Book Review: The Prayer Chest

Today, I finished reading The Prayer Chest: A Novel About Receiving All of Life's Riches by August Gold and Joel Fotinos. This is one I picked up in the new books section of our library and quickly placed in my bag, without perusing. It is small and a quick, easy read (I found its story compelling and easily read it in a few days). One of the quotes from Publishers Weekly inside the cover read, "A spiritual parable that will appeal to fans of It's a Wonderful Life ... this easy, inspirational read will warm the hearts of seekers everywhere." The back cover informed me that it was written by the cofounders of Sacred Center New York, "one of the fastest-growing spiritual churches in America."

Why is it that when I read words like "fastest-growing spiritual churches" I immediately know that the book I am holding will be filled with touchy-feely, easy-breezy, wishy-washy, whatever-floats-your-boat spirituality. It was! The story is about a widowed father of two, who is about to lose his farm when he discovers a prayer chest in his attic and reads a notebook filled with the three golden rules about using the prayer chest. The man had previously placed his faith in the actual attic (he felt that it held some sort of spiritual power since when he verbally asked for things in that location, he received strength). Upon finding the chest, he transfers the object of his faith from the attic to the wooden box before him. The power of the prayer is deemed to come from the box and from following the three important rules of the prayer chest.

What are these three important rules?

1. Prayer is answered through you.
2. Prayer is answered when you listen.
3. Prayer is answered when you welcome everything.

I have to admit, the story was a good one and it was an enjoyable, inspiring read; however, I feel that it clashes some with my own beliefs about prayer and why and how prayer works. Even, for that matter, the purpose of prayer. Is prayer really about getting what we want? That is what the book seems to imply. I take issue with the idea that following certain steps is what ensures the answer to our prayers, although I do think we can learn something from these three steps mentioned. If you pray for something to happen, but then sit back and expect God, like a genie, to do your bidding, without being involved in the quest for its resolution, you are, indeed, trusting in something akin to magic. If you pray and pray, but never stop to listen to what God might be saying, you are only interested in your own perspective, your own desired outcome. Moreover, if you will not accept a "no," does that really allow God to be God?

I think many people will respond to this new book because it hits on a common yearning within mankind. We desire to see God work in our lives and we desire to truly hear the answers to our heartfelt prayers. We struggle when we think God has abandoned us or allowed something inexplicable to enter our lives. We question whether or not he hears us when we pour out our groans and our longings. We petition Him and even justify our requests when we know that what we are asking is clearly within His will (say, perhaps a loved one to be drawn into deeper relationship with God), yet wonder why He remains (from our perspective) silent. Many believe in the power of prayer to heal, to minister and to comfort. I will feel sad, however, if people come away from this book thinking that they can pray to whatever God they choose to establish, be it a particular room or box or talisman. I believe God is not in a room or box or talisman. I believe His perspective on our prayer is something we will never be able to fathom fully because He's God and I'm not. Or, as Bryan Duncan sings in his song "God Knows" - "God knows, and I don't, what's good for me."

I do hope that those who read this book are inspired to think deeply about prayer. I hope that they will be open for God to enter and work in their lives. I'm just a little concerned that the God part of this book is too "relative" or "fill-in-the-blank." But if this book encourages you to be a vehicle for answered prayer, to spend as much time listening as requesting and, finally, to be more open to what God may have in mind for you, then it will have reaped a good reward.