Scripture and the language of prayer
Review of "Our Eyes Are On You" by Nathan Ward.
Our Eyes Are On You:
A STUDY OF BIBLICAL PRAYER
Nathan Ward
DeWard Publishing Company, Limited, 2023.
In this study of biblical prayer, Nathan Ward considers various prayers in scripture, from Abraham to Hannah and Jesus to Paul. Starting as a course he taught for his adult Bible class at church, Ward’s work grew from 20 prayers to the 35 he writes about in this book designed to help readers improve their prayer lives.
Unlike a traditional prayer guide, Our Eyes Are On You explores how prayer is used in Scripture to tell us who God is and how we can be in a relationship with him. Ward breaks down each prayer through a formula that includes the context, contents and connections. For example, the prayer from Jeremiah 32:17-25 rises out of a story of exile, with Ward explaining why Jeremiah seems so hopeless and the path that Israel had taken to get where they were when Jeremiah prays, “Nothing is too hard for you.”
For each prayer, Ward also examines the structure, language and significance of the larger picture of who God is. How does God respond to the words of his children? He highlights Hannah’s prayers in 1 Samuel 1:10-11 and 2:1-10 as significant because she is brief and to the point in one prayer and poetic and logical in the second prayer.
In the book’s last section, Ward provides us with ways to pray, shows us what prayer can look like in our lives, and reflects on what a scriptural prayer might be saying to us.
Throughout the book, Ward reminds the reader that God will act according to his will – but that does not mean our prayers are unimportant. Instead, praying can be one way to align ourselves more clearly with God’s plans. A powerful example is Jesus’ prayer on the night of his betrayal: “Not my will but yours be done.” Jesus submits his will to his Father and tells him what he desires instead. Readers are encouraged to genuinely ask God for what they desire, trust him with their wants and trust God’s providence.
When our words fail
Ward admits the limitations of this book, including the difficulty of choosing specific prayers over others and balancing the level of academic and technical study. Even so, it offers a variety of prayers for readers to try. Perhaps its most helpful gift is providing us with ready words to use when it feels like our own words fail. “To pray like the faithful in scripture is to pray as constantly as moments demanding prayer arise,” writes Ward as he explains that prayers in scripture are often situation-specific.
Our Eyes Are On You gives us many tools and examples to use as we look to scripture for wisdom. It’s up to us to choose how to apply them as we seek to experience a deeper prayer life
