Taking Hold of God: Reformed and Puritan Perspectives on Prayer

Author(s): Joel Beeke & Brian Najapfour
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Price: $2.99       

In ‘Taking Hold of God’, you will enter the treasury of the church of Jesus Christ and discover some of its most valuable gems on the subject of Christian prayer. The writings of the Reformers and Puritans shine with the glory of God in Christ, offering us much wisdom and insight today that can make our own prayer lives more informed, more extensive, more fervent, and more effectual.
Six contemporary scholars explore the writings and prayer lives of several Reformers and Puritans—among them, Martin Luther, John Calvin, William Perkins, Matthew Henry, and Jonathan Edwards—guiding us to growth in prayer and a more grateful communion with God.

Table of Contents:
Martin Luther on Prayer and Reformation – Brian G. Najapfour
John Calvin on Prayer as Communion with God – Joel R. Beeke
John Knox: A Theologian of Prayer – Brian G. Najapfour
William Perkins on the Lord’s Prayer — J. Stephen Yuille
Anthony Burgess on Christ’s Prayer for Us – Joel R. Beeke
John Bunyan on Praying with the Holy Spirit – Michael A.G. Haykin
The Puritans on the Help of the Holy Spirit in Prayer – Johnny C. Serafini
Matthew Henry on a Practical Method of Daily Prayer – Joel R. Beeke
Thomas Boston on Praying to Our Father – Joel R. Beeke
Jonathan Edwards on Prayer and the Triune God – Peter Beck
Puritan Prayers for World Missions – Joel R. Beeke
Prayerful Praying Today – Joel R. Beeke

Editors:
Joel R. Beeke (Ph.D., Westminster Seminary) is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary; a pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan; editor of Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth; editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books; and a prolific author.

Brian G. Najapfour is a pastor of Dutton United Reformed Church, Caledonia, Michigan.

Endorsements:
“’Taking Hold of God’ is a veritable gold mine on the subject of prayer. Beeke and Najapfour have brought together in one volume the teaching on prayer of the giants of the Reformation and Puritan eras: Luther, Calvin, Knox, Perkins, Bunyan, Henry, Edwards, and others. I was personally encouraged and stimulated to take my own prayer life to a higher and hopefully more productive level. All believers who have any desire to pray effectively will profit from this book.” — Jerry Bridges, a longtime staff member of the Navigators and author of The Pursuit of Holiness

“Together, Beeke and Najapfour have produced a marvelously helpful and instructive volume on prayer drawn from such giants as Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, and Jonathan Edwards. It is a veritable potpourri of spiritual insight and godly advice. Books on prayer often induce more guilt than help. Taking Hold of God, as the title itself suggests, aims at doing the latter. It beckons us, allures us, into the challenge of prayer itself: laying hold of a gracious Father who longs for our presence and delights to commune with His children. If you aim to read just one book on prayer this year, choose this one.” — Derek W. H. Thomas, John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Practical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi

“Here is a masterstroke indeed!—a book on the prayer-filled lives and teaching of nine masters of the Christian life (plus others included for good measure). — Richard D. Phillips, senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church of Greenville, South Carolina