Prayer

An original theological account of prayer, taking seriously the promise of Jesus that all prayers are answered.

Western academic analyses of the notion of answered prayer fail to be attentive to claims that, within a specifically Christian theology, should be normative. This Element proposes a theological construction, centered on the thesis that human beings are created to pray. The prayers of Jesus are paradigmatic for understanding human prayer.Western academic analyses of the notion of answered prayer fail repeatedly to be attentive to claims that, within a specifically Christian theology, should be normative. The author proposes a theological construction, centred on the thesis that human beings are created to pray. Given this, the prayers of Jesus are paradigmatic for understanding human prayer. The author examines the ministry of Jesus under the rubric of the munus triplex, the threefold office, and on this basis, an exegetical account of the relationship of prayer and sacrifice is proposed, in which the transforming redemptive power of the sacrifice of Jesus makes possible the answering of prayer, even misdirected prayer. On this basis, a new account of how we should understand prayer being answered is offered, and this is developed into some modest reflections on the proper practice of prayer within Christian communities, paying specific attention to early English Baptist debates.