7 Books on Prayer
Engrained in the heart of every person is a desire to know and be known by God. We know the imperative to pray, yet we often struggle ourselves. It can feel overwhelming to teach and lead the Church in a practice where we can vacillate between times when we feel extraordinary intimacy with God and times when we just feel like we’re talking to the wall.
Many have inclinations to pray in certain patterns: only spontaneous prayer; topical prayer for healing for the sick, anxiety, repentance, praise, and thanksgiving; or a formal liturgy, such as reciting the Lord’s Prayer, the Serenity Prayer, Psalm 91, Psalm 23, or Psalm 27. The resources below provide a structure to lead the Church toward joy in the Lord—to know God; to be known by God; to be met in grace, love, and mercy in prayer.
This simple practice of prayer is supremely difficult. The whirlwinds whip around us in the obligations and distractions of the day, and yet we are invited to know and be known by the maker and creator of all things—our God, who welcomes us to reset our hearts and identity before him. This discipline grounds our lives on a firm foundation, fills to overflowing in the lives we touch, and calls us back again to drink constant nourishment for our souls to know and be known by our Father in heaven.
There are seemingly infinite resources and books about prayer. For the pastor or church leader, there is both the need to be nourished and the call to disciple people in prayer, with not enough time to sort through it all. The books presented below are tools for the church, from the back pew to the pulpit. May the Lord use these recommended resources to continue to grow us in knowledge, confident assurance, hope, love, grace, mercy, and peace with God, “our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NLT).
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A Praying Life Prayer is hard. Often, unless circumstances demand it—such as an illness or saying grace before a meal—most of us simply do not pray. This kind of prayerlessness can leave us with a distressed spirit and practical unbelief characterized by fear, anxiety, joylessness, and spiritual depression. |
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How to Pray How to Pray is a raw, real, and remarkable how-to-guide on prayer for everyone―from the committed follower of Jesus to the skeptic and the scared. Full of biblically sound wisdom, How to Pray will offer honest encouragement and real-life methods to refresh your spirit, revitalize your faith, and help you practice life-giving and lifechanging prayer. |
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E.M. Bounds on Prayer Methodist minister and Civil War chaplain Edward McKendree Bounds (1835-1913) considered conversation with God as foundational to the Christian's life as breathing. He devoted the last 17 years of his life to intense intercession and to penning some of the most powerful and popular works on prayer. This volume features three of his very best books: Essentials in Prayer, Power Through Prayer, and Purpose in Prayer. |
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The Potential and Power of Prayer Why is it a struggle to pray? Respected professor, speaker, and pastor Dr. Chuck Lawless explores the power of a praying church and how it can transform your ministry. Through prayer, we have access to the all-powerful living God. Even so, too many of us are tempted to start our days prayerless and feeling alone. How can this be? We can’t afford to be so negligent, because whether we realize it or not we all face a high-stakes spiritual battle when we step out into our communities. |
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The Prayer-Saturated Church The Prayer-Saturated Church provides step-by-step, practical help for mobilizing, organizing, and motivating believers to make their church a house of prayer. Written by a veteran prayer leader with hands-on experience in local church prayer, The Prayer-Saturated Church will enable any church to take prayer to the next level. |
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Nearing a Far God Experience Transformation When You Pray the Psalms with Your Whole Self: Feeling hopeless? Lonely? Anxious? Do you want to experience the presence and love of God through every joy and struggle of life? Do you long to enrich your prayer life and grow your relationship with God? The Psalms will guide you into fresh encounters and a lasting deeper attachment to God. |
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Extraordinary Hearing What if you could hear God speaking? What difference would that make in your life? You don’t have to wonder if God still speaks. He reveals Himself to everyone, without exception. The difference between God’s people and all other people scattered over the face of the earth is this: When God speaks, His people listen. |
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