Book Review

[Phil Miglioratti]

Books (and other resources) have had a profound impact on my understanding and experience of prayer and praying.  You too?

*Share one item per post:

• Title
• Author
• Publisher
• Link (URL) to a webpage for purchase or more information
• Comments: share the author's insights (or theories or ideas), your observations (emphasize what is good and beneficial), insert a quote or two ...
• Recommended for: personal growth, training prayer team members, reference, or ____ ?

*Comment on previous posts

[Terje Leigre]

I definitly agree with your view. I have for the time being several different books on the topic of prayer.
They certainly are great prayer starters and I use to read a passage each time before my prayer time.
Terje Leigre.

[Phil Miglioratti]

Hope you can take the time to post one or two of them ...

Terje Leigre said:

I definitly agree with your view. I have for the time being several different books on the topic of prayer.
They certainly are great prayer starters and I use to read a passage each time before my prayer time.
Terje Leigre.

[C.J. Keef]

I have two prayer resources that have helped me bring depth to my prayer life. One of "Pray Magazine's" contributors lives close to me. She was so gracious to meet with me and share vision and shape for a prayer ministry. Her book "God-His Nature, His Character, His Sovereignty, His Name" is almost always near my prayer-place. Pat Conway is her name. I think it has been formerly printed by now. I have one of her first copies.
Secondly, Suzette Cauldwell's book called "Praying to Change Your Life" describes her way of organizing prayer. She often writes prayers that are shared with large groups. I do this as a worship leader sometimes, so her book was helpful there, but I didn't think it would affect my daily prayers so much. Great book!

[InfertilityMom]

Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage & Adoption Loss is the book I wrote (author, Jennifer Saake) walking readers through the story and prayer of Hannah found in 1 Samuel 1.

The publisher is NavPress :) and you can find more information at http://www.HannahsHopeBook.com

This book is designed as a companion for women facing conception/pregnancy - related struggles and takes us back to the heart of a woman who poured her pain out before the Lord when no one else understood her depth of grief.

[John Burton]

I hope it's OK to add my own book here!

This is my signature teaching, birthed in a place of dramatic breakthrough.

We take teams into caves in the Colorado Springs area, and pray through this model of prayer in perfect darkness for 4-5 hours. Amazing things have happened there.

The book is titled Revelation Driven Prayer and is published by Revival Nation Publishing.

You can see the book at http://www.praytherevolution.com/resources.

[Angela Marshall]

I love Stormie Omartian's book.. "The Prayer That Changes Everything". I love this book, because it has helped me understand that prayer and worship are all interconnected, and not to treat them as two separate things. Good stuff.


http://www.stormieomartian.com/product_details.html?product_name=It...

[Marsha Mundy]

There have been so many books, but one of my favorites is The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, Whitaker House publisher. The edition I have goes back to 1982. It's a very small little book and an easy read (it was written by Brother Lawrence and his friend, Joseph de Beaufort, over 300 years ago and has been translated and edited using modern language).
Brother Lawrence's goal in life was to continually live in the presence in God. He knew that it was possible to encounter God in every task, through every trial and to be in constant communication with God. He knew that God was a Holy God and how important it was to quickly repent of any sin so he would not be separated from God.
I think the book teaches us how to encounter God throughout our ordinary days. We don't have to be in a sanctuary or alone to meet with God - He is with us, as His word tells us, always.

[Sharon Hill]

I love her books as well. I have especially enjoyed The Power of a Praying Mother and The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children.

Angela Marshall said:

I love Stormie Omartian's book.. "The Prayer That Changes Everything". I love this book, because it has helped me understand that prayer and worship are all interconnected, and not to treat them as two separate things. Good stuff.


http://www.stormieomartian.com/product_details.html?product_name=It...

[Sharon Hill]

Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference
Philip Yancey
Zondervan (October 1, 2006)
http://www.faithfulreader.com/reviews/0310271053.asp
Yancey points out that sometimes it's hard to pray and sometimes we don't want to pray. He says that prayer is not "one-size-fits-all." He encourages us to relax. There's no right way to pray. The only wrong way is not to try. "Prayer is a way of relating to God, not a skill set like double-entry bookkeeping…. It should hardly surprise God that we respond in a way that reflects our true self."
If you need to be encouraged in your prayer life or if you're just beginning a prayer life, this is a great book.

[Vicki Normoyle]

I recently read "In Constant Prayer" by Robert Benson. He introduces the ancient practice of the daily office; after reading the book I felt led to begin praying the offices during Lent, well, actually I felt led to pray at least two of them a day. It has been such a blessing and I plan to continue the discipline.

Richard Foster's book "Prayer, Finding the Heart's True Home" has also spoken to me. Its a great overview of the various types of prayer and I find myself returning to specific chapters of the book again and again.

[Kellie Sue Delabitoria]

I will enjoy looking for the book you mentioned, Stormie is an amazing writer with great wisdom

Angela Marshall said:

I love Stormie Omartian's book.. "The Prayer That Changes Everything". I love this book, because it has helped me understand that prayer and worship are all interconnected, and not to treat them as two separate things. Good stuff.


http://www.stormieomartian.com/product_details.html?product_name=It...

[Stephen Smith]

Principles of Prayer
Charles G. Finney, edited by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
Bethany House Publishers
http://astore.amazon.com/smithworksorg/detail/076422476X


This is one of the first books that showed me what is true prayer. Parkhurst took extracts from Finney's Revival Lectures, and formed them into a little daily devotional book (simple short sections).

Finney shows the necessity of prevailing prayer -- prayer that obtains its answer. He shows by what principles we should prayer, and why God answers such prayers. Here are a couple of examples:

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2. Pray for Something Definite
Many people go away into their rooms alone "to pray," simply because "they must say their prayers." The time has come when they are in the habit of going by themselves for prayer - in the morning, or at noon, or at whatever time of day it may be. But instead of having anything to say, any definite object before their mind, they fall down on their knees and pray for just what comes into their minds - for everything that floats in the imagination at the time, and when they have done they can hardly tell a word of what they have been praying for. This is not effectual prayer. What should we think of anybody who should try to move a Legislature so, and should say: "Now it is winter, and the Legislature is in session, and it is time to send up petitions," and should go up to the Legislature and petition at random, without any definite object? Do you think such petitions would move the Legislature?

A man must have some definite object before his mind. He cannot pray effectually for a variety of objects at once. The mind is so constituted that it cannot fasten its desires intensely upon many things at the same time. All the instances of effectual prayer recorded in the Bible are of this kind. Wherever you see that the blessing sought for in prayer was attained, you will find that the prayer which was offered was prayer for that definite object.


6. How to Pray a Prayer of Faith
1. You must first obtain evidence that God will bestow the blessing. How did Daniel make out to offer the prayer of faith? He searched the Scriptures. Now, you need not let your Bible lie on a shelf, and expect God to reveal His promises to you. "Search the Scriptures," and see where you can get either a general or special promise, or a prophecy, on which you can plant your feet. Go through your Bible, and you will find it full of such precious promises, which you may plead in faith.

I could name many individuals who have set themselves to examine the Bible on this subject, who, before they got half through with it, have been filled with the spirit of prayer. They found that God meant by His promises just what a plain, common-sense man would understand them to mean. I advise you to try it. You have Bibles; look them over, and whenever you find a promise that you can use, fasten it in your mind before you go on; and you will not get through the Book without finding out that God's promises mean just what they say.

2. Cherish the good desires you have. Christians very often lose their good desires by not attending to this; and then their prayers are mere words, without any desire or earnestness at all. The least longing of desire must be cherished. If your body were likely to freeze, and you had even the least spark of fire, how you would cherish it! So, if you have the least desire for a blessing, let it be ever so small, do not trifle it away. Do not lose good desires by levity, by censoriousness, by worldly-mindedness. Watch and pray.

7. How to Pray a Prayer of Faith (Continued)
3. Entire consecration to God is indispensable to the prayer of faith. You must live a holy life, and consecrate all to God - your time, talents, influence - all you have, and all you are, to be His entirely. Read the lives of pious men, and you will be struck with this fact, that they used to set apart times to renew their covenant, and dedicate themselves anew to God; and whenever they have done so, a blessing has always followed immediately. If I had President Edwards' works here, I could read passages showing how it was in his days.

4. You must persevere. You are not to pray for a thing once and then cease, and call that the prayer of faith. Look at Daniel. He prayed twenty-one days, and did not cease till he had obtained the blessing. He set his heart and his face unto the Lord, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes; and he held on three weeks, and then the answer came. And why did not it come before? God sent an Archangel to bear the message, but the devil hindered him all this time. See what Christ says in the Parable of the Unjust Judge, and the Parable of the Loaves. What does He teach us by them? Why, that God will grant answers to prayer when it is importunate. "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him?" (Luke 18:7.)

If you would pray in faith, be sure to walk every day with God. If you do, He will tell you what to pray for. Be filled with His Spirit, and He will give you objects enough to pray for. He will give you as much of the spirit of prayer as you have strength of body to bear.

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This book is recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about how to pray.