Elisa Morgan

I have a hard time writing reviews for these type of pseudo-autobiographical books. On the one hand, I want to be objective about the content, grammar, flow, etc. on the other hand, I hate feeling like I’m in some way rating their life’s story. I debated between 2-3 stars and went with 3 because I put myself in the author’s shoes. This was NOT an easy book for her to write, of that I’m sure. And she’s at times brutally honest about her battles with faith in times of trial. There were just some things I did not agree with in the application portions, especially concerning interpretation and teaching of scripture. It was occasionally difficult to follow her train of thought, but the grammar and writing are mostly solid. It’s not a bad book, but I can’t say it’s one I’ll come back to either.… (more)

This was given to me by a friend so I felt obligated to finish it even though it wasn't that great. As I read it, I hoped it would get better. The premise sounded good - how to make prayer more satisfying and how prayer can bring us closer to God. She sort of answered these questions, but her writing style made it difficult to understand her points as she often wrote long and convoluted sentences. I found myself re-reading sentences and paragraphs, slowing down and trying to decipher what she was trying to say. She did a lot of research and quoted many references but I just couldn't follow it all, and I didn't care. I was glad when I got to the end of the book. There are many better books on this topic.… (more)

Numerous books have been written on the discipline of prayer, often leading to shame or guilt of not praying enough. A well-known complaint is whether prayer helps. Does God really listen? What is praying according to His will? Elisa Morgan tries a different angle, based on the twofold prayer of Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. In the same sentence, present in three out of four gospels, Jesus both requested (“Take this cup”) and relinquished (“Not my will”). Prayer is like a two-sided coin, minted in the heat and pressure of life and spent in the bent-knee of practice. In this particular prayer, Jesus showed to His Father, and through the evangelists as well, that both honesty and abandon count. The Prayer Coin explores this two-sided masterpiece of prayer, inviting you to the intimacy Jesus died to provide.

Morgan shares her personal life how prayers to "Take this cup" and "Not my will" have a pivot in the relationship with God. He listens and answers. Yes, praying like this is a practice, that requires discipline. It's not formulaic, but a set of deep expressions to our heavenly Father of our raw, human, and honest feelings, yet abandoning our own preferred solution to give room for divine providence.… (more)