The discourgement of the pandemic and all that has happened, and failed to happen in the Church as a result, finds hope!

Paul Miller helps us see how we became what we are, and how to become the bride of Christ prepared for His return. In doing so, he shows us how desperately we need the Spirit while reminding us we are His saints in whom He lives and leads us to love and pray.

Oh that every Christian who finds it hard to return to corporate worship would read this book, along with every Christian who presses on every Sunday longing for change. Perhaps together we will find our hope realized as the Spirit fuels our shared repentance and renewal, dependence and delight, welcome and wonder.

I liked this book. The subtitle, "Becoming a People of Hope in a Discouraging World" actually describes what I think Paul Miller helped me gain through this book: Hope.

Like Miller's previous book, A Praying Life, I found this book very practical not just theoretical. A Praying Church is relatable.

"...the actual experience of prayer can be tedious. The combination of expecting great feelings and encountering boredom is dislocating. It's one of the reasons we distance ourselves from praying together".

So why pray together? "For sure, praying together isn't like pagan magic--it's not a way of getting what you want; it's a way of entering the story of Jesus.....As we enter a life of prayer together, we invite the Spirit to reshape our lives around the story of Jesus."

"The battle to pray is not mainly a battle against prayerlessness but a battle against discouragement, cynicism, and unbelief." As soon as I read these words in the opening, I knew that this author gets it. He understands the temptations and difficulties we face as we pray. The rest of the book bore this out. It was practical and winsome. He used a lot of stories from his own life which I appreciated. It reminded me that prayer can be a time of hope and expectation. There were things I'm going to incorporate into my own prayer life. It makes me more eager to pray with others at church. It was helpful and encouraging. I'd recommend it. Thank you to Crossway for providing me with a free e-copy. All opinions are my own.

I was particularly excited to read _A Praying Church_ after reading _A Praying Life_, also by Paul E. Miller, at my church's recommendation.

I should have known I'd be good and convicted! :)

Miller pulls no punches (nor should he) in convicting the reader (and hopefully, by extension, the church) of the power of and utter need for corporate prayer within the church. It's a sadly lacking practice in many American churches.

While the "power train" metaphor felt a little forced/cheesy at times, the message remains solid, powerful, and necessary. I plan to revisit the book post release, as it includes a number of tables/figures that unfortunately didn't translate well in the eARC iteration I read.

A solid follow-up to _A Praying Life_, though one does not need to read them "in order."

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.