Synopsis "The god who Prays: A Forty-Day Meditation on Jesus' Farewell Prayers"
The God Who Prays is a spiritual reading of Jesus' farewell prayers. Jesus began his upper room discipleship sermon on his knees, washing the disciples' feet, and he ended it with his eyes raised to heaven, consecrating himself and his disciples to the will of the Father. For Jesus the line between communion with his Father and conversation with his disciples is very thin. Dialogue and devotion go hand in hand. His Glory prayer and his Gethsemane prayer, along with his prayers from the cross, transform the disciples from pre-passion inquisitiveness and doubt to post-passion devotion and discipleship. Through answered prayer Jesus shifts the disciples from training mode to mission. His example inspires us to ask how thin the line is between praying and living. Prayer's promised efficaciousness, ""whatever you ask,"" is locked in to our relationship with the triune God. The Father is the source of every good and perfect gift. The Son, in whose name we pray, gives the purpose and the passion for ""whatever"" we ask. And our Advocate, the Holy Spirit, guides us into all truth. On the eve of the crucifixion Jesus teaches us how to pray. ""Doug has done it again, with this last volume of a rich trilogy that penetrates the depths of the Upper Room and draws deeply from the well of Christian wisdom. Exercising his considerable gifts as a scholar-pastor, these mediations offer sharp, keen insights: one will here find the balm of Gilead for sin-sick souls. Time spent with The God Who Prays is time well spent."" --Gil Kracke, Director of Ministries and Programs, Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham, Alabama ""Instead of writing about Jesus and the disciples in the Upper Room, Webster takes us into the story, giving the reader a fresh, insightful, and challenging perspective. These meditations provide spiritual direction, showing us how to follow Jesus better."" --Jim Eschenbrenner, Pastor, Northgate Alliance Church, Ottumwa, Iowa ""In a world riddled with worry, Doug Webster gives us the reminder of a Jesus who prays for us. Knowing who God is allows us to rest in the knowledge of his grace and face the world with confidence. In such a fast-changing world, this book could not come at a better time. The God Who Prays is a much-needed word."" --Andrew C. Pearson Jr., Dean and Rector, Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham, Alabama Douglas D. Webster is Professor of Pastoral Theology and Preaching at Beeson Divinity School and a Teaching Pastor at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama.
