Rhythms of Prayer for a Modern World: 24-7 Reviews Carl Tinnion's Book

Published: July 21st, 2008

‘And pray in the Spirit on all occasions and with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.' Ephesians 6:18

What is prayer, exactly? And how is it possible to pray ‘on all occasions’? As a Christian I know that it is the key to a relationship with Christ, and as a supporter of 24-7 Prayer – a movement dedicated to communication with God on a global scale – I have seen that it is essential in spreading the Gospel. I am convinced that God wants to teach us about prayer, to show us how dynamic and powerful and surprisingly versatile it can be; dare I say, even to train us in this fundamental yet almost indefinable part of the Christian faith. Don your training gear and keep to hand a copy of Carl Tinnion’s packed resource.

The verse from Ephesians at the top of this page is the one with which Carl fittingly opens his book of prayer. Paul’s instruction highlights the importance of viewing prayer as a mindset, in a way exploding the myth that prayer can often be – that of a prescribed and very specific activity: you must sit or kneel quietly, eyes closed, hands clapsed, begin ‘Dear God’ and utter the right kind of words. This can be a meaningful and effective way to pray, but it is not the only way. In prayer it is not important how we do it, just that we do it at all, and what our motives are in doing it. Praying is how we live with God. We can call on God any time, whether in peace and quiet or in the midst of trying to reach a deadline. What we communicate doesn’t have to have a beginning, middle and end. It can be a simple cry for intervention or the right words; an exclamation of praise or thanksgiving; or even a wordless search for God’s perspective on a matter. Carl eloquently sums this up as a ‘fluid approach to God’ whereby praying ‘is about relationship and constantly chatting to God, back and forth, enquiring of Him, communicating feelings or thoughts 24-7 […] in a more spontaneous and frequent manner’. This, I think, is what he means by having a ‘rhythm of prayer’ in our daily lives; a constantly pulsating current that underpins our every thought, word or action.

Carl rightly and insightfully explores these concepts at the outset so that by the time the reader reaches the prayers themselves, he or she understands better why they are important as well as how best to engage with them.

Lastly in the introductory pages is a section on post-modern prayer, a theme which in fact taps into the 24-7 Prayer philosophy to make prayer culturally relevant. Since Pete Greig began 24-7 Prayer in 1999 there have been hundreds of prayer rooms all over the world, and you can be sure that no two have been the same. Essentially every prayer room is a space within which visitors can come and meet with God. They may choose to do this by playing worship music; writing their prayers, names of friends and relatives, poems and prose; drawing, painting or sculpting; sitting quietly, pacing or dancing. Prayer rooms will often have a wealth of materials to help you find your groove with God. Carl similarly encourages the use of post-modern tools such as symbolism, visual stimulation and technology to help us connect with God, while advising us to exercise caution and discernment. His reason for including these somewhat academic reflections is to suggest that we look carefully at something that has significantly influenced our generation and find what ‘can be redeemed and used to the benefit of God’s kingdom’.

However, as valuable as creative expressions of prayer are, all of us also need a little structure. That’s where the bulk of Carl’s handy little book – the prayers – come in. Providing concise templates of prayer on major topics including repentance, thanksgiving, faith and missions, this is a spiritual springboard into finding your own rhythm with God. Best of all it will fit in your pocket, or even the most disorganised handbag, in keeping with its Ephesians-inspired ‘praying on all occasions’ exhortation. Carry the book with you like you do your mobile phone, and make it a habit to refer to it (until or unless you no longer need to, perhaps?).

As well as writing many of the prayers himself, Carl has adapted several ancient prayers of the saints and early Christians, drawing on centuries of faith and God-centred communication. The prayers, as indeed the entire book, are firmly grounded in scripture, lending holy authority to Carl’s thoroughly accessible writing. This also makes the book part-devotional, by opening up God’s word for the reader and encouraging him or her to meditate on and even come to a new understanding of the verses given.

The final chunk of the book offers some spiritual exercises and meditations which, for me, end the guide with a real kick. The prayers form a solid and comprehensive structure, but then the techniques which follow invite the reader to make them their own, bringing us full circle to the post-modern idea of self-expression. Here Carl shares the exercises that have helped him fully engage with the Holy Spirit. The reader is urged to take a more active approach to relating to God, and it is from this standpoint that God trains us to be in His service, soldiers and witnesses of the living Lord. Carl says of an exercise credited to YWAM worker Mariette Louw that ‘it changed my life’; embrace the teachings and suggestions in this brimming one-stop-shop on prayer and see if it doesn’t change your life.

This Handy Guide can be purchased at Amazon. Enjoy.

 

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