Book Review: Bringing Heaven Here
(This book review is being done in exchange for a copy of the book. No money exchanged hands for this review, and all opinions are my own.)
Have you ever experienced a time where you were struggling and feeling really discouraged, only to have God step in like a light breeze on a spring day? I experienced just that when I began to read, Bringing Heaven Here by Brad Gray and Brad Nelson. (Published by W. Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, 2025.) When I signed up to review this book about the Lord’s Prayer, I had no idea how much depth there was to this seemingly simple prayer Jesus prayed. I signed up out of curiosity and perhaps because I felt a tug at my heart saying, “This is something important for you to really understand.”
Most people who identify as Christian know the Lord’s Prayer and can recite it from memory. Even if they haven’t memorized it, they know it is something of importance to the church for nothing more than the reason that Jesus was the one who prayed it. I am not sure how many understand the significance of this prayer and the importance of delving into the cultural and historical context of the words and phrases that Jesus used. It is with this in mind that Brad and Brad wrote the book.
The book is laid out in phrases. For example the first two chapters are devoted to the phrase, Our Father. Each author then takes a chapter to discuss different aspects of what the phrase meant to the audience that Jesus was teaching it too, in other words his own disciples and the Jewish people who were listening to him speak. The following image gives you an idea of what each chapter looks like according to the table of contents.
In Chapter 1, Strong Enough for the Weight of Life, the authors write of this book:
“ It offers not just clarity but courage. Not just comfort but calling. In a noisy, disorienting world it will show you how the Lord’s Prayer can recenter your life around what matters most.
If you’ve felt like your faith can’t bear the weight of your real life, if you’ve ever wanted to start over with God but didn’t know how, if you’re hungry for something deeper than performance, more grounded than hype, and more human than reliegious cliches, this book was written for you”
After experiencing the death of my mother on Christmas, traveling, helping my brothers and family plan and implement her funeral, traveling home, having both my spouse and I get the Flu (which took us several weeks to fully recover from), and then on February 11th having the university where my spouse taught for nearly 37 years announce its closure at the end of this semester, I can tell you I needed something to remind me that God was in it. By the end of Chapter 2, I knew God, in His amazing love and knowledge of me, brought this book along at just the right moment.
“There was a time I simply believed that God was love. But now, I experience him as a Rescuer, crashing into my pain and lifting me from the things that hold me back. He wants the exact same things for you, right now, with whatever pain you’re holding or whatever barrier you are stuck against.””
Brad Gray and Brad Nelson use easy to read language as they walk us through the context of each phrase explaining why Jesus chose those words, and yes they explain the Hebrew and the Greek as needed. Jesus knew what these phrases would mean to his audience and the importance of Israel’s history pertaining to each phrase. After they have established context, the authors show how these phrases pertain to us as believers in Christ.
These are just a few of the things I was reminded of as I read about each phrase:
Our Father - He is the Father who hears, rescues and makes himself known. He is also the the Father that enters into the times between times; the wandering in the wilderness times; the time between what was and what will be, inviting us into intimacy during the span of delay.
“Part of the genius of the Lord’s Prayer is that it summons us to resist the lie that ‘nothing’s happening’ by daily reminding ourselves of the truth that God is a loving Father who is leading us somewhere good. Even when we can’t see it.”
In the Heavens - Our Father sits above it all. He is the God of the heavens where the birds fly. He is the God of the heavens where the stars and planets hang. He is the God of the heaven where he is King and Lord. When I keep this idea in mind, I know that there is nothing he does not see and care about. He is also the Father who comes to us in the enchanted moments and brings heaven to earth. It’s those moments we remember his compassion and mercy.
“Praying ‘Our Father in the heavens’ invites us to live with the conviction that the heavenly, unseen realm is as real and present as the air we breath—that every place can become holy ground if only we have eyes to see it.””
Holy Be Your Name - Holiness is not about turning God into who I think he should be, but reorienting my life around his person and character. My response to his holiness should be one of fear (terror), awe and reverent respect. It also is meant to transform me from being a slave to sin and selfishness into a representative of the freedom I have in him.
“...God’s holiness isn’t dangerous because he’s volatile or reckless or cruel. It’s dangerous because we’re fragile. His greatness and power don’t diminish to fit our expectations. He comes as he is: pure, radiant and blazing.”
Your Kingdom Come - I was created to be God’s representative and to co-rule with him as a queen through worship, and service. His kingdom isn’t some far off, heavenly realm it is “the rule and reign of God advancing here on earth, bringing healing and wholeness by pushing out the chaos.” (Bringing Heaven Here - p. 100.) I am able to look at my life as a ministry of Jesus, not because of who I am, but because of who he is.
“This is how the kingdom comes: not all at once, but in small, faithful choices to live differently. Little by little, your kingdom will reflect more of heaven’s priorities, proving that the gospel really is good news for the world.”
Daily Bread - I will experience Christ’s sufficiency as I surrender to him. The idea of just enough keeps me dependent on him. Christ is our real contentment.
“Contentment is the posture of heart that says, I don’t need more to be at peace. It’s one of the most powerful antidotes to the when-then thinking that fuels our scarcity-induced anxiety.”
As I read on about Forgive us Our Debts, Lead us Not into Temptation, and Deliver us from Evil I was amazed at the depth of understanding these two authors had and how praying this prayer on a regular basis with these truths in mind will change our lives. Brad and Brad also include a wealth of quotes from both secular and Christian authors supplying a hefty list of end notes at the back of the book. Many of whom would be other good sources to read.
I think Bringing Heaven Here is a book every Christian, from pastors and ministry leaders to parents, to business leaders, to government officials, to married couples, to aging seniors should own and read more than once. This is a book you will want to hang on to and read again and again.
Also check out this trailer for The Lord’s Prayer video which is streaming on Angel.