Favorite Christian Books

Archive for the ‘Non Fiction’ Category

About this Book

Real-life encouragement for a very personal relationship with God.
In 10 Prayers You Can’t Live Without, Guideposts executive editor Rick Hamlin shares ten real-life ways of praying to our loving God. It includes the practical insight Hamlin has gained about prayer from the everyday men and women in the pages of Guideposts magazine and from his own lifelong journey in prayer.

Readers will be encouraged that prayer is an ongoing conversation, that God wants them to talk about anything. They’ll read about the power of prayers around the dinner table, how to give themselves a time and place for prayer every day, praying in a crisis; asking for forgiveness, praying the Psalms, and how to listen to the spiritual nudges God gives us.

My Review

This isn’t really a book about how to pray, but more of a book reminding you WHY you should pray. The author tells many stories from his personal life as well as stories he has learned in his role as Executive Editor of Guideposts Magazine. There were many stories that brought me to tears at seeing God’s faithful response to prayer.

The author does talk about different types of prayer, such as the Lord’s Prayer and how people when faced with difficult circumstances that found peace in those words. He also talked about the “No” prayer that we pray when the unthinkable has happened. He reminds us that God hears those prayers as well.

This book is a great reminder that God does hear our prayers and we don’t have to wax eloquent to find God’s peace and answers. This is not a how-to book, if that’s what you are looking for you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a book where the author is transparent about his own struggles and the victories he has seen through prayer, this book will definitely encourage you.

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Disclaimer: I did receive this book from the publisher for review, but was under no obligation other than to give my honest opinion.

The Give Away

I’m giving away a copy of this book. To enter, leave a comment below. I’ll pick the winner on April 30th.

My Review

You may have heard of the ACTS prayer model, Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. The P-R-A-Y-E-R Journal is very similar in that each letter represents an aspect of our prayer time. As the author states, “The concept for this book is based on the acronym – P-R-A-Y-E-R – to present a method to remember the elements of prayer.

What the author does is gives you an opening scripture reference, from there he uses the acronym combined with scripture to help you focus on what or how you should pray. One day for the “A” asking section he encourages you to pray for those needing salvation on another day your church leadership. He uses the same scriptures for the P and R but uses different scriptures for the other areas.

There is a place at the end of each day to make notes regarding your prayer time. Unlike the ACTS model where new believers might stumble on the word supplication the PRAYER model uses words that anyone should be able to understand. This is an ideal book for people who need structure or a place to start. The acronym and basic scriptures would also be good for those new to the Christian faith or for those who are teachers or in a discipling relationship with a new believer.

Disclaimer

I did receive this book from the publisher, WestBow Press, through the Booksneeze.com website, however, I am under no obligation other than to give my honest opinion.

About this Book

We need more than status updates—we need relationships.

Learning about God’s Heart from the TGIF (Twitter, Google, iPhone, Facebook) Generation

The explosion in social networking is perhaps the most visible expression of the human longing to know others and to be known. Is there a parallel in contemporary Christianity?

The church posts a welcome sign outside, but has Christianity lost sight of reaching the current generation with the heart of the gospel? Drawing from years of Leonard Sweet’s paradigm-shifting analyses, Real Church in a Social-Network World delivers ahead-of-the-curve observations and insights into the intersection of the gospel and richer relationships in an ever-changing culture of TGIFers (those who connect using Twitter, Google, the iPhone, and Facebook).
·   Find out how to recover the gospel’s unique emphasis on real relationship
·   Experience the promise and reward of relationship and reconciliation in everyday life
·   Learn how the driving desire for connection, understanding, and belonging give evidence of the deepest longings of the human soul

This provocative eBook offers practical guidance to leaders and followers, believers and seekers, and anyone who is ready to explore the human longing for relationship.

My Review

The title of this book may lead you to believe that this was going to be a “how-to” in utilizing Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets. However, it is really isn’t much about using social networks. What it is a strong reminder of how we as the church should be responding to those in this world. Facebook reports as of September 2012 1 billion users, never before have we’ve been so connected. Yet the author points out what people really want is relationship.

With excellent examples and imagery Mr. Sweet drives home that the media isn’t that important. What is important is developing relationships with people, demonstrating God’s love in tangible ways.

I will admit after a point I felt like I “got the message” while the author continued to remind me. I did enjoy the reminders and there were many great points made throughout the book.

If you are looking for a how-to use Twitter or Facebook then this is not the book for you. However, if you need to be reminded that first and foremost our job as Christians is to develop relationships with people then this is a great reminder.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank WaterBrook Multnomah for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was under no obligation to give anything but my honest opinion.

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Books by Leonard Sweet