Scientist and theologian David Wilkinson shares his insights and struggles with the question of how God answers prayer.
Contents
Foreword 11
Acknowledgments 13
Chapter
1 My Problems with Prayer 15
2 Everyday Myths of Prayer 38
3 What Does God Actually Do in the Bible? 80
4 Out of Date Science and the Problems with Miracles 111
5 New Science and New Possibilities 146
6 Lord, Teach Us to Pray 183
7 Praying in the Light of What God Does 207
DAVID WILKINSON is the author of God, The Big Bang and Stephen Hawking and several other books. Professor Wilkinson has earned doctorates in both astrophysics and theology. He is principal of St John's College Durham, a commentator on popular culture, and a regular contributor to Radio 4's Thought for the Day.
“This is an exciting book because it comes from a writer who has
engaged deeply and skilfully with science, the Bible and human
experience, and refuses to short-change any of them. The style is
accessible, intelligent and humane, and the result is a book which
will be profoundly helpful and encouraging to anyone trying to pray
with both heart and mind.”
*John Pritchard, former Bishop of Oxford*
“If you hope to find easy answers to questions on prayer or
information on prayer techniques in this book, you will be
disappointed. But easy answers often do not help in areas such as
prayer in which most of us struggle, either in understanding or
practising it. This is a significant book that helps readers to
think more deeply about prayer and to grow in their life of prayer.
Using his considerable skills and experience as an accomplished
scientist, able theologian, wise pastor and honest disciple of
Christ, David Wilkinson tackles the question of prayer from various
angles with wit and wisdom, unmasking popular myths, bringing out
tensions, and offering assurances based on Scripture. Writing
poignantly from his own personal experience, David Wilkinson
addresses the reality of why God answers our prayers but also why
our prayers often go unanswered. He is an astute guide who leads us
to explore scientific ideas such as quantum physics and chaotic
systems to shed some light to our quest. At the end, he brings us
to the God of the Bible who cannot be put into a pigeon hole but
who loves us and relates with us in His sovereign will as His story
unfolds from creation to new creation. We are challenged to respond
by trusting Him and expressing that trust through deepening and
authentic prayer.”
*Bishop Robert Solomon, Bishop Emeritus of The Methodist Church in
Singapore*
In our complex and often confusing world, the tendency is to look
for easy answers, avoiding the tough and perplexing questions that
confront us. We simplify, formularize, regularize and codify; an
exercise in reductionism which at times can be a mask for
arrogance, self-deception or downright laziness. No area is this
more evident than in the subject of prayer. In this highly readable
and positively provocative book, When I Pray, What Does God Do?,
renowned scholar, astrophysicist, theologian and pastor, Professor
David Wilkinson, a man who is eminently qualified to do so,
addresses this age-old and still thorny question; namely, the
problem of how God responds to prayer. Professor Wilkinson tackles
the subject with the rigour of a scientist, the spirit of a
theologian, the heart of a shepherd and the humility of a disciple
who is on a personal pilgrimage with Jesus. Blending his insights
from the world of science and religion, and experience forged in
the crucible of his personal walk, he highlights the dangers of
following received wisdom, clinging on to discredited models,
formulas, as well as false and unhelpful dichotomisations. He calls
us to unlearn bad habits in prayer, and embrace fresh perspectives;
with the assurance that God is still in the business of answering
prayers. He reaffirms the biblical truth that God is God. He does
as He chooses. He is the God of continuity as well as
discontinuity. Therefore, science, which is descriptive rather than
prescriptive, does not rule out miracles that God performs in
response to prayer. It cannot define, restrict, prescribe or
determine for God. We are invited to walk the walk of faith through
the corridor of uncertainty, the pathway of vulnerability and the
foggy lane of confusion, grappling with the challenges of answered
prayer. The reader is called upon to constantly seek to have a
bigger picture of the true and living God who is great and awesome,
and ditch the personalised designer gods that we have created for
ourselves. We are to think big about God, pray big, and expect big.
The one who prays should not seek to box God in as to how He should
answer. Because He is God it is His prerogative to respond in a
multiplicity of ways to our prayers. Last but by no means least; we
are challenged to get into partnership with God. He should be the
primary focus of our prayer. As He draws us into closer intimacy,
His overriding purpose is to change us, make us look like Jesus.
Radical transformation is God’s chief aim for us when we pray. His
desire is to change the world around us, as well as the one who
prays, recalibrating our perspective and realigning our will in
line with His; leading us to echo these words, `Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is heaven’. This book has
encouraged, challenged and informed my thinking and practice on
various aspects of my personal prayer life. I wholeheartedly
commend it to the humble seeker after truth who desires to grow in
their prayer walk with God.
*Rev Emmanuel Mbakwe, National Leader, The Apostolic Church UK*
"In this book, David wrestles with the themes of prayer, science
and the nature of God with his characteristic humility,
vulnerability, wisdom, and passion to remain dissatisfied with easy
answers. This is the book I wish I'd read years ago, and to which I
will return time and again into the future. If you have ever
struggled with whether (and why) God answers some prayers and not
others, this book is for you."
*Rev’d Dr Joanne Cox-Darling, Regional coordinator, London:
Discipleship and Ministries Learning Network, The Methodist
Church*
“Deeply illuminating and highly accessible”
*Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York*
"If you are terrified by books on prayer this isn't one of them!
This combines humour, personal experience and informed
intelligence. Rather than amplify human effort in praying, David
walks us through all the obstacles to prayer into a new awareness
of the God who responds to people trying to find him. An excellent
read."
*Joel Edwards, International Director, Micah Challenge and former
General Director, Evangelical Alliance UK*
“Imagine sitting down with a physicist and a theologian over coffee
with the topic of prayer decided on in advance as the subject of
the conversation. That’s exactly what you get in David Wilkinson’s
fascinating new book on prayer, as he is both that scientist and
that theologian and is having this conversation with himself and
allowing us to listen in. I know of no other book on prayer even
remotely like this one. It is at the same time fascinating,
challenging, inspiring, humbling, humorous, profound, you can
derive from it a lot of different things. Like what has been said
about the Gospel of John you can plug into this conversation at
whatever level that suits you. On the one hand the discussion is
shallow enough for a baby to wade in. On the other hand it is deep
enough for an elephant to drown! I highly recommend this book on
prayer – it may change not merely your prayer life, but the whole
way you look at life!”
*Ben Witherington, III, Amos Professor of New Testament for
Doctoral Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary*
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