Two Books for a Better Prayer Life

The discipline of prayer has never been an easy one for me. Early on in my faith journey I wasn’t disciplined in much of anything. To be perfectly honest, the word discipline still makes me cringe and cry a little bit inside. It feels so structured and formal, not fun, and full of whimsy.

I’ve never had a problem expressing anger or frustration to God. One could call that a win, but, as I’ve matured, I’ve learned it wasn’t about being honest with God, it was more about being selfish. I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it.

A Better Prayer Life

I would listen to others pray and there were those who had a connection with God that was enviable. So very enviable. I felt as if they literally saw God directly in front of them as they passionately expressed their needs and fears and longings, convinced God Almighty loved them and could, would, help.

There have been two books I have read on prayer that have challenged and formed my prayer life to be more. More consistent. More intimate. More honest. Filled with more faith. More authentic. More fulfilling.

Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson

In The Circle Maker, Batterson tells the legend of Honi, a Jewish scholar. Honi’s people needed rain, and the legend says he drew a circle in the sand and then told God he wasn’t going to move from the circle until God answered his plea for rain. Batterson declares in The Circle Maker, “Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less.”

A Prayer Journey

Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge, leads one on a journey toward praying boldly and believing God wants to answer that bold prayer. Each day’s reading is brief and inspiring. In fact, there were many days I wanted to keep reading because the current day’s reading profoundly excited my faith!

Batterson is an excellent storyteller. He draws you in; you feel you are experiencing the story not just reading about it. When he then draws a powerful spiritual conclusion from the story, it is easy to accept and believe the truth he lays out in a simple statement.

Every day’s devotional ends with one of those simple statements. Five of my favorites are

• “If we give more of ourselves to God, God will give more of Himself to us.” (Page 31)
• “If you want to see God move, make a move.” (Page 51)
• “Never underestimate the power of a single prayer.” (Page 61)
• “We don’t see the world as it is; we see the world as we are.” (Page 71)
• “Our prayers don’t die when we do. God answers them forever.” (Page 111)

It’s all about God

I have participated in the 40-day prayer challenge several times. Each time it emphasizes to my heart my desperate need for prayer. It has taught me that though I should pray bold prayers, my praying isn’t about me. Prayer is about God.

Batterson helps his reader discover the awesomeness of a mighty, miracle-working Father. He provides a journey that opens one’s mind to the wonder of what God wants to achieve in us and through us. Over and over I personally was reminded that Christ is the answer to every situation, problem, fear, and hope.

Dangerous Prayers by Craig Groeschel

Groeschel is open and honest about who he is and where he has come from. He strikes me as someone quick to tell the story, anytime, anywhere, of how God dramatically changed his life.

Getting Beyond our Prayer Struggles

Groeschel begins his book with a personal story of a friend who told him his prayers were lame. Groeschel describes his early on relationship with prayer and lays out several difficulties Christians have when it comes to their prayer life. He then comes to this conclusion:

“Instead of long, loud, and fancy, the prayers that move God are simple, authentic, and heartfelt. But simple is not the same as safe…My prayers were tepid. But safe, lukewarm prayers don’t draw us closer to God or help us reveal his love to the world. Prayers are inherently dangerous.”

Craig Groeschel. Dangerous Prayers. page 17

Prayer for Transformation

Groeschel takes his reader through an examination of three short “dangerous” prayers: Search me; Break me; Send me. Though the prayers seem like ones we’ve heard before, Groeschel challenges his readers in his simple writing style to examine their lives and move a position, allowing God to define who we are.

I appreciated Groeschel’s emphasis on approaching prayer and God with humility and honesty. Groeschel is not ashamed to share his own journey of learning the lessons these prayers provide. He is open about his view of himself in the moments he struggled, as well as revealing a heart tender to the voice and will of God.

More than Just Talk

Dangerous Prayers emphasizes truly communicating with God. Groeschel isn’t encouraging his readers to just repeat a simple prayer or follow a specific prayer outline. He is challenging his reader to seek to know God as powerful and good, loving and holy. He wants his reader to grow into a God-filled faith where prayer opens the door to deeper intimacy and greater service.

Prayer is Necessary for Growth

Both books emphasize a prayer life that focuses on discovering who God is and what He wants to achieve. Both authors encourage seeking to know God so well that it provides the parameters and faith for what one asks for in prayer. These two books help their readers deepen their relationship with an all-powerful God, encouraging them to communicate with God about anything and everything.

Your prayer life is more than spiritual discipline; it’s foundational to a growing relationship with Christ. We all have our struggles when it comes to communicating, and especially when it comes to prayer, we must get beyond those difficulties. God wants conversation with us that is meaningful, powerful, and intimate. He wants us to know Him and realize we also are known.

As Stephen Curtis Chapman says in his song “Let us Pray,”

Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
For the Father above, He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray

Praying Girl Photo by Ben White on Unsplash