Prayers for A Simpler Life

I absolutely love the simplicity of the Mennonite or Amish life styles. Their sense of community and their love of God is something to be admired and replicated within our own lives and homes. Yet in our far-too busy lifestyles, we barely have time to complete all the items off our "To-Do" list, and can't even find time for prayer or God. We make bargains to ourselves we will try and do a better job of that tomorrow. Yet what if we simply took the time at the beginning of our day and just spent 10 minutes with God, reflecting on His attributes, growing our faith, seeing the light of God's truth in our daily lives, dealing with negative emotions, improving our relationships with others, understanding the Fruit of the Spirit, seeing analogies in our lives with that of the ocean, learning how to have a servant's heart, and even dealing with the joys of cooking and seeing lessons of faith in that. Perhaps it is reflecting on the beauty of God in the way we get ready for our day, dealing with the stress women do, understanding the sacrifices to God that can improve our lives and finally coming back to the spring that refreshes and provides water for a thirsty and parched soul.

In 13 weeks, once a day, Faith Sommers, a Mennonite mother leads readers into a short devotional, Prayers for a Simpler Life, focusing on each of these situations to help us understand that even in our daily routines, God can be found and a lesson gleaned from something as easy as gardening or putting on our makeup. Each promises to take up no more than 10 minutes but it is a place to begin our days with time with God instead of waiting for the end of the day to do so. Yet you can do both or either one or simply work these into your day however it may suit you. Each daily devotion is coupled with a passage from Scripture to set the tone of each devotion topic along with a short prayer, a real life example from Faith's own life experience and a simple reflection for you to consider on the subject.

This would be an ideal way to begin a women's study either in a small group setting or in a larger church atmosphere because each of these topics deals with the daily struggles of women and the stress loads we bear, from raising children, dealing with our marriages, husbands, friends, and even finding time to serve when we can't even find time to get through our daily tasks at home. It creates a balance and gives readers a reprieve for a short time, to realize that God is always present and He is always teaching us from everything we deal with each day without realizing it.

I received Prayers For a Simpler Life by Faith Sommers compliments of Herald Press. The best part I love about this book is that it often leads you to further personal study on the subject and really makes you evaluate the simplicity of the things we take for granted every single day. Since it is spring in my next of the woods, the week on using gardening and planting was a huge life to my parched soul and now I look forward to bringing my garden back to life and enjoying my time in it even more. I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my personal opinion.

For more information about Prayers for a Simpler Life, Faith Sommers or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Prayers for a Simpler Life by Faith Sommers

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Pocket Prayers

"Hello, my name is Max. I'm a recovering prayer wimp. I doze off when I pray. My thoughts zig, then zag, then zig again. Distractions swarm like gnats on a summer night. If attention deficit disorder applies to prayer, I am afflicted. When I pray, I think of a thousand things I need to do. I forget the one thing I set out to do: pray.

Some people excel in prayer. They inhale heaven and exhale God. They are the SEAL Team Six of intercession. They would rather pray than sleep. Why is it that I sleep when I pray? They belong to the PGA: Prayer Giants Association. I am a card carrying member of the PWA: Prayer Wimps Association. Can you relate? It's not that we don't pray at all. We all pray some.

On tear-stained pillows we pray.

In grand liturgies we pray.

At the sight of geese in flight we pray.

Quoting ancient devotions, we pray.

We pray to stay sober, centered or solvent. We pray when the lump is deemed malignant. When the money runs out before the month does. When the unborn baby hasn't kicked in a while. We all pray...some. But wouldn't we all like to pray....

More?

Better?

Deeper?

Stronger?

With more fire, faith, or 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. We want to pray, but when? We want to pray, but why? We might as well admit it. Prayer is odd, peculiar. Speaking into space. Lifting words into the sky. We can't even get the cable company to answer us, yet God will? The doctor is too busy, but God isn't? We have our doubts about prayer.

Prayer is not a privilege of the pious, not the art of a chosen few. Prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and his child. My friend, he wants to talk with you. Even now, as you read these words, he taps at the door. Open it. Welcome him in. Let the conversation begin. "
(Pg 5-7, 12)

In typical easy reading fashion, Max Lucado introduces readers to Pocket Prayers, 6 uniquely designed books to help Dads, Moms, Friends, Grads, Military, and Teachers with 40 specific prayers designed to help inspire and encourage your prayer life. They will bring joy and serenity in Pocket Prayer for Friends with Max and Betsy St. Amant. They bring peace and rest to Pocket Prayers for Moms with Max and Andrea Lucado. In Pocket Prayers for Dads, 40 simple prayers help bring strength and faith to our men with Max and Mark Mynheir. Pocket Prayers for Grads promises 40 simple prayers that bring hope and direction in the life ahead of them with Max and Andrea Lucado. 40 simple prayers that bring faith and courage can be uncovered in Pocket Prayers for the Military Life, with Max and Mark Myheir, to anyone serving in our military. Finally 40 simple prayers that bring peace and renewal in Pocket Prayers for Teachers, with Max and Jennifer K. Hale.

These simple but encouraging books provide just the right kinds of prayer in every single life of a believer in just the way they need it. I gifted Pocket Prayers for Dads, to my own father, who is just beginning to discover his life as a believer in Christ, to encourage him in his own prayer life. I have gifted Pocket Prayers for Military Life to a close friend who just made the decision to enlist in the army to help him realize that no matter how far from home he is, God will always be right there for him. Pocket Prayers for Graduates is given to my 17-year-old daughter who is graduating in June to help her always realize that when she faces uncertainty in her future, she can always trust God for the right path in her life. I have given Pocket Prayers for Moms to my own mother, because she has always inspired me that prayer is the one thing we always have any time day or night no matter what we are enduring. Finally Pocket Prayers for Teachers I have gifted to our Youth Pastor who's responsibility it is to help lead the next generation to trust and have faith in God.

I received Pocket Prayers by Max Lucado compliments of Thomas Nelson and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from these free books, in exchange for my honest and personal opinions. The one thing I love about any of Max Lucado's books is the down to earth feel you get when reading them. It's not like reading a book, but having a heart to heart conversation with a close friend. He meets you right where you are, and you feel like you're on the same page with him.

For me, I struggle a lot in my own prayer life, first doing it and then staying focused when I do. These unique hard covered books are perfect for that person in your life that needs the inspiration and encouragement in their prayer life and that is why I give these a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Pocket Prayers, Max Lucado, or where you can pick up a copy of these today, please click on the links below:

Pocket Prayers by Max Lucado

You can find Max Lucado on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books.

To read more reviews on Pocket Prayers, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

To enter a giveaway for the Pocket Prayer's Prize Pack, please click here. 

Our Presidents and Their Prayers

What is the single most important common thread that unites all American Presidents - such a small number of extraordinary people from different centuries, parties, backgrounds, and experiences - as if they shoulder the overwhelming responsibilities of the office of President of the United States? There is only one possible answer: their faith.

As a respected national leader and a man of deep faith himself, Senator Rand Paul has written Our Presidents and Their Prayers in collaboration with James Randall Robison to remind us all that in a country founded by religious people, that abiding and rock-solid belief in God has been the key to each and every President's strength. Senator Paul stands up to the doubters in this most timely and important affirmation of how faith and prayer have always guided us, and why they must continued to do so as we face major decisions for the future of our country.

One of the media's favorite questions to politicians is: "Do you believe America is a Christian nation?" Well, it is of course a historical fact that we were founded by a religious people, most of whom were Christians. But if one tries to expound on that point, even to acknowledge its historical significance, some immediately want to paint you as intolerant believer in theocracy. Our founders were not bashful in acknowledging God's grace in our history. Today's critics sometimes imply that you can't have both faith and freedom. Some think you must choose between faith or freedom, or put a different way - liberty or virtue. I believe that leaders guided by faith, leaders guided by virtue are essential.

Most of our presidents recognized this principle, especially President Washington. He recognized that freedom requires an undergirding of faith. Washington believed that democracy depended upon a virtuous people. His prayers and writings, and those of the other great Presidents in our history contained in these pages, reveal how integral our religious traditions were to our founding, and I believe, to our future as well. This book contains prayers from all 44 of our Presidents as well as Rand Paul's commentary and thoughts on their presidency and what he admired or how they implemented their faith in their leadership.

I received Our Presidents and Their Prayers by Rand Paul and James Randall Robison compliments of Center Street Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion. I love that I have some of the most amazing prayers by some of the Presidents I admire all contained in the course of an amazing hard cover book. It seems that as the Presidents move to the current administration, the mention of God in their prayers was not as heartfelt but merely offered as a way of appeasing the God that anyone might worship regardless if it was the same as that of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln. In my opinion, those who love historical items like this one, will definitely want to keep a piece of our countries faith on their book shelf. I would rate this a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Our Presidents and Their Prayers, Rand Paul, James Randall Robison or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Our Presidents and Their Prayers by Rand Paul and James Randall Robison

You can find Rand Paul on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books and faith in politics.

To read more reviews on Our Presidents and Their Prayers, please visit Center Street Publishing's website.