The Papa Prayer: The Prayer You've Never Prayed by Larry Crabb

The Papa Prayer: The Prayer You've Never Prayed Reviews

• 
  Neville Ridley-smith

  This is a review of the Papa Prayer - it's gonna be an awesome review!
  We're going to review the book called the Papa Prayer.
  First of all I'll just mention that the book is called The Papa Prayer.
  BTW while I had a bagel this morning I thought of this cool thing...
  But anyway, on with the review.
  We are now ready to review The Papa Prayer!
  Are you ready?
  Let's go!
  Here is the review!!!
  I hated this book.
  
  That's how I felt reading this book - "just get on with it!"
  And because it was such a bad backronym, I can't even remember what the letters PAPA stand for anymore.
  
  In all honesty, there were a couple of things of interest but the whole book could be summarised in about 10 pages. And it didn't seem very biblical.
• 
  Jason Kanz

  The PAPA Prayer (2006) by Larry Crabb provides a description of a method of relational prayer. Crabb, who admits early in the book, that he has written little about prayer in the past, indicated that for many Christians, prayer is often difficult. Much of our prayer is focused on ourselves or asking for requests to be filled. Crabb encourages the reader to back up and focus more upon the relationship with God. The letters in PAPA are an acronym for:
  
  Present yourself to God without pretense.
  Attend to how you are thinking about God.
  Purge yourself of anything blocking your relationship with God.
  Approach God as the "first thing" in your life.
  
  Crabb takes the reader through a reasonably detailed description of what he means by each of these things and how it looks in action.
  
  On the positive side, Crabb is right that prayer is difficult for many Christians. Furthermore, I think he is correct that too often we downplay the importance of relationship in our prayers. Our "first thing" is relationship with God. All other things may be added, but our relationship with our Papa is primary.
  
  My fear is that, like other books on prayer, this may not have the intended effect. On the one hand, Crabb tries to clarify that this is not a model or magical roadmap to vibrant prayer, but as he writes about it, it is hard not to get that feel.
  
  If you want to learn more about relational prayer, this is probably a really good place to start and I believe all of us can grow in learning more about how we relate to God.
• 
  Gary Webber

  A Gem!
  
  This little book was quite a surprise. It has radically affected the way I pray and challenged my thoughts on the subject. The simple concepts in this book can be communicated in very brief, simple terms that a child can understand. In fact, a child may be able to understand it better than adults. if you're content with your prayer life, don't read this book.
• 
  Phillip Shero

  Earlier this year, God invited me to call him Papa and know him as a friend. A few months later, I noticed this book on my shelf--I don't remember when I got it, but I had never read it. It came just at the right time, when I was open to moving from head to heart on knowing God as friend. Dr. Crabb helped me with four simple steps for moving toward God relationally. All other kinds of prayer are fine and have their place, but Crabb says we should begin with relational prayer (before petition or even worshipful prayer). I aim to spend this year (2021) becoming more familiar with this way of approaching God and discovering the depths of his love and friendship.
  Read this book not for information, but as a practical guide for a new way to pray.
• 
  Sarah

  Go into this book knowing it isn't so much a definitive work on prayer as much as it is one Christian sharing what he has learned and is learning. Also, I feel like it helps to read is book Connecting first, because it really helps to understand where he is coming from.
  While not my favorite by this author, I really appreciated this book and plan to apply it to my prayer life.
• 
  Emily

  I had to read this book for school and I was very leery. However, I was pleasantly surprised by his concept. It seems really solid and God-focused, not self-focused. His writing is quite repetitive. I feel he could have cut about 25% out, if not more. But if you can get past the repetition, the idea is solid and very thought provoking.
• 
  Danay Pérez Pérez

  Buena narrativa. Me sentí muy cómoda leyendo me captó la atención hasta 3/4 partes. Pudo ser más breve pero creo que perdería la dinámica de ser ameno y relajado. Introductorio, para personas que empiezan en la fe y para experimentados que se enfocan demasiado en la oración centrada en la adoración/petición.
• 
  Julie

  Very interesting look on where we start in prayer, our thoughts on who God is, who we are and getting to that genuine place of knowing before making requests.
  
  Very thorough look at it and some practical steps to follow.
• 
  Sandra

  Interesting insight regarding how many look at prayer, struggle with prayer, and miss the meaningful purpose of prayer. The author offers some good strategy to get one on course to have a more meaningful and heartfelt prayer life.
• 
  Tracy Fagan

  This book gave me new insight on prayer and how to come before my Heavenly Father and speak with Him. It is a relationship changer!
• 
  Kimberly Patton

  This was a nice, leisurely read that helped me focus on honest prayer. Not the best written words but a very sincere heart and I appreciate that.
• 
  சுயேபெர் SuJéB Joshy

  This book says about more meaningful way to pray. A good book but felt some concept keeps repeating.
• 
  Josie

  I gave up! LOL
• 
  Paul Lloyd

  An inspiring book about prayer.
• 
  Kent Dickerson

  Wonderful help in getting relational with God.
• 
  Meghan Cable

  This book has forever changed how I look at prayer. It was gut wrenching to read in places and so deeply tender in others.
• 
  Caleb Otto

  Encouraging and helpful. Puts the focus where it must be!
• 
  Stu

  Excellent little book on prayer. Essential point being that prayer is essentially about us Presenting ourselves to God authentically and honestly. Read the book - Dr Crabb unpacks this wonderfully
• 
  Preston Pittman

  This book completely changed my prayer life. I've always struggled with prayer and "relation with God", but this prayer method has been so profoundly insightful for me.
• 
  Paul

  Excellent! Not a formula or a special method of approaching God so much as an encouragement to seek him and relate to him. Yes, PAPA is an acronym that describes a way to pray, but this is not a gimmicky new method. Dr. Crabb is a gifted author and storyteller, and his examples of situations and the ways people have spoken to God are extremely helpful. My only disappointment with this is finding that the audiobook is an abridgement. I'm looking forward to reading the entire ebook!
• 
  Eric Wright

  Crabb takes us along on a prayer pilgrimage that leads us away from the gimme, gimme style of prayer to ones that draw us into the heart of God.
  
  The central thesis concerns showing us that prayer is not a call first to spend our time making requests of God, but of conversing with God as He is. As Crabb points out, Jesus invites us to bring our requests to him...after we have establishing an abiding relationship with him. Prayer is primarily developing that relationship.
  
  In this regard Crabb gives us four steps described by the acronymn, PAPA. P stands for presently ourselves to God authenticallly, being real with Him. A stands for attending to how we think of God and modifying our perception of him to fit who he tells us He is. (Vending machine, smiling buddy, watchmaker, preoccupied king, stern patriarch, kindly grandfather, impersonal force, tyrant, lover, etc.) P stands for purging ourselves of the relational faults that block our intimacy with Him. And A stands for approaching God just as you are, tuning in your passion to know Him and honor Him above all others.
  
  I think Crabb is right in correcting our misconception about prayer. We really need to relate to Him in an authentic, open way that celebrates His glories so we can hear His voice. We need to learn to abide in God, in Christ. But I found his acronymn, PAPA, unwieldy and hard to remember. We need something clear, more memorable to remind us of these three facets: talk to him authentically, correct your picture of Him, get rid of the selfish clutter that keeps you from relating to him, and approaching him with a passion to know him.
  
  I would give Crabb a 5 for the thesis, but a 3 for the commication. In many ways the book is too fuzzy.
• 
  Geoffrey Mandiano

  Good for newbies and people who didn´t payed much attention to God or to prayer till now. It answers the most fundamental questions, essential for bulding a relationship with God based on the right values.
  For me, it repeated things I knew and didn´t answer the questions I had. Personally, I would also prefer less ado about the several main principles. The message could have been said in a brochure.