A good friend of mine recently asked for a few book titles on the
subject of prayer. Below are the books I recommended with links and
publisher's descriptions. All three are pretty down to earth and
practical.
A Praying Life
by Paul E. Miller
Author
Paul Miller shares his insights and conclusions about how to connect
the broken pieces of your life and allow prayer—even poorly
delivered—to fill the gaps with meaning and substance.
Miller's
down-to-earth approach and practical nature will help you see that your
relationship with God can grow and your communication with Him can get
better.
Parents will find Miller's family-life experiences especially helpful.
Includes bonus chapter from Prayer Begins with Relationship by Cynthia Hyle Bezek.
Prayer
by Tim Keller
Christians are taught in their churches and schools that prayer is the
most powerful way to experience God. But few receive instruction or
guidance in how to make prayer genuinely meaningful. In
Prayer, renowned pastor Timothy Keller delves into the many facets of this everyday act.
With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers biblical guidance
as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing
with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make
prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of
prayer that works for each reader.
Dr. Keller’s previous books
have sold more than one million copies. His Redeemer Presbyterian Church
is not only a major presence in his home base of New York, it has also
helped to launch more than two hundred fifty other churches in
forty-eight cities around the world. His teachings have already helped
millions, the majority of whom pray regularly. And with
Prayer, he’ll show them how to find a deeper connection with God.
Present Perfect
by Greg Boyd
A “Holy Habit” That Will Change Your Life! Experience true spiritual
transformation: invite God’s presence into your life! Popular author,
theologian, and pastor Gregory Boyd shows you how—simply, practically,
and effectively—in this thoughtful and accessible book. Discover: • How
to pray continually • What it means to “take every thought captive” •
How to wake up to God’s ever-present love God is closer to you than the
air you breathe. He is present in every given moment.
Wake up to his
presence! Turn off the mental chatter that keeps you from seeing his
glory. Embrace the holy habit of inviting God’s presence into your life,
and be transformed! Wake Up to God’s Presence! We long to be
transformed. Yet our minds are filled with endless trivia and
self-centered chatter. To-do lists. Worries about the past. Speculation
about the future. We forget to live in the present moment … and to
invite God to be with us there.
After reading classic contemplative
authors Brother Lawrence, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, and Frank Laubach,
theologian and pastor Gregory Boyd longed to experience the presence of
God for himself. For two decades, he’s attempted to implement the
“practice of the presence of God” in his own life … sometimes
succeeding, sometimes failing. What he’s learned as a fellow pilgrim on
his spiritual journey can help you find true spiritual transformation as
you begin to practice the discipline of inviting God into every moment.
“I’ve become absolutely convinced that remaining aware of God’s
presence moment-by-moment is the single most important task in the life
of every follower of Jesus,” Boyd writes. “I’m convinced this challenge
is implied in our commitment to surrender our life to Christ, for the
only real life we have to surrender to him is the one we live
moment-by-moment.” Join Boyd on this transformational journey of a
lifetime!
