Power through Prayer
By E.M. Bounds
This week were going to d something a little different for a book review. As a matter of fact I’m not even going to call it a book review this week; instead well just call it thoughts on the Power through Prayer by E.M. Bounds. Id rather just discuss this book then review it, as I feel completely unworthy to review such a classic, and history has already spoken to its wisdom far better then I can in this short review.
I have spent the last week at Lake Ann camp with the youth at my church. It was a wonderful week, and I may go into more detail on the week at a later date, but for this time I’ll say one great thing about the week was I was able to read some books I had wanted to read for a while now. The Power through Prayer is a Moody Classic, and my Senior Pastor stuck it in my hands several months ago. I’ve wanted to get into it for a while now. And am better for having finally read it.
E.M. Bounds was born in Missouri in 1835. Bounds studied law early in life, and even took the bar at the age of 21, but he soon gave up that life to become a preacher and devotional writer. During the Civil War, Edward McKendree Bounds left the pulpit to become a Chaplin traveling with the army. After the war Bounds returned to the pulpit, pasturing churches in Tennessee, Alabama, and Missouri. E.M. Bounds spent the last 17 years of his life with his family writing his Spiritual Life Books, before passing away in 1913.
Well enough of the history lesson. Power through Prayer is a book written basically to Pastor’s, yet I believe it has lessons to offer us all on the importance of prayer. I will admit when I first started this book I had some doctrinal concerns with it. In my opinion early on Bounds over glorified the work of men, for example in chapter 1 he wrote "the gospel of Christ does not move in popular waves, it has no self propagating power. It moves as the men who have charge of it move." I just felt a number of comments like this gave to much importance to the work of men, and took from the all-powerful nature of God. It’s true God uses men to spread the Gospel But he doesn’t need men. Creation itself screams the truth of God.
Now I claimed I was concerned at first. This concern however soon left, by the truth I was confronted with truth of words Bound wrote. In chapter 4 he said "It is impossible for the preacher to keep his spirit in harmony with the divine nature of his high calling without much prayer." In chapter 6 Bounds speaks of the great men of prayer who have come before wrapping it up with the thought that says "God’s true preachers have been distinguished by one great feature: they were men of prayer."
Bounds continues chapter by chapter to build a complete argument for prayer in the pastor’s life that only a lawyer could. It was written about 100 years ago, and will sometimes take a little concentration to get through at times; but its well worth it. Do I agree 100% with everything he says, no, but I’ve yet to find anyone I do agree 100% with. I will say that bounds offers insight that has lasted the years, and I’m looking forward to reading more of his classic works.
If you’ve read this book as well, I’d love to hear what you thought of it. Please feel free to post comments about it.
