Prayer Invading Impossible
Building on Matthew 19:26, "With God all things are possible," Jack W. Hayford shows Christians that the power of prayer indeed means Invading the Impossible. The title of the book uses rather violent diction to describe the power of prayer: which many Christians associate more with surrender, mercy, and humility more than the militarism the term "invade" implies. However, Hayford is an impassioned Christian writer. The author never wavers from his stance that prayer indeed does invade -- take over from -- what was previously deemed impossible.
Published originally in the late 1970s and re-released in 2002, Prayer is Invading the Impossible can be considered a minor classic in its field. The book is written for a lay audience rather than for clergy. As such, the language, tone, and style of the book are informal. References to scripture are not as replete as some readers would like. Instead, the author relies heavily on anecdotes and allegories: which can be viewed as a direct homage to scripture.
Divided into three parts, Prayer is Invading the Impossible is about how to pray, why to pray, and how prayer defines one's relationship with God. The unique approach to prayer that Hayford develops is inspiring. In fact, Hayford fully acknowledges and owns up to the violent connotations of his book. Chapters are entitled "The Violence of Life" and "The Violence of Love." Just as Jesus's teachings...
The violent imagery of invasion is also matched with less-than-convincing statements about conservative social norms. For example, Hayward opens the book with the following lines" "her eyes were flooded with fear and shame. Society had adopted the word 'gay' to define her condition, but nothing could be further from the lightheartedness the word used to describe." Yet the author never addresses the ways in which prayer would have been used in the fictitious woman's experience. It is as if the author is simply asserting his homophobic beliefs without justifying them with scripture or showing how prayer can help him to become a more tolerant, open-minded, and truly Christian individual.
Weaknesses aside, Prayer is Invading the Impossible has a lot to offer the reader. The first section of the book begins with an explanation of the title. In a chapter entitled "Invading the Impossible," Hayford refers to the way prayer serves as a piercing that removes unwanted obstacles and replaces them with the power of God. Hayford goes on to say that anyone with sincere Christian beliefs and faith in Christ can achieve the goals of prayer. The goals of prayer may include personal fulfillment, but ultimately prayer is about becoming closer with Christ. Faced with terrible life circumstances like cancer and illness,…
