Teach Me to Pray Book Review

My latest book review for Crossway is Teach Me to Pray–Praying God’s Word from A to Z by Kristen Wetherell.

I want to dive right into the details of this beautiful book with you!

In Kristen’s introduction for this book, she recalls growing up and her parents owning The World Book Encyclopedia and the lasting impact it made on her, and how she treasures both the memory and inspiration given through her use of them. Kristen offers up Teach Me to Pray as an “encyclopedia” for prayer and hopes it makes its way practically into the hands of parents and children as a tool for their prayer lives. This book serves as a practical help in times of specific need to direct readers topically. It also is a beautiful resource to use for instruction and devotionals.

I love to “test” books and Bibles out with those I am teaching, discipling and also those co-leaders I serve alongside. I shared this book with my Pastor, and he used it for part of the lesson he was teaching on during an after school club we have for the kids. He allowed a student to come and read the prayer from the book, and it was really great. These children are ages 8-10 (The book is written for Ages 8-12).

Although the subtitle is Praying God’s word from A to Z, there are more topics to pray than letters of the alphabet. Fifty-two topics for prayer are listed in the table of contents. Some of the topics covered are: Anger, Loneliness, Nervousness, Envy, Fear, Friendship, Gossip, Discouragement, Vocation, Justice. Each of these are written from a biblical view.

I appreciate the presentation format in its two page spread of the topic, and a poetic prayer, on the left side. The right side is beautifully organized into four sections.

Read About It – This has a foundation scripture passage or verse.

Think About It – Here is where some questions, and devotional thoughts, and gentle but clear instruction come into the picture.

Learn About It – Offered here are supporting Bible references for the topic.

Do Something About It – This is gives a short practical application, question, or challenge.

The artwork throughout is complimentary to each of the topics. Simple, and beautiful it is but this is not just a pretty cover or collection (and mind you, it IS a very pretty cover!) of quaint poems. The tender, thought provoking commentary and poetry throughout are meant to do the work of pointing the reader back to God and His word. And as one who reads and writes poems and plenty of prayers, and also loves well-written verse of all kinds, I adore these beautiful poetic short prayers!

If you go to this Crossway link for the book, the first chapter is available for you to see, and all 52 of the topics are listed and you can check out the wealth of wisdom and potential for sharing with children, grandchildren, and in Sunday School and other church classes for kiddos. Check out and download Chapter 1: HERE. This book is available at all your favorite bookstores as well as Crossway! It would be a great Easter gift.

I am planning on using these for devotional times with both my Sunday School class, and with the group of girls I host occasionally at our church for journal nights. I can imagine kids curling up with this book early mornings or at night under the covers with a flashlight! It would be a great focus book for the family as well, or for a one-on-one parent/child devotional time.

Thank you to Crossway for providing me this book for review.

Thank you dear reader for reading!

Enthusiastically, Dawn