This is a book that will challenge your ideas and comfort your mind, that will make you cross and yet give you peace. It is a book that respects your views yet introduces you to something that is entirely new. That will make you laugh and then cause you to cry. It is about God and His Children.
Tom Holland brings to this book the wisdom of a long-serving minister, the heart of a of a long-
serving minister, the heart of a caring pastor, and the knowledge of an internationally respected
theologian. That is a very rare combination, and no subject is better served by it than a
discussion of prayer. In these pages, you will discover not only profound truth simply explained
but answers to the questions we have all asked when struggling to pray.
Rev. Dr Phil Hill, Pastoral and Church Theologian,
Union School of Theology
Tom Holland asks the right questions and thereby primes the pump for an eminently
readable, engaging and informative reflection on the practice of prayer. All readers, whatever
their spiritual maturity, will find much to stimulate their thinking and better equip them to pray.
Dr Lawson Murray,
President – Scripture Union Canada
I feel like I've stumbled upon a hidden treasure. This book (Prayer and the Goodness of
God) took me by surprise. I'll spare you the details on how I came across it but in short, it was
God's providence and gentle orchestration. It's not the style of book I'd usually read but I'm so
glad I did because it has encouraged me greatly. It seems to me that there is a subtle yet
overwhelming sense of discouragement and confusion seeping in and damaging so many devout
believers. Could one of the reasons be because of the slight misunderstanding and application of
prayer that is currently being taught by mainstream popular Christians? I'm thinking yes, this is
probably so. The stories in this little book are like a beacon of light offering guidance and hope in
the dark. It's a delightful read and the thread about prayer is practical, life-giving, and powerful. If
you're considering this book, I'd say go for it! It could have an eternal impact on not only you; but
also on those in your life.
J D. Farr (Posted on Amazon)
The book deals with many questions about prayer, constantly asked by Christians; for
instance, ‘Why pray when God is sovereign? ‘What about healing?’ ‘Since Jesus said, “I do not
pray for the world”, should we pray for unbelievers?’ All in all helpful, unusual and not without
challenge for believers at every stage, although particularly helpful for those young in age and
spiritual maturity.
Philip Grist,
The Evangelical Times
This is a unique book. It’s teaching on prayer through dialogue makes it an easy and fast-
paced read that proves challenging to one’s prayer life. And the characters bring to it a pastoral
reality, as issues such as parenthood, bereavement, healing, and personal evangelism are dealt
with. A great little aid for all of us who wrestle in prayer.
Dr Natalie Brand,
Lecturer, writer and mother
This is an excellent short book about prayer and such easy reading – Thank you Tom! It
follows a series of chats between a pastor and one of his congregation exploring what the Bible
actually says about God and prayer. I fully recommend this book and have in fact just read it for
the second time.
Frankie Joyce (posted on Amazon)
I studied under the theological training of Dr Holland and have enjoyed his previous
writings. They are of an academic and theological genre. Prayer and the Goodness of God is a
very different book. It comes from the pastoral heart of Dr Holland who has many years of
experience in pastoral ministry. I read the book with great interest and was greatly blessed by its
simplicity but profound teaching. I posted a small review on our church's Facebook page and
have been most encouraged by the response of those who bought and read the book. One
person testifies that she has been rejuvenated by reading the book and is keen to be part of a
more prayerful church community. I recommend it highly as something pastors might pass on to
their church and follow up on the lessons learned from it.
Peter Thatcher (posted on Amazon)
This book brought me such joy that I gave a copy to every member of my home Bible
study group for a Christmas present.
