Where Prayer Becomes Real: How Honesty with God Transforms Your Soul - Paperback

by Kyle Strobel (Author), John Coe (Author)

If we're honest, most of us feel bored, distracted, or discouraged in prayer. We look for resources to give us the "right" words or teach us the "right" technique and are disappointed when they don't seem to help. What we fail to realize is that prayer isn't a place for us to be good or right, and it isn't a place for us to perform or prove our worth. It's a place for us to be honest, present, and known--a place for us to offer ourselves and receive God.

Spiritual formation experts Kyle Strobel and John Coe want to show you what you've been missing when it comes to prayer. In this down-to-earth book, they show you how to fearlessly draw near to a holy God, pray without ceasing (and without posturing), and delight in the experience of being fully known and fully loved. Each chapter ends with prayer projects or practices to help you see a difference in your prayer life, starting now.

Back Jacket

Your guide to deep, life-changing prayer

Prayer isn't a place for us to be good or right. It isn't a place for us to perform or prove our worth. It's a place for us to be honest, present, and known--a place for us to offer ourselves and receive God.

Spiritual formation experts Kyle Strobel and John Coe want to show you what you've been missing when it comes to prayer. In this down-to-earth and practical book, they show you how to

- pray within the forgiveness Christ offers
- pray as one beloved of God
- pray as a way to open your heart to the truth of yourself
- pray in a way that moves beyond clichés to discover where prayer becomes real


"Where Prayer Becomes Real is not only one of the very best books on prayer I have ever read, but it is one of the most practically transformative books I have ever read, full stop."--Ann Voskamp, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Broken Way and One Thousand Gifts

"If you are seeking to grow in the life of prayer or you are helping others do the same, Where Prayer Becomes Real is an excellent place to begin."--Scott Sauls, senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of Jesus Outside the Lines and A Gentle Answer

"As I read these pages, a mountain of spiritual shame lifted off my shoulders. Real prayer is possible. This book is oxygen for the soul."--Anjuli Paschall, author of Stay and founder of The Moms We Love Club


Kyle Strobel is a speaker, writer, and professor of spiritual theology and formation at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. The author of Formed for the Glory of God and coauthor of Beloved Dust and The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb, Strobel and his family live in California.

John Coe is director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation and professor of spiritual theology and philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. A leading expert and popular speaker on spiritual formation, Coe lives in California.

Author Biography

Kyle Strobel is a speaker, writer, and professor of spiritual theology and formation at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. A popular speaker, Strobel is the author of Formed for the Glory of God and coauthor of Beloved Dust and The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb. He has written for Relevant, Pastors.com, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, DeeperStory.com, and others. He and his family live in Fullerton, California, where he serves on the preaching team of Redeemer Church.

John Coe is director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation and professor of spiritual theology and philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. A leading expert on spiritual formation, he is a popular speaker on the topic at churches, retreats, and seminaries across the nation. He holds three master's degrees (in Bible, theology, and philosophy) and a PhD in philosophy from the University of California, Irvine. He lives in La Mirada, California.