The Waypoint Bookshelf: Books on Prayer

The Waypoint Bookshelf: Books on Prayer

by Erika Castiglione

Next to spending time with friends and family, reading is my favorite hobby and recommending books is a close second, so it is with great pleasure that I announce the opening of the “Waypoint Library” (otherwise known as the bookshelf outside of Pastor Lawrence’s office). Over the weeks, months, and years to come, we plan to stock it with books about theology, ministry, and Christian living, as well as fiction and poetry. Feel free to come and borrow them any time.

Periodically, we will share recommendations in various genres and categories. If you have made it a goal to read more this year, or pray more this year, I hope this week’s post will be a catalyst and a blessing.

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World

by Paul E. Milller

Paul Miller describes prayer as a family meal, reminding the reader that Jesus’ call in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me,” is an invitation to intimacy and fellowship. Through examples from his own life as a husband and father of six children (one with special needs), he casts a beautiful vision of a walking with God through prayer.

Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer in Our Homes, Communities, and Churches

by Megan Hill

In this short book, Megan Hill calls the church to action. She exhorts us to pray in church, in small groups, with our families, and with guests, by reminding us why we pray and encouraging us with stories of the wonderful fruit of faithful communal prayer.

Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home

by Richard Foster

Prayer is divided into twenty-one chapters describing different types of prayer including sacramental prayer, healing prayer, the prayer of examen, prayer of the forsaken, and meditative prayer. Richard Foster draws from various Christian traditions to show how prayer can move us “inward into personal transformation, upward toward intimacy with God, and outward to minister to others.”

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God

by Timothy Keller

Tim Keller says he didn’t truly discover prayer until the second half of his adult life when several factors converged: the tragic events of 9/11, his wife’s struggle with the effects of Crohn’s disease, and his own thyroid cancer diagnosis. It was then that he and his wife, Kathy, made the commitment to pray every night, and he began to read widely and experiment in prayer. The first four sections of the book give a thorough examination of the “what” and “why” of prayer, drawing widely from other theologians such as Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, Matthew Henry and J. I. Packer. The final section describes the practice of prayer and gives practical advice on how to incorporate prayer into daily life and how to pray through the psalms.

I haven’t yet had the chance to read Praying by J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom or Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore, but they are both on the bookshelf, too, and I’ve heard good things.

I hope these resources will be helpful as we seek to become a church that prays.

I hope you’ll join us Friday, January 24 at 7:00PM for a prayer gathering.

If you’d like to know more about Waypoint’s prayer ministry, contact Bethany Clark: bethanycoda@gmail.com