Prayer and Purpose

A cursory glance at marriage statistics tells you that half of marriages end in divorce, including 41% of first marriages. In fact, “approximately every 36 seconds” a couple gets divorced. [1] Sadly, research shows that atheists and agnostics are slightly less likely to be divorced than people of Christian faith. [2] According to an article by Luisa Dillner, couples spend an average of 2-2½ hours together each day, but that is including 54 minutes for the combined activities of watching TV and housework. [3] I’m guessing with the rise of dishwashers that most of these couples aren’t washing and drying dishes together while enjoying a conversation about their respective days, so some days almost half of the average couples' time spent together is passive. With such a lack of quality time spent together, combined with society’s low view of the marriage commitment, it isn’t much of a surprise to see such high divorce rates. Juxtapose this with a Christian’s commitment to his ...

Introduction Dave Earley claims, “[T]o lead effectively by influencing others for God, Christian leaders must pray. If leaders want to lead well, they must pray well.” [1] In one way or another, nearly everyone is a leader, whether in their profession, at home, or a place where they volunteer. It is nearly impossible to find someone who does not lead in some capacity, so if prayer is indeed the secret of effective and persuasive leadership, then Earley’s book cannot be ignored. The following review of Earley’s book Prayer: The Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders, is an attempt to summarize and critique the book, with a particular focus on whether or not Earley wins the case for his thesis: “’Prayer influences men by influencing God to influence them.’” [2] Additionally, insight is offered into possible personal applications of Earley’s book. Summary Earley begins his book with an invocation, hoping to draw in readers with his stirring questions, whetting their appe...