A fresh and new perspective on prayers and the power it holds. Prayer can be a challenging concept to grasp, and I feel many of us fear we do not know how to do it correctly. This novel delves deep into prayer and how it is a gift that can connect us with the Lord. This novel is refreshing in that it shows prayer in a new way and how powerful of a tool it can really be!

We really wanted to like this book. Vulnerably, the author shares her journey of discovery. She candidly talks about her relationship with the Lord—her faith struggles and spiritual growth. Many of her musings about biblical passages are profound and thought provoking. Reflection questions and discussion prompts are insightful.

However, as much as we'd like to give this book 5 stars and perfect 10's—very regretfully, we can't. Why?

While some readers will disagree. . . for us, the author's use of what we believe are New Age type visualization techniques and the recommended read of a particular author (whose writing is also published by IVP) are problematic. We do not find precedent in Scripture for some aspects of this text.

This is a must have for the bookshelf, in fact keep it open next to your bed. A strong review of scripture and pulling out of helpful passages and comparisons notably in the Old Testament. The questions to ask yourself, or to ask a home or study group are suitable and if the right level of challenge, I particularly liked the thinking around posture and prayer.

This book is mostly a small group guide to the study of prayer focused on the life of Elijah. There are a lot of helpful things in this book and there are things that just didn't really click for me personally.

Positives:
- The actual content around Elijah was well written, theologically interesting, and concise enough to be effective as a study.
- The techniques highlighted were interesting and well developed conceptually to easily be worked individually or with a group.
- This would be a pretty effective entry-level study for a small group.
-It is a very visually stunning book.

Negatives:
- The content when it swings from Elijah feels like a free for all and very unfocused as compared to the Elijah scripture parts.
- This book feels like an ad for her website in some places.
- I am not convinced the author showed me believes theologically about prayer and I think that is important
- The questions, an important part for an effective study, feel really basic and uninteresting, which is a personal opinion and I know some of them could really help others. They just were not for me most of the time.
- Overall, I think there are better books focused on the content of prayer, the life of Elijah, and effectively spurring others in close community to a solid foundation of prayer.

Great Prayers

Liz Ditty has provided a very nice 6-Week prayer devotional for a group and individual prayers as well. I love the many types of prayers offered in this book and the self-assessment tool provided also.

Additionally, the author has provided a Daily Prayer Commitment blank form that can be used to plan your prayer week in advance.

This is a very good book to used in a group or individually, if you prefer. I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed this Bible study, and I learned a few things. The author took a lot of trouble to incorporate all learning styles. I did this on my own instead of in a group, so that changes the experience somewhat. I don't think that I would have liked it in a group because the exercises read more like group therapy than Bible study to me. That might depend on the people in the group, though. I will look at Elijah's life differently now.

Hear My Prayer is a comprehensive devotional on the prophet Elijah in the context of prayer. The is a devotional that is best completed as a group as there's a video to watch (not shared with this advance copy so can't comment on the contents) and discussion questions. However there are separate questions if you are doing the study alone. Irrespective of whether this is a solo or group journey, there are daily tasks that expand your knowledge and keep you engaged so you are ruminating on the topic daily as opposed to once a week.

What I like particularly was each chapter starts with a quote from a notable Christian, the art, the range of reflective work and the explanations given (importance of journaling, etc). We dive deep into the scripture to expand our understanding of the context in time, spiritual direction and application for our life including further study.

Our relationship with and the character of God deepens the more we spend time in the Word. Hear My Prayer helps with that goal, which can only be a good thing.

The function of Prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.
SØREN KIERKEGAARD

This Bible study delves into prayer based on several Biblical stories and pays special attention to reflecting on one own’s prayer life. I liked the list of spiritual styles and prompts like practicing Lectio Divina. This study is good for a small group looking to assess or expand their praying life.

Thank you NetGalley and InterVarsity Press for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Hear My Prayer: Learning from the Faith of Elijah—A 6-Week Bible Study Experience by Liz Ditty is a fantastic resource. I love her focus on Elijah because I learned so much from the way she shifts our focus on other parts of his story. Elijah really comes to life and feels relatable. This is a lovely Bible study for small groups. I like how approachable the lessons feel yet full of invaluable information and wisdom. I received a digital copy of this resource from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.