The subtitle of this book says it all—How a Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life. Similar to other spinoffs from A.J. Abrams’ bestselling The Year of Living Biblically, this is an attempt to offer a humorous memoir of his world travels, chiefly centered on discovering a richer life of prayer.
Brock’s memoir, A Year of Living Prayerfully, does surprise, however. Along with his wife, Brock travels from New York, where he prays alongside Hassidic Rabbis, to the far reaches of Israel, Europe, Korea, England and the eclectic arena of American Christianity complete with Quakers, televangelist faith healers and Westboro Baptists. Brock not only completes his prayer journey having obtained a private audience with the Pope—among others—but also stacks himself up against historic luminaries such as John Wesley and St. Francis.
These experiences are never off-center or judgmental, but offer their own weight of teaching to bear upon Brock’s accumulated learning. Offered from a clearly Christian vantage point, Brock narrates an abundance of personal opinions and insights about what he’s discovering about prayer as he travels the world and interfaces with luminaries and commoners.
On televangelists, for example, he and his wife ponder the disparities found among certain well-known personalities who spend tens of millions of dollars on lavish homes and jet airplanes, while the bulk of their flocks pray for their continued blessing. Meanwhile, other experiences in England (in John Wesley’s prayer closet) and at the Vatican (speaking with Pope Francis) draw Brock into new experiences redeemed by the old—as he discovers that prayer has divested his heart of enemies and allows him to pray for the salvation of a specific congregation.
In the end, Brock learns to lean on the tried and true prayers of Jesus—and discovers why the Lord’s Prayer is still so powerful. Like Brock, readers will discover the journey of prayer is well worth taking and will find enjoyment, insight and laughter in the many challenges this book offers.
