THREE BOOKS…

1. A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers.

If you only read one book on prayer in your life, this is it. 

Jesus encourages us to let his words abide in us. This book teaches how to do that when it comes to prayer. From the writings of Paul, Carson demonstrates how the words of Scripture should inform our words in prayer. He also addresses age-old struggles when it comes to prayer, like reconciling prayer with God’s sovereignty. It’s simple enough to take a new Christian through, thorough enough to warrant several readings, and important enough not to ignore. (Click on the link above to see the Table of Contents.)

2. Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom.

The book begins looking at the prayer acrostic of A-C-T-S and then focuses chiefly on Supplication. The author’s point is this: “Like Jesus’ own prayer, Christian prayer is ultimately a cry for the kingdom” (23). The rest of the book unpacks what that means for the individual and for the church. The final chapter includes practical suggestions and encouragements to those praying in public, praying alone, and praying together as Christians. The weakness of the book is that it’s a bit philosophical in places, and it’s not as helpful in reconciling prayer with God’s sovereignty.

3. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World.

It’s sure to change the way you think about prayer and the gospel. It’s an easy read, but a thought provoking read. You’ll probably even learn more about applying the gospel to every area of your life than you will about prayer.

A PDF…

A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther

When Martin Luther’s barber asked him how to pray, Luther responded by writing this letter. It’s short. And it’s a classic. Read it slowly and repeatedly. 

AND A BLOG POST…

Scraps of Thought on Daily Prayer by Tim Keller