Pray for Me by Rick Hamlin

Pray for Me: Finding Faith in a Crisis by Rick Hamlin is Hamlin's autobiographical story of a health crisis that he went through. During this particular crisis he was too ill to pray for himself, as often happens during a tough health crisis. He said, "I've always believed that when you can't pray for yourself, it's other people's prayers that sustain you. They do what you can't do."

In Pray for Me, Hamlin shares many details of his health crisis, mostly chapter by chapter, during the nearly two weeks he was in the hospital. Mixed in to each chapter, Hamlin also shares other parts of his life and the key people in his life as he reflects on them through the crisis. Throughout the book, Hamlin's faith and reflections on God come through. Perhaps most importantly, Pray For Me stresses how much God loves us and cares for us as Hamlin shares his faith and the importance of praying for each other.

Hamlin is the executive editor of Guideposts magazine. I like memoir and biographical reads in general and found Pray for Me to be an enjoyable read. While this book isn't a fast paced tale, it is a rather a slow, gentle read where Hamlin draws the reader into his life. I found it to be both encouraging and uplifting. I don't share Hamlin's faith in just the same way he does, but nonetheless I found his faith in God to be encouraging to me. I think this book could be a help to other people who are going through a health crisis to remind them that God is working in their life, even though they may not feel it. I also think Pray for Me is a good reminder of how important real community is in remembering to pray for each other, visiting the sick in the hospital, sending encouraging cards, and bringing food during times of recovery. Each of those things reminds us that we are not alone and we are loved by others.

I received a copy of this book from FaithWords. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for the book.