Midweek: Review: The Prayer Bible

I drink my coffee black, no sweetener. I shop at thrift stores and happily accept hand-me-downs. I don't own a dishwasher. My guiltiest pleasure is used books. I'm basic. That is why I just LOVE this Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers: The Prayer Bible, NKJV is basic at its best! 

The complimentary edition I was invited to peruse is a black hardcover, but there are Leathersoft and leather editions available as well as other color options. There are no colorful maps and no concordance, but what is present is a constant reminder that Scripture should lead us to prayer, to turning our focus to our Creator and Redeemer. So often, we fall into the habit of gleaning something for ourselves, of reading Scripture with a What's-in-it-for-me mindset. For sure, we are to apply what we learn and stand on the promises found in God's Word, but the Bible is revelation from Genesis to --well, Revelation. The Bible reveals who God is, and that should cause us to speak to Him and listen for His voice through prayer. Reading Scripture should be a cyclical practice: we pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance as we read, we pray in response to what we've read, and we meditate throughout the day on that. Thomas Nelson's The Prayer Bible is a wonderful way to begin and continue to engage in that habit. As a matter of fact, the back of this edition has a list of prayers from the Bible and articles entitled Why Read the Bible, Steps to Engage, and Scripture Engagement vs. Bible Study. A short essay on Spiritual Disciplines and Scripture Engagement explains just how being immersed in God's Word regularly equips us to apply those things we have gleaned from our reading, for our benefit and God's glory. 

Of course, this edition has some of the usual accoutrements: a lovely presentation page, a satin ribbon bookmark, an introduction to each book of the Bible, and a 365-day reading plan, but in my opinion, the best feature by far is the "prayer prompts" found frequently throughout the text. As we read about the instructions God gave for the building of His tabernacle, we are encouraged to examine our worship and ask God to help us worship in the manner He desires. Throughout the Psalms, prayer prompts challenge us to praise and cry out and repent with the psalmists to draw our heart into worship of and reliance on the Lord for all things. As we read through familiar passages of Scripture, prayer prompts work to slow us down and refocus our attention in novel ways. 

 So, if you're basic like me, or if you're just looking for a way to get back to basics, I would encourage you to check out Thomas Nelson Publishing's The Prayer Bible. It's available through Amazon, Christianbook, FaithGateway and other retailers.