Book Reviews

Praying God’s Promises

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Praying God's Promises: The Life-Changing Power of Praying the ScripturesPraying God’s Promises: The Life-Changing Power of Praying the Scriptures by Linda Evans Shepherd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Prayer changes things. Praying God’s promises changes everything. The Scriptures tell us that when we pray the will of God, he delights to answer our prayers. But what is God’s will in any given situation? How can we know it? And if we don’t know it, how can we pray it?

In this inspiring book, Linda Evans Shepherd reveals that God’s will is not a mystery–it’s clearly laid out in his Word through his many promises. Through stories, practical application, examples of prayers, and guided reflection, she leads you toward a more powerful prayer life. Arranged by topic for ease of use, this book shows how to pray God’s promises of peace, for health, for relationships, for our children, and so much more.” Continue reading →

Holy Roar

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Holy Roar: 7 Words That Will Change The Way You WorshipHoly Roar: 7 Words That Will Change The Way You Worship by Chris Tomlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“What does it mean to praise God? In the ancient world something extraordinary happened when God’s people gathered to worship him. It was more than just singing; it was a declaration, a proclamation, a time to fully embody praise to God for who he is, and what he has done. In fact, in the Psalms, there are seven Hebrew words that are translated into the English word “praise,” each of which represents a different aspect of what it means to truly praise God.

In Holy Roar, Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead share a fresh perspective from the worship practices of the ancient world. Grow in your understanding of praise as Darren offers unique insights. Be inspired as Chris shares how those insights take shape in the stories behind some of your favorite worship songs, including “How Great is Our God,” “We Fall Down,” and “Good Good Father.”

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The Anna Anointing

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My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“God is mustering an army of women with the Anna anointing who will cry out until the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth as the water cover the sea. Those with the Anna anointing will labor in intercession for the release of God’s power to win the lost, revive the church, and impact society with the gospel of the kingdom.”

“These women will be equipped with fire, zeal, and power to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ to those who look for redemption. God is awakening a prayer movement that will release the power of kingdom. We will see righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost on the earth once again.”

The Anna Anointing by Michelle McClain-Walter is 130 pages of pure revelation. While this is not a big book, both in physical size and page length, it is one of the most powerful books that I’ve read in a very long time. It contains 10 chapters plus the Introduction… that took me many days to read. This isn’t a book that you just read and put down. This is a book that you read a chapter, and then you read the chapter again in order to digest the nuggets that it contains. As you read, the Holy Spirit begins to stir your heart with longing and desire to be a prayer warrior with the Anna anointing. You begin to realize as you read that this is what you have been longing to understand. You do, in fact, desire to “become a woman of boldness, power, and strength” for the Kingdom.

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Alive in the Spirit

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Alive in the Spirit: Experiencing the Presence and Power of GodAlive in the Spirit: Experiencing the Presence and Power of God by A.W. Tozer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is the Holy Spirit active in your life? Many people look to extraordinary experiences as evidence of the Holy Spirit. But what happens when the experience ends? How can we be filled with the Spirit every day in the ordinary things we do?

Many talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit, but few accept God’s conditions. Tozer lays down these requirements in his trademark bold and wise way. Though every Christian has the Spirit, not every Christian is filled with the Spirit. Knowing the difference will change your life.

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Answering the Toughest Questions About God and the Bible

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Answering the Toughest Questions about God and the BibleAnswering the Toughest Questions about God and the Bible by Bruce Bickel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When it comes to the big questions about God, Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz don’t pretend to have all the answers. But they do know how to wrestle with doubt. They welcome questions, and in these pages they ask some of the most important ones you have about God and the Bible.

With candor, insight, and a disarming touch of humor, Bruce and Stan provide some answers to these critical questions, yet they leave enough space–and grace–for you to keep wrestling, asking, and seeking truth. Continue reading →

Lavish Grace

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Lavish Grace: Poured Out, Poured Through, and OverflowingLavish Grace: Poured Out, Poured Through, and Overflowing by Kathy Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Lavish Grace is a unique, nine-week study of Paul’s teachings about grace and ways he experienced God’s grace in his life. Filled with contemporary examples of grace at work, this well-written format gives you the rare opportunity to combine a character and topical study into one rich, practical approach to Scripture. Lavish Grace is the eye-opening study you need to recognize how God’s grace is being poured out on you and through you. His grace will give you reason to rejoice every day.”

Lavish Grace by Kathy Howard is an interesting book. It is designed to be an interactive nine-week bible study, but I think that it could also devotional of sorts too. The book is divided into three sections: “Grace Poured Out”, “Grace Poured Through” and “Grace Overflowing”. Each section is then divided into three week studies and each week into four sections. Continue reading →

Hearing God’s Voice Today

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Hearing God's Voice Today: Practical Help for Listening to Him and Recognizing His VoiceHearing God’s Voice Today: Practical Help for Listening to Him and Recognizing His Voice by James W Goll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Discover the Adventure of Hearing God. God longs for a deeper, more intimate relationship with you. When we pray, He listens. Always. But do you listen for His response? You should! Hearing God is a privilege and delight available to every child of God.”

“As it was in the beginning”… and so starts this book; “Hearing God’s Voice Today; Practical help for Listening to Him and Recognizing His voice” by James Goll. In this book the author takes us right there… to the beginning and from there offers the readers the tools necessary and equips them draw nearer to God and truly believe that He wants to speak to us. In this book, we learn to recognize His voice while overcoming what gets in the way of that.
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Hebrew Word Study

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Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of GodHebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God by Chaim Bentorah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Hebrew is a language of poetry and pictures. With Chaim Bentorah’s expertise, you will see how to examine not just word definitions, but also the origin of the words, their place in the culture and idioms of the day, and even their emotional context. Through this devotional, you will walk the road less traveled as you uncover the deeper spiritual messages in God’s Word. In the process, you will discover the heart of God toward you and come to know Him better. You will see just how beautiful the Word of God is and, most of all, you will see the beauty of God Himself and love Him all the more.”

I loved this book! As the author says, “I would love to walk in the garden and converse with God as Adam did; Alas, the reality is that our most authoritative source for understanding Him is what is written in Scripture that came from the heart of God into a human language that we can’t understand, and were then translated into yet another language that we can understand.” Therein lies the heart of it… and this book cuts through all of that, brings us beyond the dozens of translations of the Word to discover the heart of God. Continue reading →

Heaven Declares

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Heaven Declares: Prophetic Decrees to Start Your DayHeaven Declares: Prophetic Decrees to Start Your Day by Hakeem Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“START YOUR DAY WITH A POWERFUL PROPHETIC DECLARATION STRAIGHT FROM GOD’S HEART. So many people—including professing Christians—live aimless, purposeless, and defeated lives without knowing who they are or what they have. This should not be the case when God has so much to say about your identity and your inheritance in Christ.

Grow familiar with hearing God speak. Feel the embrace of His Presence. Listen for the Spirit’s constant voice, speaking through the chaos of life.”
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Every Season Prayer

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Every Season Prayers: Gospel-Centered Prayers for the Whole of LifeEvery Season Prayers: Gospel-Centered Prayers for the Whole of Life by Scotty Smith

“Are you ever at a loss when it comes to what to say in your prayers? Every Season Prayers offers a treasure trove of prayers that will lead you into a more intimate relationship with God. Topically arranged so you can easily find the sentiments that match your needs, this delightful book includes prayers for: • everyday concerns, from health and relationship issues to expressing gratitude; voicing our feelings, stories, and struggles to God; listening to the heart of God; congregational confession and worship; Advent, Lent, and Passion Week and more.”

Every Season Prayers by Scotty Smith is a wonderful resource that you will want to keep close at hand – not just for those times when you just don’t have the words to pray, but also for the times when you just need to hear soothing words for your heart. This book blessed me over and over as I read it. It is over 300 pages of straight from the heart prayers for so many different topics and occasions.
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