Just Ask: The Joy of Confident, Bold, Patient, Relentless, Shameless, Dependent, Grateful, Powerful, Expectant Prayer

by J. D. Greear, Paul Miller (Foreword by)

Overview

Prayer can be a struggle. Sometimes we don’t think it will make a difference, or we rely on ourselves, or we’re just too busy. And even if we do pray regularly, it can feel more like a duty than a delight.

J.D. Greear shows us how prayer was a non-negotiable daily staple in Jesus’ life, more essential to him than eating or sleeping, and therefore why we need to pray as well. He shows us how we can enjoy the same source of power as our Lord and the early church when we learn to "just ask" and depend on our heavenly Father as they did.

Giving specific practical tips for getting on with prayer in everyday life, this book leaves readers wanting to pray, rather than just feeling that they ought to.

In his introduction, Pastor J.D. says, “Prayer is not a religious task to accomplish; it’s an invitation to lay your burdens down at Jesus’ feet, to share your heart with him, and to be with the one in whose presence is the fullness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16 v 11).”

Correction: On pages 89-90, the story about the prayer request for a son’s karate tournament should be attributed to John Crist, whose joke it originally was. This citation was in an early draft but was lost during the editing process. It will be reinstated when the book is reprinted.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784986360
Publisher:	The Good Book Company
Publication date:	08/01/2021
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	645,676
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.51(d)

About the Author

J.D. Greear is the pastor at The Summit Church and served as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is married to Veronica and they have four children. J.D. is the author of several books including Searching for Christmas, Gospel, and Above All.

Paul E. Miller (MDiv, Biblical Seminary) is executive director of seeJesus, a global discipling mission that mentors through seminars, cohorts, and interactive Bible studies. He is the bestselling author of A Praying Life and J-Curve. Paul and his wife, Jill, live in the Philadelphia area and have six children and fifteen grandchildren.

Table of Contents

Foreword Paul E. Miller 9

Introduction 13

Part 1 Why We Don't Pray

Chapter 1 Honestly, Does Prayer Really Do Any Good? 23

Chapter 2 But Seriously, Why Isn't God Answering Me? 43

Chapter 3 Do My Prayers Change God's Mind? 61

Part 2 How to Pray Chapter 4: How Not to Pray 77

Chapter 5 Amazed by God 91

Chapter 6 Ask Your Father 107

Chapter 7 On Praying For Guidance 125

Conclusion 143

Bibliography 149

Acknowledgments 151

Editorial Reviews

Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is often the most neglected. Yet when you look at the Scripture page after page and verse after verse exhorts us to seek the face of God through prayer! What are we missing? What has gone wrong? In this book, J.D. Greear not only provides the answers but gives us a powerful and beautiful path forward to what has become one of the most neglected but desperately needed aspects of our walks with Christ.

Matt Carter (Pastor of Preaching

This book is biblical, realistic, and above all hopeful. As a lifelong struggler when it comes to praying, I’m always on the lookout for books and resources that remind me of the privilege and possibility of a healthy prayer life. Short and punchy without losing theological depth, Just Ask just might be the devotional game-changer you’ve been looking for. (Lead Minister

If you’re like me, when you noticed this book on prayer, you might have thought, ‘Oh no! Not prayer again!’ Why is that? Why do we groan about prayer? Maybe it’s because we’re all too familiar with our prayerlessness, our guilt, and our failure. I get that… and the great news is that so does my friend J.D. With a pastor’s heart, a firm grasp on Scripture, and a winsome, down-to-earth way of writing, he will draw you into the exciting world of joyful, bold, patient prayer. Pick up this book, read it, and then start talking to your Father who loves to hear your voice.

Elyse M. Fitzpatrick (Author

I met J.D. in the late 1990s, and back then he was talking about planting thousands upon thousands of churches around the world so that the gospel could be heard by everyone. And even then, at the foundation of this audacious goal was a deep dependence upon prayer. J.D. is going to teach you how to pray and why we pray, and as you learn to pray, your life will be transformed.

Derwin L. Gray (Lead Pastor

This book is for people like me: prayer weaklings. We’ve all heard about prayer warriors. Perhaps we even know a few. But it’s the prayer weaklings that need help, and this book bent my wobbly knees and helped me cry out to my Father. I hope it helps you too.

Rebecca McLaughlin (Author

If you’re like me, when you noticed this book on prayer, you might have thought, ‘Oh no! Not prayer again!’ Why is that? Why do we groan about prayer? Maybe it’s because we’re all too familiar with our prayerlessness, our guilt, and our failure. I get that… and the great news is that so does my friend J.D. With a pastor’s heart, a firm grasp on Scripture, and a winsome, down-to-earth way of writing, he will draw you into the exciting world of joyful, bold, patient prayer. Pick up this book, read it, and then start talking to your Father who loves to hear your voice.

Elyse Fitzpatrick (Author

Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is often the most neglected. Yet when you look at the Scripture page after page and verse after verse exhorts us to seek the face of God through prayer! What are we missing? What has gone wrong? In this book, J.D. Greear not only provides the answers but gives us a powerful and beautiful path forward to what has become one of the most neglected but desperately needed aspects of our walks with Christ.

Matt Carter (Lead Pastor

This book is biblical, realistic, and above all hopeful. As a lifelong struggler when it comes to praying, I’m always on the lookout for books and resources that remind me of the privilege and possibility of a healthy prayer life. Short and punchy without losing theological depth, Just Ask just might be the devotional game-changer you’ve been looking for.

Dave Gobbett (Lead Minister

I met J.D. in the late 1990s, and back then he was talking about planting thousands upon thousands of churches around the world so that the gospel could be heard by everyone. And even then, at the foundation of this audacious goal was a deep dependence upon prayer. J.D. is going to teach you how to pray and why we pray, and as you learn to pray, your life will be transformed.

Dr. Derwin L. Gray (Lead Pastor