Wrestling Prayer: Pinning Your Spiritual Opponents
By C. Brian Smith

The Ludys, a husband-and-wife team who operate a ministry called Set Apart Life, have penned a rallying cry to rouse a slumbering church. In Wrestling Prayer: A Passionate Communion With God, they inspire readers to live a Christ-infused life as spiritual warriors. To this end, the authors mine Old Testament stories well-known (Saul, David) and obscure (Jebus, Abishai) and share both their own tribulation of miscarriage and joy of adopting a Korean child.

The Ludys impart helpful suggestions for flexing the spiritual muscle of prayer. They recommend, for instance, that believers keep a prayer journal and find stories that build faith. The authors draw deep from the wells of Christian role models: Amy Carmichael, Corrie ten Boom, E.M. Bounds, Andrew Murray and Leonard Ravenhill.

Careful readers will glean that true prayer is not a selfish plea for a blessing; rather, it is sacred communion with God. And "wrestling prayer" isn't easy work. It requires discipline and sacrifice. The greatest enemy is oneself, and 21st century pilgrims may be inspired to give up worldly distractions and pursuits after reading this book.