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How to Talk with God by Joyce Meyer

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How to Talk With God by Joyce Meyer

How to Talk With God by Joyce Meyer (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Throughout my life, I have  joyfully carried many titles in my life… Christian, wife, mother, daughter, friend, niece, granddaughter, and “MiMi” (just typing the name makes my heart sing with joy!). I’ve also considered myself a Prayer Warrior for many, many years. I approach prayer as a warrior would battle – ready to do every bit of my part to battle for the lost, the lonely, the sick, the suffering, children, senior citizens, strangers in the supermarket, etc.

If someone matters to Jesus, they matter to me quite frankly. I keep a running prayer list on a prayer app on my phone as well as prayer cards, and a prayer journal. Praying is one of the most important pieces of my life – as vital as breathing.

As you may imagine, I collect books on prayer from a wide variety of favorite authors – after all, can we ever really learn all we need to know about talking with God? Can we ever receive too much inspiration or motivation to seek God’s face?

Of course not!

How to Talk With God by Joyce Meyer (Amazon Affiliate Link) is the newest prayer book to my personal library and it was such a joy to read, I immediately began re-reading it after the last page!

This is a wonderful little book that I know you’ll love as much as I do. While I’d love to see you add it to your own personal library, I think you’ll find that it also makes an IDEA stocking stuffer for anyone who could use a little extra inspiration in their life.

It’d also be perfect as part of an inspirational and/or Spiritual gift set. I absolutely love it and think that, quite frankly, the world would be a much better, safer, and happier place if more of us spent time talking TO God rather than ABOUT the craziness we see around us.

(Book Review Continued Below…)

How to Talk With God by Joyce Meyer

Perfect Stocking Stuffer!

As I do with all of my books, I underline along the way, make notations in the margins… making it more of an adventure and experience than just reading.

How to Talk With God by Joyce Meyer

How to Talk With God by Joyce Meyer (Amazon Affiliate Link)

I hope you’ll grab a copy of this extraordinary little book asap. Joyce Meyer is one of the authors who most resonates with me and I know she’ll have a very beautiful and similar effect on you. I’ll be adding a lot more Joyce Meyer book reviews – as well as other Spiritual and Christian book reviews very soon, so please watch for them! We could all use a little inspiration in our lives, especially these days.

~ Joi (“Joy”)

Book Review: Before Amen by Max Lucado (Love it!)

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Before Amen by Max Lucado

Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer (Amazon affiliate link)

One of my GREAT passions is books… in fact, it’d be safe to say I’m obsessed with them. Joyfully so. I collect my favorite authors and genres and consider my book collections to be among my valued possessions.

Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors and absolutely one of the ones I collect. He’s a brilliant writer and his books are unspeakably inspiring, encouraging, informative. I read and reread them. One of the most recent books I added to my collection is pictured here, Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer and it is one of my all-time favorites.

While recently reading another Christian book review about yet another Max Lucado book, I read something I have often thought myself the past few years – Max Lucado, while always an extraordinary author, seems to be getting even better. He has always had a wonderful sense of humor but, somewhere along the way, he has gone from making me smile ear to ear to making me laugh out loud (something that always makes my cats stare – they’re used to most of my shenanigans but laughing out loud at a book is where they draw the line).

Max Lucado’s humor, love for God, and unique way of reaching out to his readers come through every single word he writes. I love how informal his books always feel. They’re like sitting and talking to a fellow Christian about the wonders of God, the beauty of all He does for us, and the unmeasurable love He has for us.

In spite of us.

While there are many wonderful Christian authors, Max Lucado in unique (in my opinion) in the way he draws the reader IN and makes you feel like you’re part of the conversation. He doesn’t simply tell you how to enrich your Spiritual life, for example, he prods your brain and awakens your heart and, in essence, guides you to the answer yourself.

I also love how “fast” his books read. They’re written in deliciously short chapters, meaning you will always finish one before closing the book. No searching for where you left off with the bookmark that looks as clueless as you. His books are always so concise – there’s never any extra chapters or wasted words.

To be honest, he has an absolute genius for this and, as an avid book reader, I wish more shared his gift.

Before Amen Review Continued Below…

Before Amen by Max Lucado

Before Amen by Max Lucado

While I am far from perfect, I do manage to get this right: I spend a great, great deal of time in prayer. In fact, I keep a running conversation with God like one I keep with my girls. My three daughters and I are always talking through DMs on Instagram or Twitter when we aren’t physically together. One of us will pop up and either pick up where we left off or we’ll start a whole new avenue of conversation or nonsense (we’re all outrageous when it comes to gifs and memes, so one never knows what we’ll get into).

We love one another’s company and “visit” continually.

When I whispered a prayer to God a few months ago about a young man I saw in Starbucks, it occurred to me…. I keep a continual, “running” conversation going with God. Somewhere along the way, in my walk as a Christian, I allowed the words, “Pray continually” to become part of my identity and it’s one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.

As a Prayer Warrior, I often seek out books to encourage, inspire, and inform me about the WONDERFUL privilege of prayer. As soon as I saw that Max Lucado had a new book titled “Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer,” I ordered it immediately.

Book Description from Amazon:

We all pray. . . some. But wouldn’t we like to pray better? Stronger? With more fire, faith and fervency?

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. In Before Amen, New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado helps readers discover the very heart of biblical prayer, offering hope for doubters and confidence for both prayer beginners and experts.

In this book, Max will help you:

  • Distill prayers in the Bible down to one pocket-sized prayer.
  • Remember that the Good Shepherd has authority over your life.
  • Learn that prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and his child.

Don’t be bogged down by crafting elegant words or apologizing for incoherent sentences. Climb into God’s lap and tell him everything on your heart. Today is the day to let the conversation begin.

“If you’ve never read one of Max’s books, read this one. I promise, you will be inspired.” ~ George Strait

I hope you’ll grab a copy of Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer (Amazon affiliate link) right away, if not sooner.  Like all of Max Lucado’s books, it is exceptional – in fact, it stands out as being one of my absolute favorites. The world needs more Christians on their knees in prayer than ever – people with great, great needs are all around us and they need God more than ever. I hope you’ll take the first step in making your prayer life the best it can be. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson (One of my All-Time Favorite Books)

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The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

One of my favorite authors is Mark Batterson (Amazon affiliate link to his Amazon profile page where you can find all of his wonderful books.. you can also find them all on my bookshelves, but that’s another story). As a prayer warrior and as someone who proactively seeks to walk and talk daily with God, his books have been absolutely invaluable to me, so it’s my honor to share book reviews of his extraordinary books with you, my extraordinary reader friends.

This particular book, The Circle Maker (Amazon affiliate link) was actually the first Mark Batterson book I ever read. Before I was even halfway through the book, I had already gone to Amazon to by my NEXT Mark Batterson book (as well as the prayer journal available for this one… Amazon affiliate link).

This fascinating book is full of inspiration and information (impossible to beat a book like that) and, best of all, it will help you take your prayer life to the next level. In a world where we see people with needs all around us, it has never in our lifetimes been more important to pray meaningful, effective, and life-changing prayers. Obviously, we have our own needs we want to be able to pray for effectively as well.

From the Back Cover of The Circle Maker:

Back Cover of The Circle Maker

From the Back Cover of The Circle Maker

If you aren’t familiar with Mark Batterson’s writing, you will not believe just how humorous and fun his writing is. It’s like sitting down for coffee with the funniest, most energetic, and optimistic friend in your life.

This is the type of author you want to read and re-read because (like a favorite old movie) it seems to be EVEN better each time.

I hope you’ll grab a copy of this amazing book and begin your amazing, revived prayer journey right away. With Christmas right around the corner, it would also make an excellent Christmas gift for anyone in your life… the best kind of gift – the one that could benefit your loved one for the rest of their lifel

Find The Circle Maker (Amazon affiliate link) on Amazon.

About the Author,  Mark Batterson:

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. One church with multiple locations, NCC owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, the Miracle Theatre, and the DC Dream Center. NCC is currently developing a city block into the Capital Turnaround; the 100,000-square-foot space will include an event venue, a child development center, a mixed-use marketplace, and a coworking space. Mark holds a doctor of ministry degree from Regent University and is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books including The Circle Maker, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Play the Man, Whisper, and recently released Win the Day. Mark and his wife, Lora, have three children and live on Capitol Hill.

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible (eBook Format or Bonded Leather)

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Thomas Nelson King James Study Bible

Ever “discover” something new, then wonder how you ever lived without it? That’s exactly what has happened since I bought the Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible (Kindle Edition).

Prior to this wonderful study Bible, my Bible reading and Bible study looked like this…

  • I would open up my Holy Bible App and begin my daily Bible reading.
  • I’d often switch to the NKJV periodically (when reading the Old Testament) to see what “heading” a particular passage was given. The KJV doesn’t come with these headings and, even though It’s my preferred version, I have to admit… I dig those headings!
  • Often, I’d come across a man or woman in the Bible and I would then get up and walk to the bookcase to retrieve my “Everyone in the Bible” book.
  • Whenever I’d come across a country and wonder what it is today or come across the name of something in particular that I wanted to know about, I’d make the same trek to the bookcase and retrieve my Pictorial Bible Dictionary or Atlas of the Bible (both of these are HEAVY books, too, mind you!)
  • After the excursion to the bookcase, of course, I’d return to my iPad or iPhone and resume reading – usually with one or two books in tow.

When I read about the Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible (Kindle Edition), my first thought was… “I could have everything I need in ONE place!” I ordered it immediately and thank myself every single day.

The Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible is available as an eBook (which is the one I currently have) and as a beautiful Hardcover book (I plan on ordering this one for my Christian Books Collection).

The King James Study Bible, Full-Color Edition is the most complete and comprehensive KJV study Bible available. Comprehensive book introductions, doctrinal articles, study notes, commentaries, personality profiles, word studies, and archaeological insights will help you experience the riches of God’s Word. The full-color design, Holy Land images, classic works of art, charts, and maps further enhance your Bible reading experience. With all these features, plus special subject indexes, Christ’s words in red, and an extensive concordance, no other KJV Bible offers more to students of the Holy Bible.

Thomas Nelson King James Study Bible

I love the Personality Profiles – you can easily find a man or woman you want to learn more about (or to remind yourself exactly who he/she was). When you click on their name, you get a lovely profile of them. Above, as you can see, is a profile for Nehemiah.

I love that pictures are provided for many of the profiles, as well.

Features include:

  • Time-honored KJV Bible text
  • Center-column references with translation notes
  • Beautiful full-color pages and features
  • Hundreds of full-color maps, images, and charts
  • 5,700 authoritative and time-tested study notes
  • Over 100 archaeological notes
  • Over 100 Personality Profiles highlighting important figures in Scripture
  • More than 200 notes on important Christian doctrines
  • Book introductions and outlines
  • Indexes and word-study concordance
  • Monies, Weights, and Measures
  • Prophecies of the Messiah Fulfilled in Christ
  • Miracles of Christ
  • Teachings and Illustrations of Christ
  • Parables of Christ
  • The Jewish Calendar
  • Prayers of the Bible
  • Concordance with World Studies

Thomas Nelson King James Study Bible

You are able to “highlight,” not only verses within the Bible text, but content on the other pages as well. See the image above, when you click on something you want to highlight, you’re given options – you can choose from five different colors, or simply underline the passage.

Thomas Nelson King James Study Bible

I’m nothing if not a girly-girl, so naturally I chose pink.

You can visit Amazon to learn more about the Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible (Kindle Edition) or the Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible (Hardcover).  You’re going to absolutely love this study Bible! ~ Joi (“Joy”)

More Christian Book Reviews.

Praying for Your Elephant by Adam Stadtmiller (Review of an Amazing Book!)

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Praying for Your Elephant by Adam Stadtmiller

Praying for Your Elephant (Amazon affiliate link)

I read A LOT of books… Spiritual books, Old Hollywood Biographies, inspirational books, Agatha Christie mysteries, American History books, Ancient Egypt books, cookbooks….

You get the idea. I’m almost always seen with several books in one hand, a caffeinated beverage in the other, and a cat (or two or three) in my lap.

I always have more than one book going at once – usually 3 or 5 because my interests are all over the place. Having said that, these genres (in order) are always given top priority:

  • Christian Books
  • Biographies
  • Agatha Christie mysteries

Agatha Christie is like playtime for my brain.. I simply love everything about her mysteries. Old Hollywood books are an absolute obsession – if I’m not watching an Old Hollywood movie, I’m lost in at least one biography. As for Christian, inspirational and Spiritual books – they feed my soul and they are, for many obvious reasons, my number one love when it comes to books.

Sorry, Hercule.

The book you see pictured here, Praying for Your Elephant (Amazon affiliate link), is one of the best books of any genre I have ever read. You read that right…. I loved it that much.

Have you ever heard of the phrase “Prayer Warrior?” I have considered myself to be a Prayer Warrior for many years. This simply means that I pray day and night with the fervency and determination of a warrior who is smack in the middle of the battlefield. I pray for my family, friends, people I read about, strangers, crazy drivers who run red lights, individuals I see others asking prayers for, countries, churches, missionaries, etc.

With this much praying going on and with this much on the line, I need all the inspiration I can get! Naturally, the Bible provides the bulk of said inspiration, but God uses Christian authors to further inspire and motivate. Very often, they help reignite a fire that, without a little extra encouragement, might be less than best.

Prayer does the salvage work of raising the sunken treasure of our lives. – Praying for Your Elephant Page 57  (Amazon affiliate link)

This particular author, Adam Stadtmiller, has written an extraordinary book and it has taken my prayers to a whole new level. I’ve always believed in asking God for all needs – from small to large and all sizes in between. However, this book has inspired me to go further. It takes the phrase “small to large” and asks, “Why stop at large? Aim for COLOSSAL!”

Elephant-Size Colossal.

From the Back Cover:

What If Your Biggest Prayers are Too Small?

Get ready to re-ignite, re-imagine, and repurpose your prayer life while experiencing great intimacy with God. This is an invitation to identify your elephants—to name, through specific and strategic prayers, the 100 most important and audacious petitions you can imagine. These are the elephants that—if answered by God—would be game changers in your life and perhaps the world.

By supersizing your prayers and daring to ask for the big things – your elephants – you will come to know God in a way you never have, even if His answers aren’t what you expect. Dive deep into the adventure that is the prayer-filled life!

Praying for Your Elephant starts off with a bang. The author guides you into a 40 Day Prayer Challenge: Forty Days to Praying for Your Elephants. He gives you 10 suggested “categories” to create to organize your prayers and all but dares you to pray big!

My take away from this section was to pray as big as the God we’re talking to. Again, COLOSSAL comes to mind.

The book provides a chart for these categories, or you can simply write them down on paper or (my own personal approach) in a Prayer Journal. Writing prayers down helps you to see, over time, which prayers are answered and which ones may take a little longer. I have also experienced something else in my prayer journal – sometimes your prayer changes as God guides you from one destination to the next.

“There is no way that Christians in a private capacity can do so much to promote the work of God, and advance the kingdom  of Christ, as by prayer.” – Jonathan Edwards

Praying for Your Elephant is available on Amazon and I, quite frankly, could not recommend it enough. I love to tell you about books that have the potential to change your life for the better… to help you open up a whole new world… to touch you in such a way that you feel empowered to do anything you set your mind and heart to!

This is such a book and I really hope you’ll grab your copy as soon as possible. You won’t regret it. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Find out more by visiting Praying for Your Elephant! (Amazon affiliate link)

About the Author: Adam Stadtmiller (Amazon affiliate link) is lead pastor at one of the San Diego’s most historic churches, La Jolla Christian Fellowship. A regular contributor to Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal, he is also the author of Give Your Kids the Keys and Discover Your Kid’s Spiritual Gifts. Adam lives in Carlsbad, California, with his wife and two daughters.

Praying for Your Elephant Quote Graphic