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Knocking on Heaven's Door: A New Testament Theology Of Petitionary Prayer
How are we to understand petitionary prayer? This is a key question for any thoughtful believer who desires to take both the Bible and experience seriously. Some believe God answers any prayer as long as the one praying has enough faith and/or persistence. Others conclude from experience that prayer is really for our benefit and has no impact on God's actions. According to David Crump, both views are extreme and potentially harmful. While books that deal with prayer from a devotional or experiential perspective have their value, Knocking on Heaven's Door takes a different approach. Crump carefully studies every New Testament passage that has to do with petitionary prayer and draws conclusions that are both theological and pastoral to help us understand the great mystery of prayer.
345 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 6, 2020
Well-done survey of the relevant New Testament passages on the subject. I found the closing chapter to be most fascinating, particularly where the author compares the life of faith to the Iditarod. Very thought-provoking.
August 31, 2014
An examination of the entire New Testament to craft a comprehensive theology of intercessory prayer. Crump is a careful expositor and also a man of opinion (reasonable and well-supported, though at a few points around liturgy/repetition and the Jesus prayer he did raise my hackles a little) and he is quick to brush aside false and/or popular misconceptions. He examines the practices and parables of Jesus (through the gospel writers, Luke bringing prayer to the forefront), Paul and the other NT writers, and thus emphasizes the centrality of intercessory prayer in the life of the Christian and the Christian community. In doing so he does dismantle much folktale and superstition about repetition, about formula (in Jesus's name). He is less impatient than me with those who too often intone "if it be your will," but he is Biblically focused on the necessity and role of prayer as cooperation with God's work. We do not just pray to change ourselves or to submit to the inevitability of the divine will as in some versions of Calvinism.
Throughout there is such a winsome picture of the Christian life lived in deep communion with God and with the body. A fine and thought producing (hopefully prayer inducing as well) book.
Throughout there is such a winsome picture of the Christian life lived in deep communion with God and with the body. A fine and thought producing (hopefully prayer inducing as well) book.
September 2, 2007
A scholarly and challenging treatment of prayer in the New Testament. Not light reading, but very rewarding. Crump is a first-rate biblical scholar. This is the first time I've run into David Crump and I have to say that that his work was well worth the read.
September 30, 2022
A survey of prayer in the New Testament, exploring a) the Gospels; b) the Lord's Prayer; c) John and Acts; d) Paul; and e) everything else. Crump writes with an eye to both an academic and a pastoral audience, combining careful exegesis, theological reflection and personal anecdote. There is a lot of very helpful material, and some striking turns of phrase, although I cannot share Crump's selective view of God's providence.
November 16, 2016
I finally finished this book, and it's not because it's boring. This book will make you reconsider your common prayer considerations. Mostly, people end up petitioning our Lord for their list of things. This book does an excellent job of walking through examples from Jesus to Paul and the early church showing us the models and subjects of prayer. Reverand Randy Greenwald's blog (https://somberanddull.com) contains detailed excerpts and thoughts about the book. His blog recommended the book and I am thankful for the read. My only problem is finding the time to read it. I kept putting it off because I felt like I did not have the time to "consume" the chapters and fully enjoy them. Well worth your time.
August 13, 2008
This book deals with the subject of petitionary prayer from a theological perspective. The author looks at how prayer is described in various parts of the New Testament, and he explains the theology behind it. The book is very interesting, but it is also very dense. I learned a lot from reading it, but it was not exactly an easy read.
January 4, 2016
Excellent! Crump clears away many misconceptions about prayer. He has given me new hope to continue my conversations with God.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews