Here are 100 books that Praying Personalities fans have personally recommended if you like
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I am passionate about writing, reading, and recommending books that help people understand how to improve their relationship to God and to others. Verbal advice only goes so far. The wonder of books is that they contain the wisdom of years and lived experience that can encourage and equip readers long after the writers are gone. In addition to being an author of Christian living books, I have a graduate degree in biblical studies as well as decades of experience in adult education, public relations, and ministry to women. I also speak internationally on spiritual living.
This is the ONE book I recommend to younger women who want a mentor’s advice on what’s truly most important in life. The author writes from the perspective of a “seasoned sister” who was often asked to share how she was able to raise a large family, work, run a ministry, and write multiple books while at the same time maintaining a vital spiritual relationship with God.
Lucinda Secrest McDowell gives practical, accessible advice about love, authenticity, prayer, dealing with suffering, sharing one’s story, and much more. I recommend listening to the audio version read in the author’s own voice. This book also works well for book clubs and Bible study groups.
Do you have the strength of soul you need to live out God’s story for your life? Let award-winning author Lucinda Secrest McDowell show you how to become soul strong! How do I know my life makes a difference? How am I supposed to balance life when it seems I can’t catch a break? How do I move forward spiritually and with purpose? The answer to these questions and more is in learning how to live Soul Strong. The journey of faith is truly “a long obedience in the same direction.” It’s a deep commitment and an even deeper empowerment.…
I am passionate about writing, reading, and recommending books that help people understand how to improve their relationship to God and to others. Verbal advice only goes so far. The wonder of books is that they contain the wisdom of years and lived experience that can encourage and equip readers long after the writers are gone. In addition to being an author of Christian living books, I have a graduate degree in biblical studies as well as decades of experience in adult education, public relations, and ministry to women. I also speak internationally on spiritual living.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough! This insightful book had its genesis in a trip the author took with her daughters through Italy where she saw parallels between viticulture and the meaningful, fruitful lives we can live here on earth.
Bestselling author Beth Moore is perhaps the best-known Bible teacher in the United States, bar none, and a hugely gifted writer. She is also known for her deep spiritual wisdom and joyful spirit despite undergoing some very traumatic experiences in her own life, including childhood sexual abuse. Moore uses Jesus’ teaching in John 15 to introduce readers to biblical principles that help us flourish.
This is an absolutely beautiful book, inside and out! I recommend both the print and audio versions, but it’s a special gift to listen to Beth Moore read her own words.
Join bestselling author Beth Moore on a six-session journey to discover the true meaning of a fruitful and God-pleasing life with meaning.
In this companion to her nonfiction book Chasing Vines, Beth Moore explores the ways God delights in watching things grow―and how the vineyard holds the secret to how we can have a more abundant and meaningful life. As she traces the metaphor through Scripture, Beth takes you on a spiritual journey and uncovers how every part of our own lives―even the rockiest, most difficult soil―is used by God to make a difference for His Kingdom.
I am passionate about writing, reading, and recommending books that help people understand how to improve their relationship to God and to others. Verbal advice only goes so far. The wonder of books is that they contain the wisdom of years and lived experience that can encourage and equip readers long after the writers are gone. In addition to being an author of Christian living books, I have a graduate degree in biblical studies as well as decades of experience in adult education, public relations, and ministry to women. I also speak internationally on spiritual living.
As much as I appreciate the mega-bestselling devotional Jesus Calling, I honestly think that Carol Kent’s He Holds My Hand is even better. This book is a page-per-day devotional written as if God the Father is speaking directly to you.
Over 25 years ago, the author’s only son was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Out of her deep grief, Carol Kent turned to the Scriptures and began to journal what she heard God saying to her: words of comfort and healing, presence and protection. A book does not get any more authentic than that. I recommend this devotional to anyone needing to know that God is with them even in the worst experiences life can throw at us.
2018 Christian Book Award finalist (Devotion and Gift category) He Holds My Hand is a page-per-day 365-day devotional. Based on Scripture, this devotional is written as if God the Father is speaking His words of comfort and protection directly over you.
When Carol Kent’s son was sentenced to life in prison without parole, Carol was consumed with grief, sadness, and despair. She was distraught wondering why God permitted this to happen. She had prayed for her son since he was a small child. He had been raised with biblical principles and daily prayer. As Carol tried to make sense of…
Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.
I am passionate about writing, reading, and recommending books that help people understand how to improve their relationship to God and to others. Verbal advice only goes so far. The wonder of books is that they contain the wisdom of years and lived experience that can encourage and equip readers long after the writers are gone. In addition to being an author of Christian living books, I have a graduate degree in biblical studies as well as decades of experience in adult education, public relations, and ministry to women. I also speak internationally on spiritual living.
I love this book because I have worked in ministry to women for over 30 years, and I’ve never read anything remotely like it. I picked it up and literally did not get out of my chair until I finished it, even with heavily underlining many parts.
Although I have never been a victim of physical or sexual abuse, the author wrote this from the perspective of one traumatized by another woman whom she thought was a good friend and trusted spiritual advisor. What is especially helpful is that Williford’s unusual story is interwoven with her long-time therapist’s peer-reviewed insights and principles. I recommend this to anyone who has been victimized, as well as those who want to walk alongside survivors in their journey to healing.
“I didn’t know I was being manipulated. I didn’t know the signs.” “I didn’t know the cycle of abuse, or that it’s normal to feel guilt for something that’s not your fault, to have complex emotions about your abuser as you heal. I learned that I could set boundaries, choose not to reconcile, and still pursue the internal freedom of forgiveness.” – Tricia Lott Williford
A seasoned author and masterful storyteller, Tricia Lott Williford encountered the public trauma of the death of her husband, but she held quietly the private trauma that happened at the same time: grooming, manipulation, sexual…
Books have been an important part of my faith journey. I set aside time each morning to read scripture, and devotional material, to meditate and pray. As I read about the experiences of others my faith increases and I know God better. As a writer I express my own faith through words and invite others to know God better by experiencing Him with time set aside in the mornings. More Love is part of a series of small books that I have created to give readers experiences to connect with God and to know His love.
Mark Batterson writes, “If you press into God’s presence like never before, you will experience God like never before.” This small book has led me back to a richer prayer life again and again. I’ve prayed through it many times and have given away countless copies to others. Each day Batterson invites a new way to look at prayer and a practical way to start a morning devotion time all grounded in scripture. As a writer I love the focus on creativity and honoring ideas. He writes, “I don’t type on a keyboard, I pray on one.”
Your 40-day guide to experiencing more passionate, persistent, intimate communication with God.
Do you pray as often and as bravely as you want to? Are you looking to strengthen your relationship with God and experience a deeper, more intentional prayer life? Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker, is here to teach you all about a new, life-changing way to pray.
After the release of The Circle Maker, thousands of readers quickly became many tens of thousands, and soon enough, true stories of miraculous and inspiring answers to prayer began to pour in. Draw the Circle…
As a painfully shy child, I found friendship, adventure and ultimately my own voice reading about—and spending time with—animals. Animals felt safer to talk to than people, and they gave me the gift of their presence and time to practice communication. Overtime, I conquered my extreme shyness, obtained a Masters degree in counseling, and, eventually, began writing about the many ways animals can help people. There is no denying the role that animals—and books about animals—have played in my life. And by sharing this list, I hope to help others find that same comfort and inspiration.
While this book isn’t technically about animals, I read it every morning with my golden retriever, Gracie, curled up at my feet, so I can’t help but include this one in the list. My time reading this powerful devotional book—with Gracie at my feet—became such a beautiful picture of what it means to lay my every fear, anxiety, and worry at Jesus’ feet and trust him to steady me and hold me through the hard seasons.
If you have ever wrestled with anxiety or found your heart so gripped by fear it was hard to take a deep breath, then this is the book for you! And if possible, have an animal beside you while you soak in the hope found in its pages.
Find hope amid anxiety through the spiritual practice of breath prayer in this beautifully illustrated and practical guide to connecting body, mind, and spirit during times of stress.
Breath as Prayer will lead you through the practice and the proven health benefits of Christian breath prayer: intentional prayers centered around Scripture that focus our minds on Christ as we calm our bodies through breathing.
Breath as Prayer offers:
More than 80 breath prayers focused on Scripture, along with brief meditations
Gorgeous original full-color illustrations
A quick-start how-to guide to refer to as needed
Guidance on how to implement a breath…
I’m often introduced as a “prayer expert” but I’m not. I’m just someone who’s found herself praying a lot—for my family, my friends, and even sometimes complete strangers. And while there are all sorts of ways we can pray, I like praying the Scriptures—taking the actual words of the Bible and using them to shape our perspective as well as our prayers. Not only has that approach made my conversations with God more diverse and creative, but it has made them more powerful. Plus, praying this way has equipped me to trust God and experience freedom from worry or fear—even when things don’t happen the way, or in the timing, that I want them to.
Live a Praying Life is, hands-down, my top pick when it comes to making a study of prayer. Jennifer Kennedy Dean understands that we want to know the “why” and the “how” behind prayer, and she tackles the thorny questions to equip us to persevere when it doesn’t look like the needle is moving. In looking at the lives of folks who’ve gone through more than a few tricky places (guys like Joseph, who thought he was supposed to be a ruler but wound up being sold as a slave), Dean warns us not to mistake God’s will for his ways, or confuse what he is doing with how he is doing it. We only see part of the picture. And, she writes, “We cannot control God or tell him how to accomplish his plan.” We can, however, partner with him to accomplish his best purposes—and the way that we…
Practical yet powerful insights from Jennifer Kennedy Dean’s life’s work and best-selling Live a Praying Life®! Now in a newly designed format, Live a Praying Life®! will… • Provide the biblical basics of prayer’s purpose, process, promise, and practice. • Give easy-to-understand illustrations, stories, and details to answer complex theological questions. • Clean out myths about prayer! • Help you rev up a powerful, ongoing connection to God.
I’m just an everyday person. I don’t have a fancy title or lots of degrees, but I do have experience being close to God and a never-ending quest to know Him more. His love is so good that it absolutely must be shared. So if I, in all of my ordinariness, can learn extraordinary sacred things, then I can bring others along the journey, too. His presence in my heartaches, struggles, joy, and adventures has sustained my life, and I don’t know any credential that could testify any clearer that a journey with God is worth taking.
When we think prayer is hard, we need a reminder of God’s listening ear. While there are limitless ways to connect with the Lord, Praying God’s Word invites us into conversation when we don’t know what to say.
Scripture is alive and active, and God Himself gives us words when we don’t have any. The thing I loved about this book is that it’s a springboard to get us started with this type of prayer. When I tried praying this way, I felt closer to God because His words were right there.
Beth Moore's #1 best-selling book (more than one million copies in print) is available in paperback for the first time!
Praying God's Word is the perennial favorite Scripture-prayer resource designed to help us decisively overcome specific strongholds: pride, idolatry, addiction, loss, depression, unbelief, temptation, and more.
No matter how overwhelmed or out of control a person may feel today, Beth boldly reminds us that nothing is bigger or more powerful than the Lord. With this landmark book we learn to wield the sword of the Spirit, praying God's Word to break free from anything that has a hold on us…
I am an ordained minister with over 10 years of experience serving as a pastor in both the hospital and church settings. I’m also a mom of three children, ages 2, 5, and 7. I routinely get asked for resources to help raise children in the Christian faith. As both a pastor and a mother, I am a strong advocate for teaching children a theology they won’t have to heal from. All the books I recommend are progressive, inclusive, and diverse. I’ve done extensive research when it comes to faith-based literature, and I’m passionate about finding the best books to recommend to families.
Not every person prays the same. It’s not helpful to teach children that the only way to pray is with eyes closed, heads bowed, and words uttered.
Children are all different – they learn different, and they express themselves different. This book teaches kids that you can pray in a number of different ways, especially the ones that come most naturally to you. Prayer can be done in word, dance, song, service, and so on. If you want to teach your kids about prayer, this is an excellent resource.
When words are hard to find, prayer blooms in unexpected ways.
Sparrow wakes each morning, ready to sing a prayer of thanksgiving. But not today. Today his words get tangled and knotted in his beak like old yarn and straw. He feels sad and gray, and he's not sure why. So Sparrow decides to ask his friends Turtle, Mousie, and Buck for advice on how to pray. Each friend shows Sparrow a different way to pray without words, through generosity, art, and movement. As the day ends, Sparrow meditates on a rose aglow in the evening light and has an…
The Bible is the greatest mystery novel ever written. It begins in the Old Testament with seemingly random accounts of ancient people in far away places with strange customs. There’s the prophecy of a coming Hero who will conquer the villain and restore peace to the land. The mystery reaches…
I’m often introduced as a “prayer expert” but I’m not. I’m just someone who’s found herself praying a lot—for my family, my friends, and even sometimes complete strangers. And while there are all sorts of ways we can pray, I like praying the Scriptures—taking the actual words of the Bible and using them to shape our perspective as well as our prayers. Not only has that approach made my conversations with God more diverse and creative, but it has made them more powerful. Plus, praying this way has equipped me to trust God and experience freedom from worry or fear—even when things don’t happen the way, or in the timing, that I want them to.
If you’re looking for a well-loved prayer “classic,” you won’t find many books with more staying power than Andrew Murray’s With Christ in the School of Prayer. Murray doesn’t see prayer as one facet of the Christian life; rather, he says that it is the “root and strength” of all that we do. “Jesus never taught his disciples how to preach,” Murray writes, “only how to pray.” And the secret to a powerful prayer life is abiding in Christ—growing into his likeness—so that our lives (including our thoughts and desires) look more like his. As we enroll in Jesus’ “school of prayer", we will learn to pray in harmony with God, be equipped to impact our world, and discover the true purpose of prayer.
Originally titled: 'With Christ In the School of Prayer: Thoughts on Our Training for the Ministry of Intercession,' to Include: Lord, Teach Us to Pray - In Spirit & Truth - Pray To Thy Father, Which Is In Secret - After This Manner Pray - Ask, & It Shall be Given You - How Much More? - How Much More the Holy Spirit - Because of His Importunity - Pray the Lord of the Harvest - What Wilt Thou? - Believe That Ye Have Received - Have Faith in God - Prayer & Fasting - When Ye Stand Praying, Forgive…