No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer
As senior pastor of a Presbyterian church in Irvine, Calif., Roberts (Dare to Be True;Jesus Revealed) readily admits that his conservative denomination is not always comfortable with the emotive and often volatile sentiments in the book of Psalms. In fact, his own personal discomposure over the emotionally stark content of numerous Psalms challenged him to the further study that resulted in this book. Citing Hebrews 4:14–16, where Christians are instructed to approach God's throne boldly, Roberts advocates "going toe-to-toe with the Almighty," using the Psalms as examples. Many of the Psalms deal directly with expressing the darker side of human emotion such as vengeance, desperation and doubt, while others, like Psalm 47, take the opposite course and focus on expressing joyful prayer through energetic songs and clapping. Perhaps the most astonishing topic Roberts covers is the prayer of vengeance as found in Psalm 69, where the Psalmist calls upon his enemies to be destroyed. Roberts asserts that even this expression of bitter hatred has its uses, including the eventual healing and reconciliation of the supplicant. Overall, he skillfully dissects the Psalms and pleads for fellow believers to step alongside him, reaping the cleansing power such transparency affords. New Christians and seasoned veterans alike will find some freshly presented and practical prayer disciplines to mull over and implement.(Mar. 15)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.