Praying Through Sorrows

..WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING (PSALM 30:5) Doubts, depression, and discouragement are characteristic responses of someone who has endured the worst life offers. When a promise from God does not come to pass, the aftermath is often confusion about the validity of a personal relationship with the Lord. In Praying Through Sorrows, coauthors Dutch Sheets and Chris Jackson confront the emotional anguish of awaiting the arrival of a long delayed recovery and healing from such difficult situations. You will learn how to overcome the debilitation state of "hope deferred," while seeking a restoration of faith in God's goodness. IF YOU ARE SUFFERING, THIS BOOK IS JUST WHAT YOU NEED.

Christians often say, "In Jesus' name" to close their prayers. But is this truly a desire of the heart or a perfunctory "Yours Truly" to God? Bryan Chapell says we should begin our prayers in Jesus' name-we should be Praying Backwards. In this practical and inspiring book, he shows readers that to truly pray in Jesus' name is to reorder one's priorities in prayer-and in life-away from oneself and towards Jesus and his kingdom. It is to pray believing in the power and the goodness of the One who hears, and thus to pray boldly, expectantly, and persistently. Readers seeking to transform their prayer lives will find wonderful direction in Praying Backwards.

With 250,000 copies sold, this new edition of Joyce Rupp’s most popular book offers a fresh opportunity for readers to reflect, ritualize, and reorient themselves as they navigate life’s inevitable changes. Everyone has unique goodbyes—times of losing someone or something that has given life meaning and value. With the touch of a poet, Joyce Rupp offers her wisdom on "these experiences of leaving behind and moving on, the stories of union and separation that are written in all our hearts." Praying Our Goodbyes, Rupp says, is about the spirituality of change. It is a book for anyone who has experienced loss, whether a job change, the end of a relationship, the death of a loved one, a financial struggle, a mid-life crisis, or an extended illness. It is designed to help readers reflect, ritualize, and re-orient themselves—to help heal the hurts caused by goodbyes and the anxieties encountered when one season of life ends and another begins.

Life’s inevitable difficulties and disappointments can discourage us from praying, but our response should be to pray anyway and keep praying. Whatever we seek, God invites us to come to Him with confidence, believing that He is able to answer—and He will answer. We can pray for: Forgiveness like David Wisdom like Solomon Healing like Hezekiah A child like Hannah Deliverance like Jonah Mercy like the 10 lepers Salvation like the thief on the cross But are you convinced that prayer works, even when you don’t get the answers you want? In It Happens After Prayer, Pastor HB Charles, Jr. motivates and encourages us to respond to the challenges of life with prayer, to pray without ceasing, and to pray with great expectations. Are you ready for a new level of earnest, passionate, God-size prayers? Don’t let another day go by without praying and seeking the face of God, because it happens after prayer.

More than 500,000 copies sold! Updated and expanded! Prayer is hard. Often, unless circumstances demand it—such as an illness or saying grace before a meal—most of us simply do not pray. This kind of prayerlessness can leave us with a distressed spirit and practical unbelief characterized by fear, anxiety, joylessness, and spiritual depression. A Praying Life is a prayer guide that has encouraged thousands of Christians to pursue a vibrant prayer life full of joy and power and has helped them learn how to pray faithfully and courageously. A life of prayer invites you to a life of connection to God. When Jesus describes the intimacy that He seeks with us, He talks about joining us for dinner (Revelation 3:20). This book reminds readers that prayer is simply making conversation with God a rhythm of daily Christian life. A Praying Life includes chapters about: How to deal with unanswered prayer How to start a prayer journal Does prayer make a difference? Now with added chapters addressing prayers of lament and further guidance for using prayer cards, Paul Miller invites you to foster prayer that regularly hopes, trusts, and expects God to act. Learn to develop helpful habits and approaches to prayer that will enable you to return to a childlike faith and witness spiritual growth today! “This book will be like having the breath of God at your back. Let it lift you to new hope.” —Dan B. Allender, PhD, author of Bold Love

Nearly all Christians would affirm the centrality of prayer for a healthy Christian life. And yet, for many, prayer is often a challenge, requiring intense personal commitment and self-discipline. However, as Megan Hill points out in Praying Together, our normal approach to prayer leaves out a crucial component: other people. While personal prayer is important, God designed the church to be a community of believers who regularly pray together. Exploring the Bible's rich teaching on what it means to gather at God's throne with one voice, Hill lays a theological foundation for corporate prayer and offers practical guidance for making it a reality—in our families, churches, and communities.

Whether you have made prayer a habit for many years or this is your first prayer devotional, inspiration and comfort is waiting for you in the daily prayers written here. Prayer is a conversation with God. You don’t need to use fancy words or recite long passages of Scripture. Just talk to God. Open your heart. Tell him about your depth of loss and express your grief in whatever way you need to in this moment. Some days your prayers may be filled with grief, some days with hope, and some with need. Just lay your heart and your prayers at the Father’s feet and wait for his compassionate response. God is the best source of comfort you will find. He knows your heart and he is full of compassion for you. Let his strength be yours as you cry out to him. He is listening to every word you say.

When words don't come easily, there are still ways to pray. This little book can be your entry to talking with God — with and without words — in this most difficult time. For those who have experienced a sudden and terrible loss, it is important to realize that you don’t have to do the things one normally associates with prayer to actually be connecting with God in a way that’s prayer-like. Just sit still, if you like. Grieving people often find themselves doing a lot of sitting still. Stunned. Allow yourself a time to be quiet, to answer to no one, to accomplish nothing at all. Quietness in itself is where prayerfulness begins. “In the end prayer’s essence is simply this: We need to open ourselves to God in such a way that we are capable of hearing God say to us, individually, ‘I love you!’” —Ronald Rolheiser