The prayer of unwanting : how the Lord's prayer helps us get over ourselves - and why that might be a good thing / David Williams.

9798889833291 paperback
9798889833307 electronic book

Minneapolis : Broadleaf Books, [2025]

English

133 pages ; 19 cm

BV230 .W55 2025

(OCoLC)1446127870

"An astute, lively book about the ancient Christian prayer that helps us get over ourselves-which is sometimes exactly what we didn't know we needed. Sometimes we imagine prayer as a magical incantation-a way to change our circumstances. We try to pray our way toward success, safety, health, or love. But what if true prayer is more about undoing our desires for power and profit than indulging them? What if the purpose of prayer isn't to give us what we want but to change the very heart of our wanting? In the pages of The Prayer of Unwanting, novelist and pastor David Williams leads us toward a new encounter with the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. Prayed through millennia by believers in groups and alone, the Lord's Prayer speaks precisely to our age. Jesus taught his followers this prayer for a reason, William claims, and that same prayer rings true to those of us with a hunch that our desires are being endlessly manufactured, manipulated, and managed. If we are to be good little consumers, our hunger must be endless. We want because we are afraid of not having enough. We want because we feel compelled to have more than our neighbor. We want to be dominant. We want power over others. Our broken wanting can break the world. So Jesus gave us the prayer we need: one that repairs and reorients our longings. With stories from scripture, whimsical anecdotes, and pastoral wisdom, Williams guides us into profound interaction with each line of the prayer. Questions and ideas for ways to experience the Lord's Prayer can guide and deepen group conversation and individual prayer. There's power in the words of the Lord's Prayer, Williams testifies, even if it's a power we have yet to understand"-- Provided by publisher.
This book offers a thoughtful exploration of the Lord's Prayer, an ancient Christian prayer that challenges our desires and helps us shift our focus from self-interest. The author, David Williams, a novelist and pastor, examines the idea that prayer is not a tool to change our circumstances, but rather a way to transform our desires. He suggests that prayer, especially the Lord's Prayer, works to reshape our longings, addressing the human tendency toward endless consumption, fear of scarcity, and the pursuit of power. Through a blend of scriptural stories, personal anecdotes, and pastoral insights, Williams invites readers to reflect on each line of the prayer, encouraging both individual and group engagement. The book emphasizes the power of the Lord's Prayer, which may offer a deeper understanding than we typically realize.

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