God On Mute

Some time ago I was on the tube, a little tired and mulling over my thoughts when I noticed the lady sitting next to me reading a Christian book. As I looked at the page I started to read over her shoulder and amazingly I read a scripture that leapt out of the page at me. It was a scripture that God had been reminding me of many times in the previous weeks. In my amazement that God could speak to me on the tube through a stranger (who incidentally knows nothing of the chain of events that she started!), I craned my neck to see what the title of the book was, and just before she gathered up her things and ran for the door, I saw it; God On Mute Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer by Pete Grieg. As soon as I got home I Googled it and a few days later I had that book in my hand and began reading.

This book on prayer is quite simply brilliant. Pete’s wife struggles with a brain tumour and all the horrendous effects, and together they struggle to find a way through all the prayers that have been unanswered as well as the ones that have been answered in different ways to what they expected. I found both the encouragement to keep praying and also the realisation that often we pray for the unreasonable and that finding God’s will in our prayers is sometimes arrived at through common sense!

Here are some quotes from the jacket:

Writing out of the pain of his wife’s fight for her life but also the wonder of
watching the prayer movement they founded touch many lives. Pete Greig wrestles
with the dark side of prayer and emerges with a hard-won message of hope,
comfort and profound biblical insight for all who suffer in silence. “If you are
hurting and secretly wondering ‘Where is God?’ and ‘Why’s this happened to me?
And ‘How come my prayers aren’t working?’ then I dedicate this book to you.

Pete Greig has written an extraordinarily honest book. A few [books about
prayer] have been so important in my life that they made getting through all the
others worthwhile – just to find these gems. I think for example, of Richard
Foster’s ‘Prayer’, or CS Lewis’ ‘Letters to Malcolm’… The book you are now
holding is the most recent member of this “B-list.” (There is no “A-list.” “B”
is this case means best, beautiful, and be sure to recommend to others.)
Brian McLaren http://www.brianmaclaren.net/

Quite simply, brilliant! Pete Greig has encountered God through a silent whisper
and a ray of darkness. In these honest and courageous of insights, Pete and
Samie invite us to join their journey to God’s heart. This book made me cry on a
crowded train!
Russell Rook Director, Alove: the Salvation Army for a New
Generation, Chair, The Youtwork Partnership

I would love to pass this on to one of you! If you would like me to send this to you (anywhere on the globe) then just include the words 'count me in' when you make a comment and later today, October 22 I will put the names in a hat. You would need to be willing to give me your address of course. I've decided that I've far too many books and need the shelf space!