This is a book that teaches readers to pray by example.’ - D. They brim with deep emotion and transparent passion, but they carefully avoid mere sentimentalism. They range over a huge sweep of Christian experience and devotion, but they are never merely esoteric or cute. They are theologically fresh and vibrant, yet they are rooted in confessionalism. ‘The prayers in The Valley of Vision are steeped in Scripture, yet never succumb to mere formula. Because of that, the book has become a favorite among many Reformed Christians including John Piper, Tim Keller, D.A. Reading and praying The Valley of Vision is the next best thing to like joining a prayer group with spiritual giants of yesteryear. The title of the book comes from a prayer based on the words of Isaiah 22:1, and reads: The compiled prayers are from the works of Thomas Shepherd, Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, William Williams, Philip Doddridge, William Romaine, David Brainerd, Augustus Toplady, Christmas Evans, William Jay, Henry Law, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and more. The collection of prayers are organized by ten different categories, some of which are “Father, Son and Holy Spirit”, “Redemption and Reconciliation”, “Penitence and Deprication”, “Approach to God”, and “Gifts of Grace.” The prayers flow from hearts that yearn to please God and weave biblical truths together in beautiful ways to express the wide range of emotions the Christian faces: awe, regret, penitence, thanksgiving, desperation, joy, and more. Out of all the books of prayers out there, the one that stands head and shoulders above the rest is The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotionals compiled by Arthur Bennett and published by The Banner of Truth. They serve as a mentor in prayer by giving me a proven model to follow.They cause me to pray for a wide variety of things I wouldn’t typically think to pray about.They keep my prayers from all sounding the same.They give me words when I don’t have words due to tiredness or extreme emotions.They give me a jumpstart in prayer when my heart and words stall.I used to think praying the written prayers of others was cheating-like they were somehow less than true prayers in God’s eyes. I hope this book helps many Spanish speakers in the US and Latin America draw near to God! This review first ran in Spanish at The Gospel Coalition.
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