Saturday, June 24, 2017

A Layman Looks At The Lord's Prayer by W. Phillip Keller

A Layman Looks At The Lord's Prayer by W. Phillip Keller is a line-by-line study of the Lord's Prayer. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting when I requested this book for review. A Bible study on the implications within the Lord's Prayer, perhaps. Or maybe a deeper understanding of how it relates to Christ and the rest of the Bible story as a whole; insight into how this piece of Scripture fits into the big picture.

Yes, both of those descriptions fit this book. However it is also so much more. Phillip has taken the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 and turned it into a roadmap for the ideal Christian lifestyle. He combines personal experiences, Biblical examples, and brief historical references to bring us a thorough in-depth study and review of what exactly it means to be a Christian and to pray to God in the manner in which Jesus Christ showed us.

Phillip reminds us that most people rush through the Lord's Prayer as though it is simply one more checkbox they need to check off before continuing their day. And yet, he gently rebukes us into admitting that we know it is supposed to be so much more. As with everything else in the Bible, there is a very distinct purpose and meaning behind every word. Once we embrace this purpose, it opens the pathway for our daily prayer to be so much more than just a quick plea for God's graces.

The Lord's Prayer becomes an opportunity to embrace God as our loving father, learn to honor and respect Him, follow His will so that we may lead others to His kingdom, admit out sins and faults, and so much more. This becomes the very backbone of what it means to seek God and follow Him.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the significance behind this piece of Scripture, as well as to anyone seeking a closer relationship with God on a daily basis. I did find that portions of this book may be a bit difficult for the "layman" as the title implies is the targeted audience. However, Phillip provides enough repetition during each chapter in the form of various stories, examples, and re-wordings that even if parts of the book are hard for the reader to understand, as long as they keep reading, he will quickly light a simpler path to keep them going in the right direction. 5/5 stars.

*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary print copy of this book from Moody Publishers for the purpose of this honest review. All opinions are my own.*

About The Author (copied from back cover):
W. Phillip Keller (1920-1997) was born in East Africa and always loved wildlife and the outdoors. Having spent many years in agriculture research, land management, and ranch development in British Columbia, he later pursued careers in conservation, wildlife photography, and journalism. His experiences as a shepherd equipped him with the insights that are the basis for A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. His other titles include Splendor from the Sea, Lessons from a Sheepdog, and A Gardener Looks at the Fruits of the Spirit.

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