My Review of Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson

I cannot even begin to say how much I learned from this book! Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson is like a breath of fresh air. The book is very well written and easy to read. Henderson speaks in every day language and shares many examples and gives stories and testimonials of others who have embraced the worship based style of prayer. The purpose of this book is to help you to overcome common barriers to praying effectively, awaken your prayer life wih simple, biblical patterns of prayer, and to enjoy Spirit led praye sparked by Scripture passages. The author is honest about how so many times we feel like we are simply praying because we feel like we are doing our Christian duty or because we feel guilty if we don't, however, most of the time, our prayer times feel like they are boring and ineffective. Rather than presenting God with our long list of needs, requests, and wants, worship based prayer focuses on giving God honor and reverence while placing us in a place of humility as we focus on who He is and what His character is.
Each chapter has a testimonial of an individual who was changed by beginning to practice worship based prayer. There are several appendex at the end of the book which were very helpful, which include: The Privileges,Possibilities and Provision Related to Prayer; Face to Face Biblical Encounters with God; How Jesus Prayed; Paul's Prayer Requests; and The Bible and God's Glory as well as chapter by chapter questions and application and discussion. Henderson thoroughly explains the reasons why worship based prayer is biblical and effective. He then gives detailed, point by point directions on how participate in worship based prayer.
As I read this book, I was so humbled by the fact that we have the honor and privilege to come before the Creator of the universe in prayer. As great and powerful as He is, He is eager to hear from us and to have a close relationship with us. I have no doubt that anyone who reads this book and puts its contents into practice will see a dramatic difference in their prayer life. I eagerly recommend this book to everyone.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to submit a positive review.

My Review of Couples Who Pray by Squire Rushnell

I was eager to read Couples Who Pray by Squire Rushell and Louise DuArt. Having read several books on prayer prior to this one, I thought that the title presented a different perspective on prayer than those I have read in the past. In my opinion, this book is a great foundational book for couples who desire to go to the next level in their relationship with God and with each other. There are many examples throughout the book of how prayer made a difference in a variety of situations when couples began to pray with each other and for each other. Practical implications of how your marriage will be improved is shown and as a reader I was encouraged and challenged to deepen my prayer life as an individual and with my spouse.
I will say, however, if you are looking for a book that gives in depth, step by step instructions on how to pray and what to pray about, then this is not likely to be the book for you. At the same time, the book did not offer that claim and I felt that I gleaned what I expected from the title. Couples Who Pray serves as more of an encouragement to simply take the step to begin praying together and outlines the reasons why. I would encourage readers who are looking for reasons to pray with their spouse to pick up this book. It is easy to read and offers great examples and Scriptures to confirm the information shared. There are a couple of appendexes at the end of the book which offer surveys for the husband and wife to take at the beginning and the end of the 40 day challenge, as well as a list of encouraging Scripture verses for a variety of categories. Overall, I felt like I was challenged by reading this book and feel that it is certainly worth recommeding to others. I received a copy of this book from Book Sneeze in exchange for my review, but was not obligated to offer a positive opinion.