Reading, Writing & Pondering

  I believe health is holistic and that is how God made us to be--body, mind, and spirit/soul all work together for our best health. For that reason, I like Prayer in Motion by Jennifer Tucker. This is her third book and I previously enjoyed Breath as Prayer too. Prayer In Motion helps me better understand and visualize what God meant in the Bible when it says to pray without ceasing. This book starts out with a story about Saint Patrick and how he started praying daily. I am enjoying working through this book. There is information on somatic praying, embodied prayer, prayer while walking, and so many other types of praying. I also especially liked her Nature Inspired Movement prayer as someone who finds her happy place in nature. Also, as I am a practical person,  the  grounding techniques, movement activities, and connection practices are truly helpful for me in easing stress and promote rest and restoration Prayer in Motion is a book that will be on my keeper shel...

  God's Big Promises Bible Story Prayers by Carl Laferton is a colorful children's book that is just full of various prayers based on the Bible. This book starts out with an introduction on how to use the book. There are 92 prayers included that are based on Scripture. They are aimed at children ages two to six. This book encourages your children to pray Wow, Thank you, Sorry and Please prayers. There are also nine prayers to use at Bedtime. The book is divided into old and new testament prayers as all of the prayers are based on Scriptures. There is also an index at the back of the book. This book is a good size for little hands to hold as it measures about 7 1/2 by 6 inches in size.  I think the bright colors and short but powerful text and prayers are great for teaching little ones various prayers. God's Big Promises Story Prayers would be a great book to use with children as part of your family faith teachings, as part of home schooling, or even along with a Sunday Sc...

  Find hope when you need it the most with this gorgeous 90-day devotional for women who need a reminder that God can bring you past your broken beginnings, through the messy middles, and into a faith-filled future. When you’re at the edge of what your heart can handle. When you can’t see the road ahead. When you wonder if the hurt is beyond healing.  One Prayer Away  by Lauren Fortenberry is for every moment of the journey. Each day invites you to begin with your brokenness. To speak to God about what keeps you up at night. To know that in every single thing you carry today, you do not need to carry it alone.  One Prayer Away  includes: 90 meditations of hope and encouragement in Lauren’s signature poetic style Prayers to receive for yourself or to pray for others Bible verses relevant to each day’s needs like hope, mercy, and surrender Inspirational quotes and soothing photography to create a place where your soul can rest This beautiful devotional is ...

                          A wonderful way to start the New Year would be to pray for your loved ones with a candle in the Holy Land. There are some different packages for these prayers. You could have them pray and they will send pictures of your prayers. This is very reasonably priced, I think. If you would like to keep the candle or gift the candle in a wooden box, it is more expensive, but these could be a meaningful gift for a loved one--especially the person who has everything already.    From their page:   We invite you to share your prayer request(s) with us so that we can intercede with you and take your concerns before the Lord in prayer. As you can see on our website, we offer several ways to do this. This page profiles how we would consider it an honor to light a candle and pray on your behalf (or the person you designate) during a special ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Your c...

      I Pray You'll Be by Hannah C. Hall is such a sweet children's book. I love the beautiful illustrations by Catalin Ardeleanu and the beautiful prayer that Hall wrote that flows through this book. I Pray You'll Be would be a wonderful book to read at bedtime, but really any time of day. This beautiful children's book is 32 pages long, aimed at preschool children through second grade, and is a large beautiful dust-jacketed book measuring about 9 1/2 by 10 inches square. This beautiful prayer is one that could be prayed by any caregiver for the child that they are with. I also like how inclusive this book is as to children of all colors in the illustrations. This beautiful flowing prayer throughout the book could inspire children in so many ways. I just highly recommend it.     I received this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

 The Pour Out Your Heart Prayer Journal by Lois Krogh is a lovely book from Crossway publishers--a Christian publishing company. I make that point because this is a book aimed at those who follow the Christian faith. There are Bible verses and places to study the Bible as well as places to journal your prayers in this book. The hardcover is truly lovely and has a quality classic book feel. The book is divided into sections beginning with one called How to Use this Prayer Journal that explains how they intended the book to be used--although it is your book and you could do things a bit differently. The next section is Daily Gospel Truth which is where you can jot down your favorite verses or hymns as "the place to begin your time in prayer with a reminder of God's grace and mercy" from the book. They have a list of suggested verses at the back of the book. This may work for some Christians as many prayer through the Bible verses and hymns. I also think writing things down...

  Prayer Journal: 30 Days on Peace by Erika Allen is a nice prayer and Bible study journal made beautiful by the artwork of Ruth Chou Simons. I truly love the floral cover and embellishments throughout this book. The cover also has a linen feel to it, which is quite nice. The pages are off white and heavy for writing with various pens. This may even be a book to do some art journaling in if that is your thing. The study is intended to last 30 days and focuses on peace as the title suggest. The book focuses on Bible verses related to peace and are intended to guide readers to peace with God, other people and within themselves. No doubt this is a timely book for many who need this in their lives after so much going on in the world the past couple of years. I like that these books are also a nice size ( just under 6 by 8 inches) and about a quarter of an inch in thickness so they fit well in your Bible or Bible case if you wish to travel with them to a coffee shop or what have you. Th...

  I have always enjoyed Sarah Young's books. Many times they make me think and we have also used her children's books when I was homeschooling my son. We went through Jesus Calling and another book following that one. The readings in those books are all from the perspective of Jesus talking to the reader. What I like about Jesus Listens is that it is from a prayerful perspective and Jesus listening to you. In the introduction, the author says that she hopes that the daily prayers to Jesus in this book would be just a starting point. She hopes that they will invite the reader to share their thoughts and feeling as well as other things happening in their lives. She says she hopes that the prayers in the book will be just the start of conversations with Him. I like that idea. Sometimes written prayers don't quite fit your own situation and this invites the reader to make it their own. There are 365 daily readings that all start with a Bible verse, then the prayer to Jesus and ...

  Any Time Any Place Any Prayer: We Can Talk with God by Laura Wifler is a simple but effective teaching book for toddlers. It is 16 pages long with simple easy wording for young children. It roughly measures about  6 inches by 7 1/2 inches--which is a smaller size for young children to hold on their own and turn the thick cardboard pages. This book has pictures--with various people in them--of all skin colors  as well as differing abilities. I especially like how inclusive this book is. Truly we can all pray. No matter how old we are. I like how this book simplifies prayer and makes it clear that it is important to talk to God. To tell him thank you. To tell him you  need help. And to say, sorry to God for mistakes made. . .Among other prayers.  All in all, Any Time Any Place, Any Prayer: We can Talk with God is a brightly illustrated board book that would be great to use in most Christian families with little ones. I received a copy of this book from the pub...

    Both the Prayer Journal: 30 Days on Humility and 30 Days on the Gospel were written by Erika Allen. Allen writes in such a way that these daily readings would inspire women of all ages. They could also be read by women of various denominations. They encourage you to read the Bible prayerfully--which I really like. I also like how these slim volumes are so beautifully decorated both inside and out by Ruth Chou Simmons. They are simply gorgeous besides the solid Biblical content inside. They have thick cream-colored pages inside with plenty of space each day for journaling. I haven't tried markers but pens and pencils don't bleed through and work well for both prayer and even doing some prayerful art journaling in these books.  These slim volumes are a good size to slide into your Bible case alongside your Bible or into your purse for study away from home. If you know someone who might like them, they would work well in a gift basket to cheer someone who is ill or needi...

  I think there are a lot of us in this day and age that struggle with sleep at times. Give it to God and Go to Bed by Laura Harris Smith, N. D. looks at sleep struggles from a Christian point of view. Give it to God and Go to Bed helps you look at the issues and struggles that you have that may be stealing your sleep. She encourages you to look at the stressors in your life, your environment at nights, spiritual warfare, your inner voices, struggles with social media, inner spiritual struggles, struggles with other people, and more. Smith is a naturopathic doctor who encourages people to look at all aspects of their lives to have their best health and to live the best that they can for Christ. There are 10 chapters in this book just full of good information. At the end of each chapter, there are questions to ask yourself. She really encourages readers to take the time to answer the questions. Then at the back of the book, she has a 10-day program to help readers make lasting cha...

  The sub-title of Just Ask by J. D. Greear is "The Joy of Confident, Bold, Patient, Relentless, Shameless, Dependent, Grateful, Powerful, Expectant Prayer." Wow! That is a lot of adjectives and a lot of expectations. Along with that great sub-title, I was drawn to this book on prayer by the fact that the forward was written by Paul E. Miller. I took a class on prayer based on Miller's book a few years ago at my church and was thoroughly drawn in to pray more because of it. Then the last couple of years, with all of the changes in the world, my habits changed. Just Ask has once again reminded me of the importance of prayer in my life at a time when I haven't felt like I have made much of a difference with it. Just Ask is divided in to two parts: Why We don't Pray and How to Pray. I like how easy this book was to read. Greear writes in such a way that I find him easy to understand and he is almost conversational through the book. At the same time, I confess that I ...

  Women throughout history have been turning to prayer to change to world. When Women Pray by T. D. Jakes focuses on 10 women of the Bible who changed the world through prayer. From lesser known women like Rhoda and the shunammite woman to Mary and Esther, Jakes shares how each of these women used prayer to make a difference. He also relates each of these women and their situations to the world today. I found When Women Pray to be an interesting book. I learned some things about Bible women that I did not previously know and was also reminded of some that I did know. At the same time, Jakes wrote this book this year and shares his thoughts about writing during the Covid-19 pandemic, which I found especially interesting. Jakes is also a black preacher and he shares some things from his perspective as a black man that helped me as a white woman see things a little differently. I found the book to be easy to read and understand. I think it is a book that would speak to young Christi...

Did you know that there is only one prayer in all of Proverbs? In The Prayer of Agur , Jay Payleitner talks about this prayer and the rest of the proverb written by Agur. The Prayer of Agur is a small book with a big message. I spent most of last week reading through this book in the mornings. I enjoyed looking at the 30th Proverb from his perspective. Payleitner breaks the Proverb down in to sections and gives the reader insights into both the writer and the wisdom from this Proverb. In the back of the book, he also includes a complete NIV version of the Proverb and discussion questions for each chapter. I think The Prayer of Agur would be a great book to use for Sunday School or small group to study together. I did enjoy the author's insights although I think they could be expanded on within a group context. He talks a lot about discovering your sweet spot in life and being where God wants you to be. He makes that sound fairly easy in the book but I think as we live life...

Warfare Prayers for Women: Securing God's Victory in Your Life by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock is a beautiful colorful book packed with prayers for all sort of occasions based on Scripture. Warfare Prayers for Women starts out with a brief introduction and is then divided in to eleven parts: Praying with Power, Praying against Hindrances, Praying for Life's Milestones, Praying for Children and Grandchildren, Praying for Family and Friends, Praying When Single, Praying through Tough Times, Praying in My Senior Years, Praying for My Community and Nation, Important Prayer Helps, and Scriptures for Intercession and Warfare. I like that Warfare Prayers for Women is a book that encourages women to pray based on Scripture. In the introduction, the authors make it clear that the most important thing is that we take time to pray each day and to be honest with God and not worry so much about the form of our prayers. We need to spend time praying to God, looking to Him ...

My Heart, Ever His by Barbara Rainey is a beautiful collection of prayers for women. What I especially love about this book is that it is beautiful to look at and the prayers are beautiful--but they are real too. My Heart, Ever His has 40 prayers in this book that are written to encourage women to talk to God honestly and openly. These prayers are transparent and so down-to-earth. I could relate to so much of what she was saying in them. In the introduction, Rainey invites the reader to think of these prayers as being in the same style as the psalms. Many times, the psalmists prayed honestly and openly baring their whole hearts. While the prayers are not all "happy-life-is-great prayers," they do include praises for God even though she stars some of them out honestly. It took her years to realize that God is not offended by our honest feelings and complaints but instead He knows our feelings anyway. However, she notes that the psalms almost always end in words of prais...

I imagine the father of the prodigal son in the Bible (Luke  15:11-32) every day was praying and longing with all his heart for that prodigal to change his ways and come home. I can imagine because I love a prodigal of my own. When You Love a Prodigal: 90 Days of Grace for the Wilderness by Judy Douglass was a book written in process over time. She shares her heart and how God worked in their lives in this book. When You Love a Prodigal has 90 individual reflections written by a woman who traveled through life with a prodigal. In the beginning, she defines "prodigal" so we are all on the same page. She has divided the book in to sections: love, grace, time, rest, trust, prayer, promise, hope, spirit, and gift. Each reading in each section relates to that topic. In the end of the book, her son writes a brief note and she writes a brief note in closing. Douglass shares her heart in When You Love a Prodigal as a mom praying for a son who lived a life for his own pleasu...

May It Be So: Forty Days with the Lord's Prayer by Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson is a prayer guide of a different sort. This guide combines images and words about and from the Lord's Prayer to give the user a way to find meaning and spiritual clarity through ongoing language with God. May It Be So is different than any other prayer book that I have read before. I especially found the "Before you begin" section helpful. The authors have another similar book that they previously published, but I have not read that one. I like how the authors encourage the reader to consider the book in different ways and to use their creativity to make the best use of it. I found this book helped me to slow down and spend time in the Lord's Prayer differently than I have in the past. After you have been a Christian for a long time and prayed the Lord's Prayer so many times, it is easy to get into a rut. I felt May It Be So encouraged me to be more mindful of what I...

Is your prayer life in a rut? Do you pray general prayers without a lot of passion to them? Does it feel like God is answering other people's prayers but not yours? If so, I would encourage you to read Gangster Prayer by Autumn Miles and your just may give your prayer life a boost. What is Gangster Prayer anyway? Autumn Miles says the short version of gangster prayer can be defined this way: "intentional, tenacious, relentless communication with God that focuses on His might as the source for the answers we seek an don the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives us access to that power." She also said that this whole book is the long version of how to pray like a gangster. She starts Gangster Prayer by explaining how God gave her a wake-up call to pray more fervently. She said that God got her attention by telling her that real-life gangsters are more passionate about their mission of evil than she was about her mission of prayer. Then throughout Gangster Prayer , Miles...

I don't know about you, but I started praying for my son and our parenting of him when we found out we were expecting. My son is a teenager now and I continue to pray every day for him. I think he needs those prayers now more than ever. Rob and Joanna Teigen have a new book, Powerful Prayers for Your Son , that can guide parents through prayer in all sorts of situations through the year5s as your son grows up and even in to adulthood. Powerful Prayers for Your Son starts off with an introductory word from Joanna and one from Rob. In these short pages, they introduce themselves and share how this book came about. Following the introduction, there are 77 prayers through the book--prayers that cover your son through all sorts of life situations through the ages and stages of your boy. A few examples of the many prayers included in the book are: when he is looking for God, when he is stressed, when his faith is shaken, when he goes online, when he considers dating, when he is atta...