| Title | : | Let Us Pray |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0935008268 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780935008265 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 87 |
| Publication | : | First published August 1, 1977 |
Let Us Pray Reviews
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4.5 stars. . .
I am all fired up after reading this! So inspired to again fight the good fight in prayer. I think every Christian should read this. In the beginning it was a little difficult to get into it, but after I hit chapter 2 I was so into it I finished the rest in one day. Chapter 5 was incredibly enlightening and encouraging in light of the fact that "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places"
The only reason that I knocked half a star was because of a few comments that were made in the book that I don't necessarily agree with. Those two being that prayers made not according to God's will have little to no value in the kingdom. Personally, I think God cares about every thing in our lives, big or small. The other statement that I was confused about was this. "If the people of God fail to show sympathy towards Him by yielding their will to Him and expressing their one mind with Him in prayer, He would rather stand by and postpone his work." Again, personally, I don't know that these statements match my convictions. I also don't know if these things were just statements that were lost in translation (because this book was translated from Chinese) or if those were Watchman Nee's actual thoughts.
But again, overall this book was a great read, one I will turn to again and again and I am so thankful that I randomly pulled it off the shelf. -
Life changing book on the topic of prayer. Perhaps even the best book that I've read on this topic.
Soooo good. I underlined about half the book!!
I will be reading more of Watchman Nee's works as soon as possible. -
(After third reading, Aug 2016) That this and more:
"God never does anything against His own will. Since God's will is to open the door and since opening the door is in accordance with righteousness, will God nevertheless open the door if we do not knock?"
A collection of Nee messages on the common topic of prayer,
Let Us Pray lacks the unity and power of some of his better known works. That said, the opening meditation on the idea that God waits to do his will until we pray for it is worth the whole book.
"God will not fulfill His will alone--He will perform only after His people show their sympathy in prayers."
Born in Manchu China of Christian parents in 1903, Watchman Nee was active in the study and spread of the Christian faith throughout his life, including the translation of English spiritual works into Chinese. Not surprisingly, the Communist Chinese thought him a threat to their new state. He was arrested in 1952 and spent the last twenty years of his life at hard labor. The circumstances of his death prompt many to suspect he was murdered. Despite that seemingly narrow life, Watchman Nee influenced Christians around the world. His worlds are still popular and often quoted as received wisdom.
His work came to my attention in the 1970s. Then I found his style dense and hard to follow, perhaps due to my poor preparation or the translation because now I find his writing clear and compelling.
"Prayer is the occasion wherein to express our desire for God's will." -
I have greatly respected Watchman Nee for his discipline and his commitment to live in a manner that glorifies God. Sold out.
This small volume was an encouragement to me that will help me in my prayer life. He has lots of ideas about prayer, apparently from personal experience:
- Prayer is a mystery; it is working together with God; it is speaking out of the mouth of the believer, the will of God; it is our will standing on God's side.
- Our needs should be lost in God's will; God's will is for us to be so filled with His will that we forget our own interests.
"True prayer is real work. Praying according to God's will and praying only for His will is indeed a self-denying work. Unless we are completely weaned from ourselves, having not the slightest interest of our own, but living absolutely for the Lord and seeking only His glory, we will not like what He likes, nor seeks what He seeks, nor pray what He wants us to pray. Without doubt, to work for God with no self- interest, is very difficult; but the pray for Him without any self-interest is even harder..."
- praying this way will shake up hell and affect Satan.
- we are to 'pray through burdens' until they are lifted
- the amount of God's will that is done as a result of prayer is directly proportionate to the loss of Satan because of it
- satan will do anything to thwart the prayers of believers: distraction, tiredness, sin, confused thoughts, wearing down, wearing out
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If you are looking for a deeper meaning and understanding into prayer, this is your book. The way he presents the principles is very interesting. All the points refer back to the Bible as well. I listened to each chapter a couple times. Each word was so intentional and I really wanted to understand it. Now I’m off to find more Watchman Nee books!
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This is an essential reading for all Christians. Watchman Nee was such a wise and anointed Man. Everything I've ever read by him is just phenomenal. And this book has taught me to orient my prayer life according to the will of God and to engage in spiritual warfare. After all, our battle isn't with flesh and blood. Chapter 5 in particular is unmissable. It details the aspect of prayer that so many Christians are missing. My prayer life was missing the aspects of what he teaches in that chapter. And after reading it, my prayer life has been completely revitalized.
I think this is a book that all believers should read and then revisit periodically. Nee was a great man and so full of practical wisdom. Don't miss this one. -
Honestly, for most of this small book I largely disagreed. So much so that I wrote all sorts of arguments spelling out said disagreements in the margins. Somehow that kept me wanting to read it - waiting to see how next I'd be annoyed enough to spell it out. However, toward the end I found some real gems of wisdom. Not only that, these gems spoke to what I've been facing in the last few years giving me a new and important perspective. So much so that I feel I might begin to be free of much of the worst of it. So in the end I'm pleased to have persevered to read through it.
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this is one that will require multiple reads...
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We read this book as part of our young adult Bible study and used it as the jumping off point for our discussion. For that purpose, it does have a good deal of content to discuss although as it is a collection of sermons all focused on the topic of prayer, there are elements that get repeated in every chapter because obviously he would have brought them up in the sermons that were given over the course of several years.
One of the main takeaways that I will remember from this book is the fact that we are absolutely supposed to hate the works of Satan. I understand that as a Christian, but at the same time, I appreciated how strong the language was in this book. If we do not see Satan as our enemy all the time and always working against us, we can be tempted to think that we can coast by on our own strength. By remembering who our enemy is, it helps us remember where our strength comes from. Also, I appreciated how this book emphasized the necessity of praying until you receive an answer. That type of persistence is shown throughout the Bible, and it is a good reminder.
Overall, this is a good book that I would recommend. I think prayer can be a difficult spiritual discipline for some, and this book would be an encouragement in that situation. -
Nee's assertions are very counter cultural, currently. The rise of Calvinism in the protestant mindset, at least in college, smarts very strongly against Nee's stance of "God only works when man bids him to work through prayer." Not to be mistaken, Nee never allows for God to be forced to work in a way that he doesn't desire to work, but sometimes he allows his work to be "indefinitely postponed" until enough praying people are on board with his work. I struggle to reconcile this with the attacks of the Assyrians against the Israelite's which were ordained and worked by God. I doubt anyone was praying for those attacks, even the prophets who were speaking that it was to happen. I love Nee and this has influenced my overall rating of the book. Not his best (exegetically) but it does make you desire to get down on your knees and pray, which is I'm sure what he would have wanted.
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Watchman Nee is a favorite. Though there were two short statements I disagree with, this held so much truth and exhortation.
If taken seriously, this can add so much power to our prayer life. He ends with a bang - the last chapter may have been my favorite. One of those books I would like to reference and reread frequently, as I’m sure my gleanings will change with my growth in Christ.
Simple and practical for any believer. -
Chapter 1 makes you deconstruct all you think you know about prayer. The brilliance of the author’s argument about the relationship between God’s will and our role in aligning with His will is second to none. I read this book in a couple hours and will read it again!!
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I thought this book would be about how to pray; it was more focused on why to pray and when. Some intriguing perspectives, especially regarding Satan’s opposition. A keeper for my library, to be read again.
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An amazing book about prayer!
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For anyone wanting to go deeper in their prayer life, this little book has some great truths that make you understand the concept/spiritual understanding of the value of our prayers.
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No nonsense, straight to the point shot guide from someone speaking straight from deep experience.
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Started out slow, but finished strong. Very helpful and well worth reading.
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The author addresses some unique issues regarding prayer. Chapter five especially challenged my thinking.
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Phenomenal book on prayer. Incredibly insightful and challenging material. Will have to read this one over and over.
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Publicado originalmente en:
angelroman.org
Este libro fue publicado en los años 70's, para poder entender un poco mejor el contexto en el que se escribió debemos remontarnos hasta esa época, pero también conocer un poco acerca de los origenes y de la vida del autor.
Oremos, es un libro bastante corto, en la versión presentada en la imagen apenas llega a las 91 páginas, lo importante es que Nee nunca se aparta del objetivo principal.
Gran parte del inicio del libro trata de la relevancia de la oración, no solamente para los creyentes, sino también para Dios, según Nee:Dios se recrea grandemente poniendo todas sus obras bajo el control de su pueblo. - Watchman Nee
Para muchos este tipo de declaraciones puede causar una confusión acerca del reconocimiento de Dios como Todopoderoso por parte de Nee, sin embargo creo que el énfasis de este tipo de comentarios intenta hacer incapié a la relevancia y la responsabilidad de los creyentes ante Dios y ante el mundo donde vivimos.
Oremos es una invitación a estar en sintonía con los pensamientos y el corazón de Dios, para que eventualmente nuestros deseos y nuestras oraciones sean motivadas por los deseos y los pensamientos de Dios, o como Nee comenta: unir la voluntad del hombre con la de Dios.
La segunda mitad del libro esta enfocada a la parábola de la viuda y el juez injusto de Lucas 18. Durante varias páginas Nee da su punto de vista acerca de está parábola y de varios principios aplicables a la oración.
Dentro de estas explicaciones el autor ofrece los paralelismos de estos personajes con nosotros como hijos de Dios, el enemigo y Dios. Sin embargo creo que el diablo ocupa un espacio mayor no solo en las páginas, sino también en la relevancia dada como enemigo. Considero que es bueno conocer al enemigo para ser efectivos en la batalla, sin embargo considero de igual o mayor importancia conocer mejor a nuestro aliado para saber de lo que somos capaces.
Oremos es un libro que personalmente recomiendo para todos, usa un lenguaje sencillo que puede ser entendido por un adolescente o por un adulto de igual manera y que ofrece consejos prácticos de alguien que de seguro exprimentó la importancia de la oración durante su ministerio.
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Extremely underwhelming. Nee's theology of prayer is unsettling, and could be taken to diminish the sovereignty of God in this fallen world. His heavy focus on satan is also troubling, but perhaps not surprising given his very real experience of persecution and spiritual warfare. He is also prone to repetition. Lots and lots of repetition. Still, he believes passionately in the power and importance of prayer, and I can support that, even if I don't agree with his ideas about the role prayer plays in effecting the will of God.
