The women’s book club read and discussed prayer
The last meeting of the women’s book club this year took place on December 12 at Tartu Adventist Church, based on Philip Yancey’s book “Prayer: Does It Make any Difference?”.
The book club discussion proceeded in such a way that everyone shared the thoughts that had stayed with them or touched their hearts. Yancey is a very talented writer, and as a result, the discussion focused on his expressions related to prayer, such as the idea that grace flows like water to lower places – as Yancey describes the essence of prayer. We also talked about public prayer – how to teach it to children when there is a little fear or closed minds about it. For example, in one children’s class, blue and green stones were used. Each child takes a blue stone to express their gratitude to God for something, and a green stone to hold in their hand and say what could be better. Since God wants our innermost desires and thoughts in prayer, not formulas, this method helps to broaden the meaning of prayer for children as well.
The topic of prayer and broadening the meaning of prayer was also discussed: how the author of this book has managed to write about prayer in a way that gives it air and space. Congregational prayer was also discussed, and it was noted that the congregation is a place where people should be able to cry out in prayer and where the whole congregation can pray together about difficult issues.
The Bible says that when you pray, you should go into your room and shut the door, but Yancey describes how ordinary people in the old days did not have their own rooms in their homes, and suggests that this expression also refers to your inner quiet space and personal time with God. The book tells the story of a mother of a large family who did not have her own room, but her way of going into her “inner room” was to sit in the living room or kitchen and pull an apron over her face, so that her children knew that it was time for her to pray. Book club members shared their experiences of such a space, which could be a car ride, for example.
One question in the book was interesting: does prayer change God’s mind? In this discussion, we came to understand that sometimes we ask God for very specific things, and God has to wait for us to let go of them because He has a better plan for us. At the same time, God can also answer our prayers and still wait for the time when we are ready for His ways.
A large part of the discussion was about the idea of intercession. It was said that life with others actually requires intercession. When there is a bad situation, instead of getting angry or anxious, Christians could pray for the people who are still in that situation, and if we use Yancey’s idea, it helps us rise a little above the earthly and see others and the situation from God’s point of view.
The book club discussion ended with the conclusion that it is good to read about prayer and should continue to do so. One of the authors of the book club idea, Õnne Kivinurm, had a beautiful Christmas surprise for those present: a women’s calendar and bookmark designed and illustrated by herself, to be included with the women’s book club’s next book. Anyone interested can view and purchase the calendar on Õnne’s website, usuilu.ee. The women’s book club’s next book is Ellen G. White’s “The Great Controversy,” and the meeting will be held on February 21 at 4:00 p.m. at the Rakvere Adventist Church.
At the end of their last discussion of the year, the women’s book club members also discussed recommending the books they had read this year to men, and starting the new year together with “The Great Controversy.”
Article written by Averonika Beekmann