Engelkemier, an experienced writer and teacher, has given to youth and young adults perhaps the best book currently available on prayer.
This work examines the whole field of prayer, not in labored academic terms, but in a conversational way. He takes Scripture, especially the Psalms, as the chief vehicle for teaching the reader how to pray and how to recognize and claim Bible promises.
The author sees prayer as a call to committed discipleship through knowing, loving, and serving Christ. He presents being in partnership with Christ as the chief actuator of a dynamic, productive prayer life.
At the end of 18 chapters, Engelkemier distills his practical points into a summary of "Usable Ideas," drawing candidly from his own prayer experiences and from biblical, historical, and contemporary examples of effectively praying people.
The author deals competently not only with aids to prayer, but also with obstacles. He does not diminish any points of truth to make his book more palatable to jaded readers. For ex ample, he recommends the elimination of trashy reading and entertainment, if the heart's highway is to be cleared for effective prayer and communion with the Lord.
This book would be good not only for individual reading but also for youth group discussions.