The Ten-Second Prayer Principle: Praying Powerfully as You Go

It's rewarding to have your beliefs affirmed, especially in a publication. I've always thought that praying was meant to be a conversation with God; a time to acknowledge His greatness and thank Him for His provisions. More than a celestial wish-granter, I believe that God is concerned with our thoughts, feelings, needs and wants. While He does answer prayers, He is also interested in a relationship with us. So, I never thought that it was necessary to monologue in endlessly formal language in order to pray. Mark Littleton agrees and admirably backs up his beliefs in THE TEN-SECOND PRAYER PRINCIPLE. Littleton begins this lively little book with his introduction: "Confessions of a Lousy Pray-er." He admits to being intimidated by the thought of praying for hours. Recalling a statement he heard once, "I have so much to do today that I'll have to spend the first three hours in prayer or the devil will get the victory." He goes on to respond, "Three hours? Of prayer? In the morning when my brain is foggy as Seattle in April?" Like most of us, he can only imagine the passion necessary to spend three hours praying. And then he feels guilty for lacking sufficient spirituality. On the one hand, we want God to know that we care enough about our relationship to spend time with Him, praying and meditating on His Word. On the other, we know that we have difficulty staying focused for more than a few minutes before we start wandering off to our "Must Do" list or noticing that the floor needs mopping. I believe that THE TEN-SECOND PRAYER PRINCIPLE provides a viable solution to our dilemma. Littleton leads by example as he explains how to take advantage of the many opportunities we have throughout the day to praise, thank and beseech. The author goes on to develop other principles that encourage using prompts like "The Media Principle" and "The Lists Principle." These tools are designed to act as reminders to pray as we go. While these methods are not meant to replace periods of devotional time, they definitely allow for a more meaningful relationship with the Lord. Mark Littleton is not one to take his faith lightly, but he has the kind of relaxed approach to religion that may seem irreverent to some. For example, a few of his previous titles include: THE BIBLE BATHROOM BOOK, LIVING LIFE TO THE MAX, JESUS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO FIGURE HIM OUT. Each of these demonstrates his desire to demystify Christianity and to assure people that God loves them, just the way they are. --- Reviewed by Maggie Harding

Every Christian knows he should be praying, but Mark Littleton shows us how to actually do it! This is one of the most practical books on prayer I have ever read. It's loaded with suggestions and practical ways to effectively pray in our busy lives. Instead of feeling guilty about a lack of prayer, Mark helps us see how we can integrate intercessory prayer into our lives on a continual basis. Well thought out, the book details 10 principles for ten second prayers that will change your life. If your New Year's resolution is to increase prayer in your life, this is the book for you! The author does a fantastic job applying key biblical principles on how to pray without ceasing and how to give thanks in everything and for everything. Written in Mark's easy-going narrative style, The Ten Second Prayer Principle is a quick read yet comprehensive. It's easy to identify with Tom, the main character of the book, as he explores and practices prayer in every situation. Although some of the examples of prayer in this book seem trivial at best, they are probably intended as humor and a sad bite of reality. "Really, Lord, won't you do something about the Kansas City Royals?" They're losing like crazy out there" (Introduction X). The average Christian, if we are honest, probably prays like that. Tom's prayers, at times, are not only self-serving but almost irreverent. "Father,...let the investments do well in the markets. I'm not asking for a windfall--though that would be nice--but whatever you can do would be great." (15) Concerning the content of our prayers, chapter eleven (Praying the Scriptures) is one of the best in the book. Mark illustrates how praying the Scriptures is a key to a powerful prayer life. "When we talk to God on the basis of what he's already promised or commanded, I think he is more apt to answer than when we just fire a shot in the dark" (131). Mark insists that our prayers be limited by the will of God (113). Even praying Scripture does not guarantee God will answer as we think he should because "God is still God" (115) and is therefore sovereign. While some will be uncomfortable with the extent to which Mark encourages us to listen to inner promptings as the voice of God, (31, 109, 110) overall the book has much to commend it. Admittedly, the book's focus is intercessory prayer. Readers may be disappointed that adoration, confession and thanksgiving do not receive equal emphasis. In this reviewer's opinion it would be a mistake to take Littleton's recommendation so seriously that we totally substitute ten second prayers for meaningful periods of prayer in our lives (xi, xii). Obviously, our Lord practiced constant communication with God as well as protracted times of prayer. However, I find this book a refreshing change from the mysticism that characterizes much of the Emergent literature on prayer. This is biblical prayer, not stuffy or formal, but real, authentic and ...powerful. The 10-

I got THE TEN SECOND PRAYER PRINCIPLE as a Christmas gift and zipped through it today. Wow, what a guilt reliever and encouragement all at the same time! Sure, I envy those who spend hours on their knees in prayer each day. But that is just not me. After 5 minutes of eyes closed, knee bent prayer-time, my mind begins to wander or, sadly, I begin to fall asleep. Don't get me wrong, I love God. In fact he is the most important person in my life. But I talk to him throughout my day in short spurts, always feeling a bit guilty that I should be being more FORMAL, DETAILED and LENGTHY in my words. Thank you Mark Littleton for easing our guilt while teaching us your revolutionary prayer method--one that is every bit as effective(if not more so) than hours spent alone on bended knee. If you are in crisis, want to see your life radically changed, or you just want more intimacy with God, then pick up this book and get close to the God who created you. You can do this in 10 second spurts throughout your day and you don't even have to close your eyes (especially if you're driving your car)! Read this book and he'll show you how.