Before Amen The power of a simple prayer

We all pray . . . some.

We pray to stay sober, centered, or solvent. When the lump is deemed malignant. When the money runs out before the month does. When the marriage is falling apart. We pray.

But wouldn’t we like to pray more? Better? Stronger? With more fire, faith, and fervency?

Yet we have kids to feed, bills to pay, deadlines to meet. The calendar pounces on our good intentions like a tiger on a rabbit. And what about our checkered history with prayer? Uncertain words. Unmet expectations. Unanswered requests.

We aren’t the first to struggle with prayer. The first followers of Jesus needed prayer guidance too. In fact, prayer is the only tutorial they ever requested.

And Jesus gave them a prayer. Not a lecture on prayer. Not the doctrine of prayer. He gave them a quotable, repeatable, portable prayer. Couldn’t we use the same?

In Before Amen best-selling author Max Lucado joins readers on a journey to the very heart of biblical prayer, offering hope for doubts and confidence even for prayer wimps. Distilling prayers in the Bible down to one pocket-sized prayer, Max reminds readers that prayer is not a privilege for the pious nor the art of a chosen few. Prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and his child. Let the conversation begin.

Review by Sharon:

I found this book intriguing as well as spiritually helpful with my prayer life. Max Lucado takes you from how to pray, why pray, when to pray, through different reasons for prayer. When you are done with this book you will find that your prayer life if dull will be refreshed, if already at a good point will be made a lot stronger. I would recommend this book highly to anyone that wants a boost in their prayer life.

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

{Book Tour & Giveaway} When God is Silent by Kellie Lane

Book Description:



"When God is
Silent” confirms through scripture that God indeed hears the cries
of

his elect and the broken hearted. The book explains to the reader
why he or she may be waiting on the answers to their prayers and how
to endure in a season of

silence. 



It also reveals how to recognize
"God's answer" if he chooses to answer differently than
what we anticipate. The take home message is “ Never Give up! Even
if God is not talking he’s still listening”. 





We must learn to
“push, pray, and persist” until we reach the point of
breakthrough. God desires to give only the best to his children. We
must understand this.

Excerpt:

Introduction

I know now, Lord, why you utter no
answer. You yourself are the answer.

—C. S. Lewis

If you’re reading this book, more
than likely you are in what is called a pressed place; a place of
waiting. Does it seem as if God has forgotten about you? Has everyone
else around you begun to celebrate their miracles, yet you are still
crying yourself to sleep at night? Are you feeling a

sense of weariness and emptiness? Have
you been praying and crying out to God day in and out and still you
see no change? Have you found yourself wondering if God has gone on
vacation? Have you been contemplating that perhaps what you are
believing God for is not in His will? Well if this describes you,
congratulations! You are next in line for a miracle. I decree and
declare defeat is not your portion; victory is your portion. Receive
it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

What the enemy wants us to believe is
that God will never answer our prayers. The kingdom of darkness works
overtime as we get closer to our breakthroughs. Satan and

His generals know that if he can get us
to lose our focus, we will not be in position when the fullness of
time comes and we will miss the blessing. We must know without a
doubt that God is faithful and never fails. We must be certain that
even if God is not talking, He’s still listening.

For it is written:

But verily God hath heard me; he hath
attended to the voice of my prayer.

—Psalm 66:19

Book Genre: self- help/inspirational,spiritual growth

Publisher: Creation House

Release Date: March 4,
2014



Buy: Amazon | Christian Books | BN | BooksAMillion

Author Bio:

Kellie Lane, a native of Lexington, MS
is a passionate orator and writer of God's spoken word. She is an
author, motivational speaker, and professional life coach. Kellie has
dedicated her life to the work of encouraging others to reach their
maximum potential in Christ. Her message to the world is " Don't
give up, push, pray, and persist " until you reach the point of
breakthrough. In addition to writing and speaking, Kellie serves our
nation's veterans a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Author Links -

Website   Kellielane.org

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KellieeLane

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/When-God-Silent-Kellie-Lane/dp/1621366774

Twitter: @kellieelane

Good reads:  
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7353361.Kellie_Lane

Linkedin:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kellie-lane/90/361/315

Follow Tour Here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review which will be posted later in June. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

{Book Review} Passages of Light by Thomas Kincade

Enter into a world of peace. Where families
stay together. Where flowers still bloom, and the front porch light
still shines waiting. Waiting for you to indulge in the richness of hope
that millions of Americans have discovered in Thomas Kinkade's
light-infused art. And now, with Passages of Light, you'll be warmed by
favorite

Scripture passages alongside the radiant inspiration of
Kinkade's work.



Walk down the pebble-stone path in your mind,
guilded by luminaries pointing the way. Then read how Scripture itself
is a spiritual lamp for our feet and light for our path. Discover how
light reveals God's glory, and how we are to walk in His light. Passages
of Light reveals six key themes of light in Scripture, like the Light
of Grace and the Light of Hope. And with each section, you'll catch a
glimpse of the artist's passion for God through an inspirational message
from Kinkade himself, followed by Scriptures that show the reason
behind his hope. Through Passages of Light, you'll see the heart of the
artist . . . the light of God's Word . . . and feel the pulse of divine
inspiration.

Review:

You will love it. It is a full book of scripture references as well as
beautiful pictures that are as inspiring as the scriptures and stories by Thomas
Kinkade. This book lives up to the rest of Kinkade's books. I would recommend it
for anyone that loves his books or needs a boost in spiritual
inspiration.

 

 

*Review by Sharon

*Posted by Susan

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

{Review} Finding Faith in Slow Motion by Damon J. Gray

Faith is neither static nor instantaneous. It is not something we
stumble upon and instantly understand. Neither is it a monolithic,
one-dimensional, singular entity that has but one face, one color, one
fragrance. It is many-faceted, multi-dimensional, and appears
differently depending on one's angle to the Son. 



In Finding Faith in
Slow Motion, Damon Gray examines faith from myriad angles and

through
gut-wrenching life experiences, as he asks regarding faith, "What is
that stuff" Spanning the emotional gamut from laughter to tears, Gray
challenges us to define our faith and redefine it, to look at it from a
multitude of perspectives and define it again. 



The writing is
intentionally evocative and playful, offering the reader the ability to
identify with Gray as he wrestles with the weighty subject matter of
finding faith.





Review:

Author Damon J. Gray's book, Finding Faith in Slow Motion is full of ideas on how to explore all levels of faith.  As he takes us step by step through our growth in our faith and belief in God. Damon examines faith from many
angles and through real life experiences, he asks, "What is Faith?" His writing is both evocative and playful as he leads the reader through the matter of finding
faith.  I enjoyed reading through this book and how it constantly challenged me to re-examine my own walk with God.

About the Author

Damon Joseph Gray was born in Plainville Kansas in 1961, the
youngest of four, with three older sisters. He took his undergraduate
degree in 1983, at Baker University, studying Mass Communication with an
emphasis in radio broadcasting and newsprint. A year later, Damon
enrolled in the Harding University School of Biblical Studies, where he
studied the Bible for two years. In 2012, he completed his Master of
Business Administration in Information Technology Management at Capella
University.



Damon is a driven man, and very relationally
oriented. He particularly enjoys transparent, late-night discussions
with cherished friends - friends with whom long periods of silence are
okay - friends who can simply look at one another and know the message
is, "I like being with you." His dearest friend in the world is his
high-school sweetheart, his wife, Alean Melinda.











~ Reviewed by Sharon

~ Edited/Posted by Susan

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.