Prayer: Suggested Books on Prayer

31 Days of Praise: Enjoying God Anew, Ruth Myers and Warren Myers

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Christians who long to experience God in a fresh, deep way will treasure this powerful, personal praise guide, rereleased with an updated cover. Every day for just one month, a Scripture-based devotion cultivates the "heart habit" of praise and worship. Readers will be gently inspired to appreciate and adore the Lord in all things -- yes, even in the midst of pain, disappointment, and heartache. A deeper intimacy with God -- and a greater love for Him -- is the sure result. Come into His Presence with Praise

Praise! It leads you into God’s awesome presence, into the delight of His Word, into the sure knowledge of His great love for you. If you long to experience God in a fresh, deep way, you’ll treasure this personal praise guide.

Every day a different Scripture-based devotion helps you cultivate the “heart habit” of praise and worship. You’ll be gently inspired to appreciate and adore the Lord in all things, even in the midst of pain, heartache, or disappointment.

A deeper intimacy with God—and a greater love for Him—is the sure result.

 

31 Days of Prayer, Ruth Myers

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It takes but a few weeks to form a habit. Readers of the rerelease of 31 Days of Prayer can form a prayer habit that lasts a lifetime with this beautiful and practical devotional. Authors Ruth and Warren Myers show readers how to grow in prayer, even if the amount of time set aside seems small at first. The book guides believers through prayer for thirty-one days, allowing for personalized prayer that reflects individual circumstances and areas for spiritual growth. 31 Days of Prayer leads readers step by step into praying about what is close to their hearts and God's.

Prayer: Does it Make a Difference? Philip Yancey

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In his most powerful book since What’s So Amazing About Grace? and The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey explores the intimate place where God and humans meet in Prayer. Polls reveal that 90 percent of people pray. Yet prayer, which should be the most nourishing and uplifting time of the believer’s day, can also be frustrating, confusing, and fraught with mystery. Writing as a fellow pilgrim, Yancey probes such questions as: •Is God listening? •Why should God care about me? •If God knows everything, what’s the point of prayer? •Why do answers to prayer seem so inconsistent? •Why does God sometimes seem close and sometimes seem far away? •How can I make prayer more satisfying? Yancey tackles the tough questions and in the process comes up with a fresh new approach to this timeless topic. “I have learned to pray as a privilege, not a duty,” he says, and he invites you to join him on this all-important journey.

 

Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, Richard J. Foster

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Best-selling author Richard J. Foster offers a warm, compelling, and sensitive primer on prayer, helping us to understand, experience, and practice it in its many forms-from the simple prayer of beginning again to unceasing prayer. He clarifies the prayer process, answers common misconceptions, and shows the way into prayers of contemplation, healing, blessing, forgiveness, and rest.

Coming to prayer is like coming home, Foster says. "Nothing feels more right, more like what we are created to be and to do. Yet at the same time we are confronted with great mysteries. Who hasn't struggled with the puzzle of unanswered prayer? Who hasn't wondered how a finite person can commune with the infinite Creator of the universe? Who hasn't questioned whether prayer isn't merely psychological manipulation after all? We do our best, of course, to answer these knotty questions but when all is said and done, there is a sense in which these mysteries remain unanswered and unanswerable . . . At such times we must learn to become comfortable with the mystery."

Foster shows how prayer can move us inward into personal transformation, upward toward intimacy with God, and outward to minister to others. He leads us beyond questions to a deeper understanding and practice of prayer, bringing us closer to God, to ourselves, and to our community.

 

Prayer:  Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, Timothy Keller

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Christians are taught in their churches and schools that prayer is the most powerful way to experience God. But few receive instruction or guidance in how to make prayer genuinely meaningful. In Prayer, renowned pastor Timothy Keller delves into the many facets of this everyday act.

With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers biblical guidance as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of prayer that works for each reader.

Dr. Keller’s previous books have sold more than one million copies. His Redeemer Presbyterian Church is not only a major presence in his home base of New York, it has also helped to launch more than two hundred fifty other churches in forty-eight cities around the world. His teachings have already helped millions, the majority of whom pray regularly. And with Prayer, he’ll show them how to find a deeper connection with God.

 

 

Youth -- Why You Might Like a Mentor

Who am I?
What do I want to do with my life?
Where do I belong?

These are questions you may be asking and trying to figure out life as you grow up and become an adult. While growing up, we may not always have a person that we feel safe asking for answers to our questions. As we make life’s toughest decisions and ask hard questions, we need the support of those around us to help us and being mentored is one of the ways that we can receive that support.

What is mentoring? It’s a safe place for you to come, ask questions, and get to know someone who wants to help you grow as a person. God never intended for us to try to figure out life’s hardest and deepest questions on our own, but that’s often what we try to do. Instead, mentoring allows God to use someone else to speak into your life and help you to discover answers.

The beautiful thing about being mentored is entering into a relationship with someone who is there specifically for you and where you are free to be yourself. You are free to ask honest and real questions. You are free to communicate your hopes, fears, doubts, and dreams, without judgement and in confidence, and have someone help you walk forward into the plan that God has for you. Everyone can benefit from mentoring despite age; in the next 10 years, mentoring can benefit greatly because you will experience more life changes that at most any other season in life. We invite you to come experience what it means be mentored and reap the benefits of these great relationships.

Why I'm a Prayer Partner -- Mark Peterson

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” – James 5:16 ESV

I was reading in Daniel the other day, and was struck by how important and vital is prayer.  In Daniel 6, we see that Daniel’s practice was to spend time in prayer three times a day.  Then in Daniel 10, he witnesses an awe-inspiring vision that leaves him speechless and trembling.  He is then visited by a super-natural messenger who tells him that God sent him to speak to Daniel the first day he prayed for understanding.  However, ‘the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me…”

I find this to be an amazing window into the world of spiritual warfare.  Think of it: a messenger is sent from the throne of God to Daniel, but the forces of the evil one keep him engaged in warfare for 3 weeks!  Meanwhile, Daniel persists in prayer and help is dispatched to the messenger so he can be freed up to come to Daniel.

This illustrates to me how potent and essential prayer is as a tool in our arsenal as Christ-followers.  We struggle as Christians to find the time to pray.  However, if we look at examples in scripture of the amazing results of righteous people praying, we should be motivated to re-assess our priorities.

In Ephesians 6:12, we are told, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  We are further encouraged to put on the armor of God and to “pray at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

This is why I am glad that I have a Prayer Partner, and happy to be a Prayer Partner for another.  It is a vital and integral part of a mentoring relationship.

Power of the Prayer Partner's Role

If you look at a picture on the Mentoring Ministry page, at first glance you would see two women or two men connecting with each other.  A second look would reveal another woman or man in the background of this picture.  That person is the Prayer Partner.  Although the Prayer Partner is not as visible as the Mentor and Mentoree, their role is a fundamental part of our Westminster Mentoring Ministry.  The prayers of a Prayer Partner are the powerhouse for the mentoring triad.

Prayer Partners connect with the life and power of God through their role in the mentoring triad.  It is a role that carries great impact.  There are four words that describe the role that a Prayer Partner has in the mentoring ministry.

Intimate:  The Prayer Partner prays for requests which the mentor receives from the Mentoree.  Mentorees can choose to share requests on whatever level is comfortable for them.  Prayer Partners may also pray for requests from the Mentor, as well as for the growth of the mentoring relationship.  With the many ways we engage with each other - email, text, phone -  the Prayer Partner can pray for their triad in real time, no matter where they are.  No other person prays for this triad with such a level of knowledge and intimacy. 

Supportive:  Prayer Partners support the Mentor, the Mentoree, and the relationship between them through their prayers.  For some Mentorees, this may be the first time they have experienced the support that ongoing prayer provides in their lives.  Prayer Partners can provide support to Mentors and Mentorees who are accustomed to supporting others, and offer care and strength to them through their prayers.

Committed:  The Prayer Partner agrees to pray for the Mentor and Mentoree for an agreed time.  The Mentor and Mentoree can count on this man or woman to faithfully pray for the mentoring triad for the months that they are together.  A Prayer Partner who is committed to the mentoring relationship gives confidence to the Mentor and Mentoree in their own commitment.

Growth-oriented: The Westminster Mentoring Ministry focuses on spiritual and personal growth.  The Prayer Partner prays for specific areas of growth, based on their knowledge of the Mentoree, and for growth for all the members of the triad, as prompted by the Holy Spirit.  Prayer Partners often report that they see growth in their own lives as they participate in praying for the growth of their Mentor and Mentoree.

A wonderful blessing that often results from serving as a Prayer Partner is the development of lasting friendships.  Prayer Partners are encouraged to meet several times with their Mentor and Mentoree, and to deepen their relationship with each other.  These prayer-centered friendships, which grow out of the mentoring relationship, can be rich and last long beyond the official time spent together. 

If you are interested in becoming a Prayer Partner, email Michele Peterson at mentoring@westminster.org. 

Do I Need a Mentor...

Do I need a mentor?  Is this really a new question?  Growing up parents, family and friends helped us navigate the world.  As adults we include professors and co-workers to help successfully navigate the needs of our chosen path.  Honestly, most every important decision we make has involved at least one other person whose advice we sought.  Being mentored is just one more way we can help ourselves be who we are created to be.

Every mentoring relationship is unique.  Sometimes you need someone who will listen and pray with you.  Other times you might need direction to reach a specific goal.  Finally, you may need someone to help you grow spiritually – through either studying the scripture or reading a book relevant to the challenge at hand.  Mentoring is asking, “What would God have me do here and now” and “how can I make steps to reach that purpose”. 

God did not intend for us to walk alone in this world and yet so often that is exactly what we try to do.  Why?  Are one of these possibly your reason: fear of judgement? fear of vulnerability? fear of being known? fear of losing control?  These are just a few barriers we create to keep us from relationship.  What is yours?  Needing others to walk this journey of life with us is not a weakness, but a strength.  The truth of a good mentoring relationship – FREEDOM.  Freedom to be honest and real in a safe place.  Freedom to be accepted right where you are at, walking through this season of life, knowing that you are specifically cared for and prayed for.  Freedom to let go of the ‘baggage’ and to step forward into what God has planned.   We just have to be willing to step through the door.


If you would like to be a part of the Mentoring Ministry, please complete this profile card.

GOALS -- What do I really need to work on?

Why do we feel the need to set goals?  Most of these goals tend to be temporal and often include getting a new job, getting healthier, working less, working more, or stopping a bad habit.  Are the goals we choose really what we need to be working on?  Do we include others in the process of achieving our goals?  These are all valid questions.  Often we pick goals we think we need, do them alone, and often do not have success.  We may think our goal is important, but did we ask God what our goal should be?  Does God change our passion?

When I think about goals any more, I go to prayer.  For instance, I want to live a healthier lifestyle.  However, what keeps me from healthier choices is often a deeper issue; this issue is what I need to focus my goal around.  So then I have to think about how do I determine if I am making progress in my goal.  What determines success?  A goal without specific objectives is unobtainable.

For me, my goal is to be okay with being “messy”.   It is okay to make mistakes and not have everything under control.  In fact, a person who always seems to have it all together can often be intimidating and unapproachable.  I can’t always meet the needs of my family.  I may be tired, late, cranky, and discouraged.  I can be frustrated that my schedule has been interrupted yet again.  I can get into the comparison game and we all know that trap: we either tear others down or ourselves down and neither option is healthy. I can stress about finances, work, kids, college costs, future weddings, and retirement; all a part of life.  Trying to do them perfectly – stress.  Thus, my true goal is to let go and let God be in control. This journey is ongoing, needs people in my life that I can truly be honest with, who hold me accountable to His Word, and who help me see challenges through His perspective on this journey.  Easy? No!  But struggling does not mean failure.  I must reset my perspective, forgive myself, and trust God.

The question is how I work on my goal and has many facets:

·       Find someone who helps see me where I am struggling and helps me determine my goal, walk the journey with me, and pray for me.

·       Spend regular time with the Lord and listen for His voice in everyday moments.  That means I have to take time to be still mentally and actually want to hear Him. 

·       Bible study with a small group.  Then I am both challenged and encouraged by the wisdom of others.

·       Books – I love to read.  Find a few authors who can speak wisdom into my life in my journey

·       Get more sleep.  My schedule gets a little demanding at times. Yet, when I am rested I am better able to respond vs. react to the ‘unexpected’.

As a Mentoree you get to determine ‘what is your goal’ for the year.  As you prepare to meet with your Mentor, set aside some quiet time to jot a few things down.  When you meet with your Mentor, ask for prayer and wisdom in the determining of your goal.  Let your Mentor know if your goal changes or if you are not feeling your goal is being met.  Finally, remember that to grow in this process you will need to get a little messy and let go of some control; only then can God truly help you on your journey.

A short video on our mentoring website may help you in this process.  Click here to watch about S.M.A.R.T. Goals.