Why We Pray
Understanding Prayer in the Context of Cosmic Conflict
Baker Academic
The Latest Book
Why We Pray: Understanding Prayer in the Context of Cosmic Conflict
If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and entirely good, why do we need to ask God to do good things? Won't God act for the best regardless? Do our prayers even make a difference? Why do some go unanswered?
This brief, accessible book provides a fresh angle on our questions to help us think differently about why we pray and what happens when we pray.
John Peckham applies the insights from his successful book Theodicy of Love to the perennial problem of petitionary prayer, offering practical implications for how we might pray and live in ways that advance God's kingdom of unselfish love. Since our understanding of petitionary prayer is inseparable from our understanding of God, Peckham sheds significant light on the nature and character of God and the often-mysterious workings of divine providence. He does so by bringing theological and philosophical nuance to readings of key biblical texts on prayer, weaving in other scriptural clues to articulate an understanding of prayer that highlights not only its necessity but also its urgency.
Buy from Baker AcademicWhat Others Are Saying
“A deeply moving and profoundly theological case for prayer. Peckham makes sense of the conundrum of unanswered prayer, describing the parameters that impact the hearing and answering of our prayers. Every Christian, indeed everyone contemplating a conversation with God, will be enlightened by this important work.”
“In this outstanding discussion of petitionary prayer, Peckham reassures us that prayer really does make a difference. Readers will learn much from Peckham’s rich theological treatment of prayer. And more than that, they will be inspired to pray!”
“It is not every book of serious theology that leaves one eager to pray, but this one does—not by admonition but by fundamentally shifting our view of God and how he works in the world. . . . The only disappointment of this book is that it doesn’t come with a free pair of kneepads!”
About John C. Peckham
John C. Peckham is J.N. Andrews Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI. Peckham has published widely, including over fifty articles published in academic and popular journals, over twenty chapters contributed to edited books, over sixty scholarly papers presented, and over ten monographs.
Peckham’s numerous books include most recently God’s Love and Justice (Pacific Press, 2025) and Why We Pray (Baker Academic, 2024). Other books include God with Us, Divine Attributes, The Doctrine of God, Theodicy of Love, Canonical Theology, and The Love of God.
Books
- God’s Love and Justice (Pacific Press, 2025)
- Why We Pray (Baker Academic, 2024)
- God with Us (Andrews University Press, 2023)
- Divine Attributes (Baker Academic, 2021)
- The Doctrine of God (T&T Clark, 2019)
- Theodicy of Love (Baker Academic, 2018)
- Canonical Theology (Eerdmans, 2016)
- The Love of God (IVP Academic, 2015)
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