The Book of Bad Prayers

We were taught to pray with clean words and tidy emotions—say the right things, in the right order, with the right tone. Then real life hit. We got distracted, angry, jealous, doubtful, or simply bored. So we stopped praying or learned to fake it. The Book of Bad Prayers blows up that performance and returns us to the scandalous honesty of the Bible. The psalms howl. Job argues. Jeremiah complains. The disciples fall asleep in Gethsemane. Jesus asks for another cup. Scripture isn't a museum of polished spirituality; it's a record of raw, imperfect people talking to God like He's actually there. Dustin Gross walks through our most common "bad" prayers—the Grocery List, Sleepy, Angry, Bargaining, Jealous, Awkward Silence, Selfish, Doubting, and Distracted—and shows why each belongs in a healthy prayer life. With humor, clarity, and pastoral bite, he dismantles shame, exposes religious pretense, and gives readers simple ways to rebuild prayer around honesty instead of performance. You won't find productivity hacks or guilt trips here. You'll find permission to bring your real self—wandering thoughts, ugly feelings, unfinished sentences and all—into the presence of God. If you've ever felt spiritually defective because your prayers are clumsy or contradictory, this book is your permission slip. Pray worse. Be honest. Trust that God already knows—and prefers the truth.