cover image They Knew How to Pray: 15 Secrets from the Prayer Lives of Bible Heroes

They Knew How to Pray: 15 Secrets from the Prayer Lives of Bible Heroes

Tom Carter, Tom Carter. Kregel Publications, $11.99 (208pp) ISBN 978-0-8254-2378-9

Carter, a California pastor and author, gleans insights about prayer from 14 men and one woman from the Old and New Testaments. Included are the usual suspects, such as Abraham, David, Samuel and Paul, as well as a few choices that are refreshing for being relatively unsung (Gideon, Hannah and Nehemiah). Non-evangelical readers may be put off by some of the persistent jargon in the book, and much of its content is derivative. For example, the idea that Abraham is chiefly known for being ""God's friend"" seems borrowed from Henry Blackaby's ""Created to Be God's Friend,"" but Blackaby is not cited. What the book lacks in originality it at least partially compensates for in being user-friendly; each chapter is followed by a study guide that presents relevant Scripture passages and questions for personal reflection or group discussion.