Tag: prayer

REVIEW: Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson

REVIEW: Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

A 40-day prayer journey by the author of The Circle Maker. Each day’s entry includes stories and personal testimony, an idea for changing or enhancing your prayer life, and a take away/summary statement.

Ideas and challenges include making prayers more specific, persistence and thinking bigger.

It’s hard to describe this book well and really capture it. For me, this was an amazing little book. I enjoyed the writing style, and the prayer stories were inspiring. I looked forward to reading this each day. In fact, I longed to read the whole thing cover to cover and just soak it all in. But I knew if I did that, I wouldn’t get the same take-aways and growth.

This is a book I will keep close at hand and read more than once. In fact, but the time this posts, I will be wrapping up my second journey through this little book. I think any time you feel like your prayer life needs a fresh infusion of faith and energy, this would be the resource to grab. There’s also a study guide and a video series for group use. I liked this so much I put all of Batterson’s books on my TBR list. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. This was one of my top 10 reads from 2017.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Fervent by Priscilla Shirer

REVIEW: Fervent by Priscilla Shirer

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Author, Bible teacher, and star of the movie War Room, Schirer puts together a book of prayer strategies. She focuses on ten ways Satan attacks believers to keep them from being effective for God. For example, believers may struggle to understand who they are in Christ (Identity) or to embrace forgiveness and live free (Your Past). Shirer outlines each area with personal examples and scriptures. Readers are encouraged to apply each one to their lives and then to write out prayers and scriptures to address them. The book includes tear out index-type cards to record scriptures and prayers.

Review

This was a great prayer resource! I really connected strongly to several of the chapters. This also encouraged me to spend time in my Bible, noting passages that applied to what I was reading.

I did this online with a handful of friends. We tackled two strategies each week. For me, that was a good pace when one of the two chapters didn’t click. At others times, though, a month would not have been long enough to dig into certain strategies.

Personally, I needed the accountability of a group to keep moving forward and not get stuck on one strategy. I am horrible about finishing non-fiction books. If there’s no story to draw me all the way to the end, I can get easily pulled off track. Because I finished the book, I have a starting place for each topic and a plan for digging deeper on the ones that are really key for me right now.

I enjoyed the writing style. It’s direct but relational. Like hearing from a true friend with your best interests at heart. She offers Bible verses to get you started and examples from her own life. She’s not an expert, dictating how you respond, but a friend a little farther along on the same journey.

This is a book I will revisit and keep working through.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: My Heart by Julie Manning

REVIEW: My Heart by Julie Manning

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Julie Manning tells her story of discovering a serious heart problem when she was delivering her second child. That discovery changed how she viewed her life and how she related to God.

The book includes journal entries, Julie’s prayers at various points in her journey as well as letters to her boys with her hopes and dreams for their lives and their relationships with Jesus. Through life’s hills and valleys, Julie shares how her thinking and her faith have changed and evolved. How trusting God with her life – literally – has helped her trust God in new ways in other parts of her journey.

 

Review

This is an inspiring story!! I was challenged from page one to the end by how the author thinks about God, where she finds her identity and peace in the midst of struggle, and how she prays for her boys.

This is a terrific book for those who love memoirs and spiritual growth stories. It’s inspiring like the Steven Curtis Chapman memoir was. But if you are looking for a book that will challenge you to grow and mature in your faith or in your prayer life or in your identity in Christ, this would be an amazing book for that as well.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥