How to Pray: a Guide for Young Explorers is written by the well-known Pete Greig. The book is aimed at youngsters, but I found myself enjoying the graphics and layout of the book as well. Of course, I’m not very old, so that’s maybe why…
How to Pray is centred around the Lord’s Prayer, going through the prayer and how to use it. Pete Greig, the author, uses the prayer in an organised way, making it easy to remember. The start of the book is very practical, talking about a time and space to meet with God regularly. He introduces three steps around prayer itself: Keeping it Simple, Keeping it Real and Keeping it Going. These three points are repeated throughout the book, reminding the readers of the importance of how to pray. Again, the layout of the pages reinforces the points, helping those youngsters who are visual learners.
That is part of the book, How to Pray, where Pete explains the different types of learners as well. So it’s not a book that gives you a list of optional prayers, but it helps young people to understand themselves better as well as how to use the Lord’s Prayer practically. How to Pray uses different lettering, different quotes, different page setups and pictures to make its message easier to understand. When reading the book through in one or two sittings, that might be tiring, but if you look at the book in shorter sessions, it will help to remember the message of How to Pray. There are some activities recommended throughout the book as well. The activities are optional and come with alternatives, which I know my children will like, as it gives them a choice.
How to Pray is a very practical book, using straightforward language without sounding patronising. The book then goes through P.R.A.Y. which is a great way to set up your special prayer time (No, I won’t share what it stands for, just get the book!). I liked that part of the book a lot, as again, each step is made clear, using pictures, quotes and examples. Pete spends some time on seemingly unanswered prayer, on forgiveness and on creating a habit of prayer.
There are so many good points to How to Pray, and I don’t want to miss out anything important. The book isn’t flippant and although some people might have different views when it comes to listening to God, it was dealt with in a helpful way. How to Pray: A Guide for Young Explorers came out today, and I’m grateful to have received a review copy. I was under no pressure or obligation to write a favourable review.