforward approaches to writing and exposition have caused his books to be best-sellers and to receive the Gold Medallion Award.

Discussion and Analysis

Utilizing the Lord's Prayer as his outline, Dr. Towns embarks on a journey of learning to pray and invites his readers to actively take part with him. Touching on his own personal experiences in chapter one, Dr. Towns interprets a couple of basic principles about praying the Lord's Prayer (i.e. recognizing the seven petitions in the prayer, utilizing one-minute prayers). He furthermore details how to hold a prayer journal and how to conduct an effective Bible study. Chapter two focuses on the correct way to go in into the Lord's Prayer: by acknowledging God as our Father. By starting with identifying God's status as our Father, you approach God alongside Jesus, just as he instructed his disciples. This is the key to entering into prayer with the right frame of heart and mind.

Beginning in chapter three, Dr. Towns examines the three “Thy Petitions.” “Hallowed by Thy name” is the first of the petitions, and Dr. Towns interprets that we must first worship God, and give glory to his name. Dr. Towns declares, “Praise is a two-way street” reminding his readers that prayer begins with worship. The next chapter, and the next “Thy Petition”, is “Thy Kingdom come”. Dr. Towns writes that the Kingdom of God can be brought here to earth, and gives couple of practical examples of how praying the Lord's Prayer invites God's Rule into a person's life. Chapter five centers on “Thy will be done” a petition that needs Christians to request God's will for their life. Chapter six agreements with what Dr. Towns calls, “the hinge petition”, which segues the “Thy petitions” to the “Us petitions”. “On soil as it is in heaven”, recalls the readers that they “don't reside in their imaginations” and they must live out the life God has ...