The Praying Prophet

Habakkuk was a praying Prophet. Prayer is always a contemporary experience. Habakkuk is a contemporary book. Habakkuk was relevant for the circumstances of his day and is relevant for praying people of any time. Some writers describe Habakkuk as a minor prophet. This study presents him as a major pray-er. The book of Habakkuk is actually the record of a conversation between God and the prophet about God answering prayer. In Chapter 1 the prophet accused God of a non-answer to prayer. God instructed Habakkuk to carefully observe the events in the nations of his world. This would help him to discover the activity of God and would cause the prophet to wonder marvelously. God's answer to Habakkuk's prayer disclosed the planned use of the Chaldeans (Babylon) for correcting the nation of Judah. In Chapter 2 Habakkuk choses a vantage point upon a tower from which to observe God's work. Chapter 2 also records God's instructions for Habakkuk to write a concise, clear, and easy to read record of his prayer and God's answer to his prayer. Chapter three of Habakkuk is a combination prayer and praise song which details one of the Bible's most meaningful and total commitments to God. That prayer and praise song reveals that Habakkuk did come to wonder marvelously at the ways God answers prayer. Habakkuk became a Praying Prophet.
Dr. Byron Allen Jr. is retired after serving for about sixty years as pastor of churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard Payne University with studies in Bible, English, History, and Greek. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree (summa cum laude) from Bethany Divinity College & Seminary. Dr. Allen is the father of five children, who have served in various church staff positions in pastoring, education, administration, and music. Dr. Allen uses the biblical languages in an easy to understand way to glean fresh and meaningful messages from Bible words.


Previously published books by Dr. Allen include Pray Like This: Nine Modes for More Meaningful Praying; His Excellent Name: A Thirty Day Devotional Study of Names of God; In His Presence: A Study of the Presence of God and a Fresh Insight into Worship and Music; In The Garden, a book of devotional studies; and The Praying Prophet, a Study of a Conversation with God about Prayer (a fresh approach to prayer and the Old Testament book of Habakkuk). Dr. Allen has an extremely strong desire to help Christians develop a close personal relationship with God and grow in the knowledge of God's word and in the art of worshipping God.