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Do you want to start or improve your prayer life? These 7 books on prayer are essential for helping you find words when you have none left, hope when it seems far away, and motivation to grow your relationship with God when it feels like He isn’t listening.
1. Prayer Book #1: Just start. The Best Book for Beginners
Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer
by Max Lucado
“When we invite God into our world, he walks in. He brings a host of gifts: joy, patience, resilience. Anxieties come, but they don’t stick. Fears surface and then depart. Regrets land on the windshield, but then comes the wiper of prayer. The devil still hands me stones of guilt, but I turn and give them to Christ. I’m completing my sixth decade, yet I’m wired with energy. I am happier, healthier, and more hopeful than I have ever been. Struggles come, for sure. But so does God.
Prayer is not a privilege for the pious, not the art of a chosen few. Prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and his child. My friend, he wants to talk with you.”
Prayer Book #2: For When You Don't Know What to Pray
Start with Prayer: 250 Prayers for Hope and Strength
by Max Lucado
by Max Lucado
“Moses prayed, and the Red Sea opened.
Abraham prayed, and Lot’s family was spared.
Elijah prayed, and fire fell.
Joshua prayed, and the walls of Jericho collapsed.
Nehemiah prayed, and the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt.
The disciples prayed, and the church was born.
The church prayed, and Peter was freed.
Peter and Cornelius prayed, and the gospel was taken to the world.
Do you think things happen when people pray? Yes!
We can do much after we pray. But we should do nothing before we pray. Let’s start with prayer.”
Prayer Book #3: For When You're On Your Knees in Desperation
Battle Prayers: Faith to Move Your Mountains
by Michael A. Klassen
“Does prayer change people, or does prayer change things? Somewhere in the middle of the crossfire lies the heart of true prayer. God desires first and foremost to change the hearts of men and women. His ultimate goal is to bring glory to Himself as His kingdom spreads throughout the earth. But through the changed hearts of His people, He chooses to do His work here on earth—through prayer. Prayer changes people, and, through changed people, prayer changes things
What separates this book from others lies in the fact that it empowers your prayer life. Each section walks you through the discipline of prayer, with the hope of guiding you toward praying effectively. This book leads you through the important components: preparation, confession of sin, personal requests, and praying for the issues on God’s heart. The tendency for many of us is to focus only on our needs or fulfilling God’s will. But the two aren’t mutually exclusive. When we focus only on our needs, we gravitate into selfish belief. When we focus only on God’s will, we miss the connection that God cares about what we need as well.”
Prayer Book #4: Learn to Pray the Prayers That Moved God
The Daniel Prayer: Prayer that Moves Heaven and Changes Nations
by Anne Graham Lotz
“What kind of prayer was it that when offered by one person on behalf of a people who were under God’s judgment, Heaven was moved and a nation was changed? What was the secret to the spiritual restoration, renewal, and revival of Judah? What can we learn today from Daniel’s prayer that would move Heaven and change our beloved nation? Even after a full generation of apostasy and separation from national faith in the living God, is it possible that the prayer of one person could bring renewal, restoration, and revival to America?
That’s what I want to find out.
I believe it’s time to pray like Daniel. Now.”
Prayer Book #5: Circle Those Prayers and Don't Give Up Until God Answers
The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
by Mark Batterson
“The Circle Maker will show you how to claim God-given promises, pursue God-sized dreams, and seize God-ordained opportunities. You’ll learn how to draw prayer circles around your family, your job, your problems, and your goals.
There is nothing God loves more than keeping promises, answering prayers, performing miracles, and fulfilling dreams. That is who He is. That is what He does. And the bigger the circle we draw, the better, because God gets more glory. The greatest moments in life are the miraculous moments when human impotence and divine omnipotence intersect — and they intersect when we draw a circle around the impossible situations in our lives and invite God to intervene.
I promise you this: God is ready and waiting. So while I have no idea what circumstances you find yourself in, I’m confident that you are only one prayer away from a dream fulfilled, a promise kept, or a miracle performed.”
Prayer Book #6: Understand Prayer on a Deeper Spiritual Level
Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?
by Philip Yancey
“I have not attempted a guide book that details techniques such as fasting, prayer retreats, and spiritual direction. I investigate the topic of prayer as a pilgrim, strolling about, staring at the monuments, asking questions, mulling things over, testing the waters. I admit to an imbalance, an overreaction to time spent among Christians who promised too much and pondered too little, and as a result I try to err on the side of honesty and not pretense.
In the process of writing, however, I have come to see prayer as a privilege, not a duty. Like all good things, prayer requires some discipline. Yet I believe that life with God should seem more like friendship than duty. Prayer includes moments of ecstasy and also dullness, mindless distraction and acute concentration, flashes of joy and bouts of irritation. In other words, prayer has features in common with all relationships that matter.”
Prayer Book #7: For When Your Faith is Shaking
When You Don’t Know What to Pray:100 Essential Prayers for Enduring Life’s Storms
by Charles F. Stanley
“My prayer is that this book will help you hear how the Holy Spirit works through God’s Word to communicate to you, that you’ll be prompted to pray in agreement with Him, and that you will overcome the hurdles you face in walking with your Savior. This book is not intended to take His place in your life, by any means. So please don’t expect these to be magical prayers or a guidebook on how to get what you want from the Lord. On the contrary, the goal is for you to hear Jesus—to know Him better and love Him more in the distinct area where you are enduring a storm.
When you struggle in what to say to God, take these words as an example of how to pour out your heart to Him. And as you read these prayers, make them your own. Listen to what the Lord God is saying. As Scripture comes to mind, pray that too. Allow God to speak to you, heal you, and lead you in the way you should go. Learn to talk to and interact with your Savior. And may you experience the great joy and deep comfort of trusting Him through life’s every struggle, and the awesome victory of winning your battles on your knees with Him.”
Looking for more books on prayer?
A great next step in your prayer journey is to learn how to pray strong prayers. We have a wide selection of prayer books available at FaithGateway. Discover new ways to pray including praying the Scriptures, devotionals, prayer journals, and more!
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