If you’re looking to learn how to get the most out of prayer, this book is indispensable. As St. Augustine notes, When we pray, we speak to God; when we read Scripture, God speaks to us. The key to enriching our prayer is learning the language of Christianity, and the most effective way to learn the language of Christianity is an ancient technique known as lectio divina (“divine reading”). In these pages, you will learn: ● How God speaks directly to each of us in Scripture. ● How to overcome the obstacles to a consistent and fruitful prayer life. ● Why the fourfold method of lectio divina leads us directly into the heart of contemplative prayer. ● Strategies for reading - and praying - the Bible fruitfully. ● What Christian meditation is and how it differs from non-Christian approaches. ● How everyone - not just saints and mystics - can truly reach mystical union with God. In this succinct book, Catholic theologian and biblical scholar Dr. Tim Gray walks you through the Bible and the wisdom of the saints to reveal the practical steps of this great treasure of our Tradition. Learning the simple steps of lectio divina will provide a practical and effective way for you to enhance your prayer life through the power of God’s Word.

Jodie Berndt shows you how to make the Bible a book of prayers that can powerfully influence your children’s lives. You’ll discover how to pray specifically and expectantly for their faith, character, safety, relationships, and future. You’ll gain new, biblical perspectives on God’s purposes for your children. And through the encouragement of the Scriptures and true-life stories, you’ll find out what a huge difference your prayers really make in the lives of those you love most. Discover How to Pray God’s Will for Your Children’s Lives There’s no place like God’s Word to turn to when you want to pray confidently and effectively for your kids. “Prayers permeated with the Word of God bring about changes in our children and keep us in touch with God’s priorities. This is a wonderful resource that you will want to refer to over and over.” Fern Nichols, founder and president of Moms in Touch International “If I could choose only one book to help me pray for my children, this is it! Not only has Jodie given us a rich treasure of true stories, practical prayers, and relevant Scriptures for our children, but a surprise awaits! In reading this I found my own confidence if God growing. RUN and get this book for moms and grandmoms.” Susan Alexander Yates, author of How to Like the Ones You Love “I know of no one who can speak more authoritatively than Jodie Berndt on praying for your children. Every parent who wants their children to grow into godly men and women should read this book.

The radio host and speaker with Proverbs 31 shows women how to develop a confident heart and overcome insecurity and fears.

When a Christian prays, does it make any difference? Does it change anything? Though our prayers do not change God's mind, He ordains prayer as a means to accomplish His will. We can be confident that prayer does change things--including our own hearts. In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul argues that prayer has a vital place in the life of the Christian and calls us to come before God's presence with joy and hope. Dr. Sproul shares practical wisdom and helps us understand the purpose, pattern, practice, prohibitions, and power of prayer. The Crucial Questions booklet series by Dr. R.C. Sproul offers succinct answers to important questions often asked by Christians and thoughtful inquirers.

DIVOne of the most frustrating aspects of prayer is finding the right vocabulary to express what is in your heart. "Praying the Scriptures" inspires, illuminates, gives imagery, intelligence, adds intensity, and helps provide intimacy in prayer./div

“This little book is explosive and powerful.” R. Albert Mohler, Jr. When you pray, does it ever feel like you’re just saying the same old things about the same old things? Offering us the encouragement and the practical advice we’re all looking for, Donald S. Whitney, best-selling author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, outlines an easy-to-grasp method that has the power to transform our prayer life: praying the words of Scripture. Simple, yet profound, Praying the Bible will prove invaluable as you seek to commune with your heavenly Father in prayer each and every day. Sign up for a free 5-day email course on praying the Bible at crossway.org/PraytheBible.

In this searing meditation on the bonds of family and the allure of extremist faith, one of today’s most celebrated Christian writers recounts his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace—a revelatory memoir that “invites comparison to Hillbilly Elegy” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “Searing, heartrending . . . This stunning tale reminds us that the only way to keep living is to ask God for the impossible: love, forgiveness, and hope.”—Kate Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason Raised by an impoverished widow who earned room and board as a Bible teacher in 1950s Atlanta, Philip Yancey and his brother, Marshall, found ways to venture out beyond the confines of their eight-foot-wide trailer. But when Yancey was in college, he uncovered a shocking secret about his father’s death—a secret that began to illuminate the motivations that drove his mother to extreme, often hostile religious convictions and a belief that her sons had been ordained for a divine cause. Searching for answers, Yancey dives into his family origins, taking us on an evocative journey from the backwoods of the Bible Belt to the bustling streets of Philadelphia; from trailer parks to church sanctuaries; from family oddballs to fire-and-brimstone preachers and childhood awakenings through nature, music, and literature. In time, the weight of religious and family pressure sent both sons on opposite paths—one toward healing from the impact of what he calls a “toxic faith,” the other into a self-destructive spiral. Where the Light Fell is a gripping family narrative set against a turbulent time in post–World War II America, shaped by the collision of Southern fundamentalism with the mounting pressures of the civil rights movement and Sixties-era forces of social change. In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear. “I truly believe this is the one book I was put on earth to write,” says Yancey. “So many of the strands from my childhood—racial hostility, political division, culture wars—have resurfaced in modern form. Looking back points me forward.”