Mystically Wired by Ken Wilson

Do you sometimes feel like your prayers aren’t getting through? Feels like too much effort? Mystically Wired may give you encouragement for truly connecting with God the way you were meant to.

The word ‘mystical’ may scare a lot of people off, but author Ken Wilson, a Vineyard Church pastor, calms those fears with this practical book . In this case, the word mystical refers to ‘having to do with connecting with transcendent realities’, those that must be revealed to us. Through learning some ‘new-to-you’ prayer habits, you may find prayer becoming more natural and effective, and truly a way to commune with God and grow in your relationship with Him.

Our brains are equipped to connect with God in a variety of ways, and Wilson believes that we can cooperate with the way the brain works, through the ancient spiritual practices or disciplines of prayer. If you are at all interested in the spiritual disciplines, you will resonate with this book. If you believe that ‘spontaneous’ prayers are somehow more spiritual than other types, this book may be a real challenge for you.

I actually found the practical explanations of the prayer disciplines more interesting than reading about what happens to the brain when you participate in them. Some of the ways to powerfully pray included written prayers, using prayer aids, speaking the Jesus Prayer, praying at intervals (regular times of the day), and reflecting on God’s Word through meditation, including really taking the time to listen.

As with every good book that one reads, nothing changes until the information is put into practice. It may feel a little awkward at first to learn new ways of praying, but anything that is valuable usually does take effort. As well, I think we must guard ourselves from the focus on  ‘doing it right’, resulting in this becoming nothing more than another form of empty religious practice, which we can check off on our unconscious (or not so unconscious) Checklist For Being a Better Christian.  The key is asking ourselves what is motivating us to practice these habits. If it is to grow in our relationship with God, which includes increasing in our love for others, then we are probably on the right track.

Readable, although not necessarily a quick read (it took me a while!). Recommended.

My copy of this book was provided free of charge by Thomas Nelson via Booksneeze.com. All opinions stated in this review are my own.