Book review: The Seven Prayers of Jesus
Dr Laszlo Gallusz - Inter-Varsity Press, 2017
Jesus taught his disciples how to pray; however, Newbold’s Dr Laszlo Gallusz reveals Jesus’ prayers had a deeper purpose in his ‘must-read’ book The Seven Prayers of Jesus.
Millions of Christians believe that prayer is the breath of their souls, on which the quality of their spiritual lives depends. However, according to Dr Laszlo Gallusz, the reality is we are all beginners when it comes to prayer. It is something we need to learn repeatedly.
The Seven Prayers of Jesus is not another prayer guide and does not attempt to examine the biblical teaching on prayer systematically. Instead, it focuses on ‘the praying Jesus’, investigating his prayers in their literary, socio-historical context and points to their theological significance and relevance in today’s world.
Dr Gallusz wants readers to grasp the true essence of Jesus’ prayers. He begins by exploring Jesus’ use of the word abba (father) in prayer. He points out that no pious Jew in Jesus’ time would have dared to approach God using such a familiar expression, yet Jesus himself taught his disciples to address God as ‘Father’ (Luke 11:2) or as ‘Our Father’ (Matthew 6:9).
According to Dr Gallusz, there is a need to address the subject of prayer from a fresh angle to restore it to the place it belongs: the heart and soul of the Christian experience. Notwithstanding, he argues that one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of a fulfilling prayer experience is finding time to fit God into an already overcrowded schedule.
Taking inspiration from the writer Corrie ten Boom, Dr Gallusz says prayer cannot be relegated to a ‘spare tyre’ installed in case of emergency. It should be viewed as the ‘steering wheel’, a means for releasing God’s power into our lives.
The Seven Prayers of Jesus is a fascinating read. Not only does it provide a fresh biblical perspective on the prayers of Jesus, but it also acts as a source of inspiration designed to revitalise our prayer lives. You can find Dr Gallusz’s book at Newbold’s library or purchase it here.
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Dr Laszlo GalluszUndergraduate Programme Leader, Senior Lecturer in New Testament Dr Gallusz is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and specialises in New Testament exegesis, theology, eschatology, Jesus and the Gospels, and the Book of Revelation. He is also the author of The Throne Motif in the Book of Revelation, published in 2015.
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