Book Reviews from Around the World

By Dutch Sheets

Praying for America was written and published in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11^th. I thought the book (judging from the title) was going to be Sheet’s strategy for how to pray for America following this crisis. That wasn’t really the focus of the book…in fact it wasn’t really about prayer. Maybe Dutch Sheets has become so well known for Intercessory Prayer and Watchman Prayer that his publishers make him name all of his books about prayer.

This book included some thoughts about prayer for the nation but it definitely was not the focus. Sheets open up with one of his famous word studies on “crossing over” including what it means to be a true Hebrew (in heart). This took about up about half of the book and was really enjoyable. After finishing this portion of the book, I decided that Sheets will forever be one of my most respected Bible teachers. He is so good at exploring the Greek and Hebrew and finding revelation that we can apply to our lives.

The word study was followed by a great chapter on true repentance. This was my favorite chapter in the book. He talked about how repentance is more than turning and going another direction. He taught about a three step process – revelation (seeing your life from the divine perspective), repentance (changing your mind to join God’s mind), and turning (living differently based on the first two steps taking place). It was a great teaching – one that I’ll reference in teaching on repentance in the future.

The last 5 chapters of the book were spent railing on problems that Sheets sees in the charismatic and Jesus people movements of the last 20 years. His criticism was given in love and from a position of authority (saved in the Jesus people movement, he pastors a charismatic church). He didn’t point fingers at individual ministries or anything…just overall problems he sees in the church of America that he believes God is endeavoring to correct. He had great revelation from the scriptures to go along with each problem he sees in the church. It was some of the best confrontational writing about the state of the church that I’ve read – it didn’t come across bitter yet carried a strong message. Maybe it came across so well because it’s a prophetic word from God to His church. I’ll take it as such.

Bottom line – this is not a teaching book about prayer. But it is a prophetic word to the church of America and would be worth reading even if you’re called to build the church in another nation. I’ll give it 4.5 stars and recommend it to all.

# posted by Danny Schulz @ 8:17 PM