Have you ever been lost for words?
You know it happens to everyone, but you just can’t shake the feelings of frustration. Not knowing what to say is the biggest cause for not speaking at all.
So, when you want to pray, and you don’t know what to say: what then? Where does everyone else around you pick up the right "prayer phrases"? Those holy-sounding utterances that sound so powerful, yet so personal.
Is there even a “right way” to pray?
These kinds of questions have nagged at every new Christian who finds themselves in a Church service, small group or prayer meeting, and just don’t know what to say. Life seemed so much simpler when prayer was just reciting ‘Our Father…’ in school assemblies. But prayer is so much more than that. It is communication, expression, cries, shouts, and whispers. It is nakedly-honest communication with God. A place where you are, more than anywhere else, simply you.
But getting there is hard at first, so here are six books that have helped new believers find their feet in prayer.
1. Why And How Do I Pray? by Nicky Gumbel
From Nicky Gumbel, whose Alpha Course has helped countless people curious about Christianity to understand what faith is all about. The clear writing and approachable of Why And How Do I Pray? makes grasping the essentials of prayer simple and engaging.
2. Pocket Prayers by Max Lucado
Knowing what prayer is and what to say when praying are two very different things. But there are plenty of books made to help you cross that gap by giving you example prayers that you can read out and pray. As well as giving you a better picture of how to pray, these books are ideal for when the right words are a no show. Books like Max Lucado’s Pocket Prayers are a simple, compact book of prayers that cover a lot of ground.
For something a little more specific, be sure to check out the 5 Things to Pray... books, which cover praying for loved ones, your Church, and the world.
3. Prayer by Philip Yancey
A question countless people have wondered is ‘does prayer make any difference?’ It’s those kinds of questions Philip Yancey answers in this Prayer odyssey. In the book he makes the same of journey through prayer that many new believers make, asking the same questions and finding the honest answers.
4. Before Amen by Max Lucado
Prayer doesn’t need to be complex. It’s not meant to be a grandiose speech filled with deep words and phrases that would never normally be spoken. This book is for anyone who worries their prayer are too simple. It shows how the desire to pray is the most important part of your prayer, and letting that desire grow and flourish will bring life and passion to your prayer.
5. God Conversations by Tania Harris
Speaking to God is only half of prayer. Prayer is not writing a blog post that lists how you think, feel, and react. It is a conversation, and every conversation needs two parties to speak, respond, and come together. This is what Tania Harris has made her mission to encourage people in. God Conversations is a book of people’s stories of prayers that go beyond simply talking at God, and into moving towards a real relationship.
6. Prayer by Tim Keller
No list of books about Prayer is ever really complete without mentioning Prayer by Tim Keller. That’s because it is both wide-reaching and approachable. It goes into great depth without being being alienating. It has fired-up readers about all prayer can be, and is. In it Keller communicates with wisdom and warmth why prayer is vital and revitalising.
What do you think? Was there any particular books that were vital in your journey towards prayer? Let us know either below, or through our Facebook and Twitter.
August 24th, 2017 - Posted & Written by Aaron Lewendon
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