Devotionals for the Heart: Religion

Religion and Our Modern Day
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” 

– James 1:26-27 (NIV)

I’ve written before how I love the book of James for its fire. It’s an exhortation more than a letter or as the kids say he’s “calling us out”. If this was a sermon, the preacher would be leaning over the pulpit, arms waving, in full voice. He’d be shaking the back pews with these words. In the verse above, his focus is on how we practice our religion.

Now, hearing the word ‘religion’ can make some of us wince. The world has soured on religion and the term has taken on some negative connotations. I don’t think this is because the world is any more sinful than it has ever been. I suspect it has to do with Christians (and others) behaving badly, while claiming faith. It’s also likely a shift in the modern mindset.

In a lot of ways, technological advancement has become a kind of religion itself. It doesn’t take a lot to put your faith in modern science and medicine. It doesn’t cost you anything, asks nothing from you. You can keep the parts you like and reject the rest. Faith in Jesus Christ, however, that takes work, it will cost you your life, so to speak. We die to self when we follow Christ.

In our modern times there’s an emphasis on self-expression and individuality. Being heard is a big deal. Sometimes, that’s a good thing. But as Christians, we need to be careful about what we express. We need to watch what we put out in the world. Essentially James is calling on us to ‘mind your business’, the Kingdom’s business.

Whether its traffic when you’re running late, an obnoxious coworker, a rude customer, a family member in crisis, or even a stranger spewing hate, we need to keep a grip on ourselves. We need to remember our purpose and focus our mind and bodies on the mission, not the moment. That can be a serious challenge in times like these when we are pressed from all sides.

However, now is when we need this control and focus the most. When we’re being distracted by culture, politics and fear, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and our tongues in check.

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, please give us the strength to love our enemies, friends, and neighbors in all circumstances. Make us instruments of your peace in a fallen world. Please help us to be salt and light, unpolluted by the world while active within it. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Christa MacDonald is a 2017 Carol Award finalist for contemporary Christian fiction. 

She began her writing career at the age of eleven, filling a sketchbook with poems and short stories. After publishing a few short pieces in her college’s literary magazine she took a long hiatus during which she embarked on a few different careers, got married, had three kids, and renovated an old barn masquerading as a house.

Her most recent work, The Redemption Road, finished the Sweet River Redemption series published by Mountain Brook Ink.

When not working or writing Christa can be found ferrying her kids around, reading, or attempting something crafty. She and her family live along the coast of New England.

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Connect with Christa:
Website: www.christamacdonald.com
Newsletter: https://christamacdonald.com/connect-with-christa/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538432676468229/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/33uk329
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CricketMacD
Christa's book publisher: http://mountainbrookink.com/about-us/authors/christa-macdonald/

Devotionals for the Heart: Division

A Church Divided Isn’t What Jesus Started
A devotional by Gena Anderson

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” – 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (NIV)

History is full of conflict. World wars, civil wars, and religious conflicts fill the pages of history books. Humanity has been fighting for something, it seems, since the dawn of time. 

The Bible is filled with tales of nation against nation, Jews against Gentiles, and religious leaders against a Savior. People fighting should come as no surprise to us, yet many feel shocked, angry, saddened, and exhausted with all the division around us.

As we who live in the United States watch our country and our own friends and family be divided by their views on everything from racism to vaccines, we all react differently. Some fight back when met with resistance, others back down in retreat, and some go on offensive attack. I’ve stayed quiet, spoken up, offered sympathy, and everything in between. Recently I considered the damage that has resulted not to our country and relationships, but to the Body of Christ.

Jesus Christ came to create a united new body of people (Ephesians 2:14-15). Don’t misunderstand, He didn’t do that by accepting sin and rolling past ungodly conduct. Jesus was clear on God’s expectations, but He didn’t compromise his position on the whole “love one another” thing while making his points. That’s something we can’t say about how we’ve been acting lately.

When asked which commandment was greatest, Jesus says first to love God and second, to love others (Matthew 22:37-38). As Christians, we can’t allow our feelings to control our words and actions because those emotions often betray our love for the Lord and serve ourselves more than others. James 1:19-20 tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak, as well as slow to become angry because doing so will cause us to dishonor God. When we reverse those recommendations and are quick to speak in anger and slow to listen, we are making God and Christians look bad, and dividing the church that was intended to unanimously carry Jesus’ message of love to the world.

So what are we to do when the world seems to be turned upside down and we feel in conflict with so many? If we listen to Paul’s words in the verse above, we would do good to remember that everything we think isn’t meant to be said out loud. Furthermore, the things we feel we have the right to say and do might need to be set aside for the good of others. In fact, I don’t see anything in those top two commandments about anyone's rights.

Jesus loved all of us so much that He gave His life for us, and silently endured persecution and crucifixion. We can surely bite our tongues for the sake of bearing our cross. In the name of Christian love, we can seek to listen and understand more than we strive to be heard. When we feel ourselves frustrated with the unprecedented situations around us we can take a moment to remember we serve a God of power, provision, and presence who wants us to point others to Him.

When we speak and act, we can let the Holy Spirit lead us to discern how to do so in a way that is rich with the love of God and others, and void of arrogance and pride. I am going to try to do better, what about you?

Let’s Pray: Lord, help us remember that you are always in control, and we have no reason to fear. Forgive us for allowing our emotions to control us. Help us to call on your Spirit and follow its prompting, and to be more skilled in listening than we are in speaking. We are so thankful for and humbled by your never-ending love. In Jesus's Name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Gena Anderson is a Jesus-lover, writer, nurse practitioner, and blogger who loves to share wellness information and inspiration with the world around her. 

She is the author of The Well Woman: A Journey to Wellness Through Loving Jesus, which is available on Amazon.com.

Gena proudly holds the title of wife, mom, and the world’s most average CrossFitter. She loves writing, reading, traveling, and brownies. She's working on that last one.

Gena lives in Hutto, Texas with her husband and two children.

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Connect with Gena:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellwoman.blog
Website: well-woman-blog.com
Email: wellwomanbook@gmail.com

Interview with Barb Roose about her new book "Breakthrough"

We have a special guest whose book, Breakthrough, releases today! Join me in wishing Barb Roose a "Happy BOOK birthday!" Read on for a proper introduction message and video before diving deep into a Q&A with the author. 

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Introduction: Barb Roose is a speaker, author and host of Better Together Facebook Live Show. She is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous in spite of fear so they experience God's great adventure of faith and purpose. 

Breakthrough–A Women's Bible Study by Barb Roose Promotional Video

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An Interview with Barb Roose about her book,

Breakthrough

For some, Christianity is a long list of rules to be followed, and it’s hard to be a “good Christian” because it always seems you’re breaking one of those rules. In Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ, popular women’s conference speaker and author Barb Roose wants to help readers let go of the feeling they are not a “good enough” Christian and find freedom in Christ by studying Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

In this six-week study, Roose shows women that even the believers in the early church struggled to let go of rule-keeping and performance in order to embrace God’s free gift of grace. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul pours out his heart and faith to set them straight, addressing so many of the same questions and problems we still face today such as: Who has led you to believe you have to follow rules and “measure up”? Why do you think you have to be perfect for God? Does God only show up or love you when you “get it right”?

Read on for this pre-made Q & A with Barb Roose ...

Question (Q): You wrote the Breakthrough Bible study to celebrate God’s amazing grace and unconditional love, especially for Christians who are afraid that they have disappointed God or feel like they have to earn God’s favor or blessing. Did you struggle with this?

Answer (A): Oh yes! I grew up in a religious tradition of lovely people, but there were a lot of rules! While I heard about the gospel at an early age, I remember hearing more “dos” and “don’ts” from Christians around me than God’s love for me.

As a result of their influence and my own thinking, I spent decades judging myself as a Christian by how well I followed the “good” Christian rules such as never miss church, read the Bible every day, and others. Of course, there were seasons of life when I did miss church, I didn’t read the Bible, and I made mistakes. During those times in life, I feared that God was disappointed in me and I felt like a terrible Christian.

Years ago, I shifted my mindset. Instead of focusing on my performance, I decided to ruthlessly believe God’s promises about me and watch out for how He was working in my life. As I noticed where God was working in my life, I stopped feeling the pressure to earn His blessing and favor because I could already see Him giving them to me.

Q: What is the spiritual breakthrough you hope readers will experience by diving into your new Bible study?

A: In a word: FREEDOM! I’m so excited about the opportunity for readers to experience the freedom that comes from knowing that our God is at work in us and that we don’t have to jump through hoops to earn His approval, love or favor. He’s already given it to us in every promise that He’s made to us!

While spiritual breakthrough isn’t a term in the Bible, it is reflected in God’s promise to change and transform us by renewing eternally us in Christ (Galatians 2:20). I’ve seen a lot of descriptions of spiritual breakthrough that put the responsibility for spiritual growth or freedom on human effort, but only God can rescue us from the prisons of our pain, our past and our problems. We might be able to push against the prison bars on our own, but only God can break us free!

In fact, one of the key features of the Breakthrough study is the weekly Spiritual Breakthrough Exercise with unique tools to identify where God is at work. It’s been so much fun listening to women celebrate seeing where God is at work and their confidence in knowing that God is transforming them, and they don’t have to try to make it happen on their own.

Q: We hear a lot about having freedom in Christ, but what does that actually mean for a Christian?

A: In the Breakthrough study, I define “freedom in Christ” as living free from fear and fully alive in God’s joy and purpose.

One of the most tangible examples for me is Jesus’ encounter with the immoral woman in Luke 7. While we don’t know where she came from or what she went through, we know that she cried enough tears at Jesus’ feet that she needed to use her hair to wipe them away. I can relate to that woman’s anguish at certain times in my life.

I love Jesus’ words to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” She didn’t say any or to do anything to earn Jesus’ forgiveness. He gives her peace just because she came humbly to his feet and Jesus set her free.

This is a powerful lesson for us, especially when we’ve got big regrets or the whispers from the pit of hell try to remind us of our mistakes. Jesus died to bring us freedom and we don’t have to earn it, only receive it and live in it.

Q: What are your six freedom principles?

A: As I studied Paul’s letter to the Galatian church, I created six Freedom Principles to capture the main themes of his letter. I pray that readers will use these principles as tools to apply to their lives when they feel like they need to do more to earn God’s love or blessing.

1. The gospel is based on God’s perfect promises, not our performance.

2. A relationship with God means that we receive from Him rather than follow rules for Him.

3. Your freedom in Christ cannot be shaken or taken away by anyone who chooses not to live like Christ.

4. Freedom in Christ is living free from fear and fully alive with joy and purpose.

5. Spiritual breakthrough is an ah-ha moment when we recognize that God is at work within us, receive what He’s doing, and respond to it.

6. You are God’s beautiful, loveable, capable daughter. You are confident in Christ and worthy of God’s best.

Q: Oftentimes we are hesitant to start the hard conversations about diversity at the risk of offending someone or making a situation worse. What are some ways we can start (and continue) discussions with the correct heart?

A: As part of Paul’s dialogue with the Galatian church, he emphasized that Christ came to break down the divisions between believers, but that doesn’t mean that God intends for us to ignore our differences. God intentionally created humans with differences in color and culture. In Galatians 5:13, Paul writes that we should use our freedom to serve one another in love.

The best way that we can love people who look differently than us is to love them through listening, especially when we don’t know them. Listening begins with inviting people who look differently than us to share their life stories. I like questions like, “Would you tell me about your life?” or “How did your family celebrate special holidays?” or “What’s been hard for you lately?”

When we’re willing to listen to others, it’s a demonstration of humility that we care and respect the other person and their story.

Q: How can we be more supportive rather than judgmental Christians, especially with a friend that has fallen into sin?

A: This is such an important question! I’ve heard from so many hurting Christians who’ve walked away from the church because they made a mistake and Christians were quick to criticize.

We all make mistakes. All have sinned. Paul taught us that our role as believers is to gentle and humbly help those who’ve fallen. We’re not to add to someone’s guilt by telling them how badly they messed up and we’re gossip about them because Paul also taught in Galatians 6 that we’re all prone to faltering.

So, we gently and humbly help people when we follow in Jesus’ footsteps like he did with Zacchaeus the tax collector or the adulterous woman. First, we go to them, not avoid them. Then, we don’t shame them, but rather listen to their story. Finally, we affirm God’s truth and pray with them. We don’t have to save them or force them back on the right path again, that’s God’s job, but not ours.

Q: Can you give us some examples of legalism that hold us back from freedom?

A: In Breakthrough, I tell the story of my conversation with a lovely young believer who felt like she was a bad Christian because she saw other Christians who seemed to read their Bibles more and never miss church. She told me, “Well, I forget to read my Bible sometimes, and I still smoke. I feel like I’m disappointing God.”

My heart hurt for that young believer and so many other Christians who feel exactly like she does. Legalism wants us to believe that we have to earn God’s love and favor by reading our Bibles a certain number of times a week or never missing church. Legalism’s focus is on “what are we doing for God” and the problem is that when the focus is on us, we miss out on receiving what God wants to give us.

When we read our Bibles because we know that God’s truth gives us life, that’s freedom. But when we read our Bibles because we think that will make God happy, that’s legalism. When we go to church because the sermon and music focus us on Jesus’ love, that leads us to freedom. But, when we go to church because we think that God will punish us if we don’t, that’s legalism.

Q: There was a season of your life when, even though you were saved, you decided to disconnect from God because of religious rules. What made you decide to reconnect with God?

A: My mom explained the gospel to me when I was eight years old. I accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized when I was nine years old. I was so happy that Jesus saved me that I wanted to be a good Christian and make God happy. I had my list of religious “to-do” rules and worked hard to make God happy. I thought that following all the rules would make me more faithful to God, but I spent so much time in fear. I always wondered if I was doing enough for God and kept pushing myself to jump through those hoops, always trying to do more and do better.

When I got to college, I saw all the other students having fun. I wasn’t having fun while following all of the rules, so I decided to stop. The only problem was that when I abandoned my “good” Christian rules, I felt like I was abandoning what I called my faith.

When I eventually messed up my life so badly that there was nothing I could do to fix it, I experienced an ah-ha moment that changed my life. That moment was realizing that God’s love for me is based on His perfect promises, not my performance. This was when I finally understood the freedom that comes from God’s grace, not following religious rules.

Q: Where can participants access the videos that correspond with each week?

A: In response to the different ways that groups are meeting, I love that my publisher, Abingdon Women, has made a three video formats available: DVDs, digital download, and streaming media. There’s a solution for everyone!

Readers can order DVDs and access to digital downloads from cokesbury.com/barbroose or use the Amplify Media platform for streaming video access at amplifymedia.com.

If you’d like more information on those options, I recorded a video with my friend and fellow Abingdon Women author, Melissa Spoelstra that gives a demonstration of them all at barbroose.com/groupleaders.

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Author Bio: 

Barb Roose is a speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous so that they experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives. 

She is the author of five Bible studies including Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ, Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle, and three books including Surrendered: 40 Days to Help You Let Go and Live Like Jesus.

Barb lives in NW Ohio and is proud mother of three adult daughters. Whenever possible, Barb prefers to eat dessert first. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com. 

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Back cover copy for Barb's book, Breakthrough:

Let go of feeling like you are not a “good enough” Christian and find freedom in Christ by studying Paul’s letter to the Galatians in Breakthrough by Barb Roose. 

Have you ever felt that being a good Christian means you’ve got to follow a bunch of rules and measure up?

If so, you aren’t alone! In this six-week Bible study of Galatians, Barb Roose shows us that even the believers in the early church struggled to let go of rule-keeping and performance in order to embrace God’s free gift of grace.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul pours out his heart and faith to set them straight, addressing so many of the same questions and problems we still face today, such as…

- Who has led you to believe you have to follow rules to be right with God?
- Why do you think you have to try to be perfect for God?
- How do we stay free in Christ?

If you’ve ever struggled with these questions or felt trapped by rules or religion, this study will provide a path to discover your freedom in Christ.

Through this study women will learn to:

- Stop trying to measure up and embrace God’s grace
- Distinguish between lies and truth
- Embrace God’s promise of freedom

Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, and video sessions with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning).

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Buy Barb's book on Amazon

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Connect with Barb:
Website: https://barbroose.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbararoose/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbroose/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbroose/

Devotionals for the Heart: Inner battles and the spiritual lifestyle

Should vs. Want
A devotional by Linda Wood Rondeau

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." 
~John 16:13 (NIV)

I know the drill. I hear it from my doctor with every visit. Lose weight, eat more nutritiously, and get more exercise. After my physician has kindly reminded me of the benefits derived from healthier lifestyle choices, I make well-intentioned promises of changed behaviors.

I vow to increase fiber, though to me it’s not much better than cardboard. I promise myself I will lose 50 pounds, do aerobic activity for 30 minutes a day, drink eight glasses of water, and consume the requisite servings of fruits and vegetables. I pride myself on my good intentions.

With gusto and determination, I dust off the treadmill, put motivational stickers around the house, and keep a diary of my new healthy ambitions. Sadly, however, my behaviors slowly drift back to my comfortable unhealthy choices within a few weeks. “I just don’t have enough willpower,” I tell myself while pouring my fourth cup of coffee.

Is my inability to change due to lack of motivation? Am I too weak of spirit? “Why”, I reprimand myself, “can’t I do better?”

Perhaps it is because I suffer from the shoulds. I should drink less coffee, I should exercise more and I should lose weight. Every magazine I pick up has more than half of its content devoted to the shoulds.

The problem in compliance is a lack of the wants. Oh, it’s true it would be nice to be as beautiful as Miss America, as athletic as an Olympic champion, and as enthusiastic as a political candidate, but do I have the want for these things? Am I willing to make the sacrifices and commit to the long haul? My resolve wanes because I lack the wants.

Attitudes regarding change are shaped according to whether we desire the change out of a feeling of guilt or whether the change is motivated due to a conviction. The shoulds are a result of guilt; the wants are born from conviction.

Guilt is laden with self-incrimination and self-loathing. It is a heavy burden to carry. It tends to slow progress and cause depression. Guilt may propel us into action initially, but the momentum is difficult to sustain. When we fail, we convince ourselves there is some intrinsic flaw within us that dooms us to a cycle of attempts and failures. With each failure, the desire to try again is diminished.

When we truly want to change, we are convicted to change. Conviction alters our perspective, renews our energies, and drives us toward a positive outcome. Even if a first attempt is unsuccessful, we will keep trying until we experience ultimate success.

What of our spiritual lifestyles? We believe we should read the Bible more, attend church regularly, and give a tithe unto the Lord. Every devotional article we read reminds us of the benefits when we do these things. Yet, our striving toward these goals wean as life’s mundane needs erode our best intentions.

God does not desire us to follow a blind pattern of religiosity. Doing good deeds, merely because one should do them, will produce meaningless exercise that does little to uplift the believer.

God has provided the believer with the Holy Spirit. It is The Spirit’s working within us that will bring the believer to conviction. He places a hunger within the believer that propels us toward God’s word. Rather than condemn our past, He uses our failure as a lamp to show us what our future could be when we walk in obedience. As we grow in our desire to walk more closely with God, we no longer pray simply because that’s what a Christian should do. We pray because our day is incomplete without spending time alone with Him.

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Author bio:

Award-winning author Linda Wood Rondeau writes to demonstrate that our worst past surrendered to God becomes our best future. 

A veteran social worker, Linda now resides in Hagerstown, Maryland. 

Readers may visit her website at www.lindarondeau.com. 

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Connect with Linda on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and Goodreads.

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Book review: A Year of Living Prayerfully

Who leaves the comfort of their home and takes their spouse on a spontaneous journey around the world and calls the entire experience A Year of Living Prayerfully?

Jared Brock, author of A Year of Living Prayerfully, took his wife Melissa on the journey of a lifetime. It was a trip around the world with stops in spiritual meccas like Italy, Spain, England and visiting the world's biggest church in Seoul, South Korea. The purpose of the trip was for Brock to learn 1) if prayer really works and (2) how he can become more effective in prayer.

I must admit, when I first received this book from Tyndale Publishers, I thought maybe I should have selected a different book to read. It simply did not at first glance, look like a book I would enjoy reading. But as I opened the book and my journey began, I was so glad that I did not let my first judgment of the book's cover and summary deter me from starting to read the book. And when I started, I couldn't stop reading it until I reached the very last page!

So without further ado, why don't you continue reading this blog post? Discover why as you read my review of Brock's book, this read is worth your time and your thought.

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Alexis A. Goring's review of Jared Brock's book A Year of Living Prayerfully:

The story starts with a Foreword written by Mark Buchanan who opens with the saying from a bumper sticker, “You’re unique, just like everyone else.”

Buchanan goes on to explain the Jared Brock, author of A Year of Living Prayerfully, is truly unique and really not like anyone else. As you turn the pages of Brock’s book you see that his uniqueness shows forth in his writing. Brock captures your attention as the reader within minutes of thumbing through Chapter 1 and as this reader progressed through the book I found Buchanan’s statement about Brock’s book to be very true when he promised the reader that once you start this book, you can’t stop reading it until the end.

“You will be swept up in the sheer force of the storytelling, the beauty of the prose, the many comedies of error, the exotic cast of characters, and—above all—the drama of Jay’s prayer life,” said Buchanan.

One of the first issues of prayer that the author Brock addresses is prefaced with a quote from Armin Gesswein who said, “If God wants us to pray without ceasing, it is because He wants to answer without ceasing.” Brock shows the reader through the pages about his year of living prayerfully that God answered his prayers all along the way and gave him unbelievable experiences too such as visiting the Pope inside his residence located in Italy!

Who gets to not only pray with the pope but for the pope and have their photo taken with the pope on the Pope’s iPhone?! Brock and his wife did just that during the part of their journey that they spent in Italy. Yes, the pope (Monsignor Alfred) really did ask Brock to pray for him and Brock obliged.

Halfway through his travels around the world, Brock and his wife visited Eastern USA to spend time in Maryland with the Quakers, officially called the Religious Society of Friends and founded by farmers and tradesmen in the mid-seventeenth century. Quakers engage in “waiting worship”—silence.

After his visit with the Quakers, Brock realized that while the church has a lot to learn about silence, “we also need to guard our theology like it’s our life.” Brock emphasizes the importance of listening to Christ and returning to the Word of God (The Holy Bible) as “our primary source of freshwater.”

In silence, Brock says, we commune with Christ. The author shared the example of the prophet Elijah who in Bible times, wanted to hear God’s voice. God sent the wind, the earthquake and the fire and His voice was not in those grand events. God chose to speak to Elijah in a “still small voice” and Brock said one commentary calls “a voice of gentle silence.”

Brock gave a modern day example, asking his readers, "If two people sat down for dinner and both of them talked the entire time, how would they hear the other person’s point of view?" “Silence,” says Brock. “Is a gift that allows us to turn a monologue into a dialogue. Without silence, there is no conversation. Without silence, we miss a large part of what God has to say to us.”

This point resonated with me (Alexis, the book reviewer) as a creative because I thrive on sound, music, colors, movies and it wasn’t until recent years that I began to truly appreciate silence and began to know what it means to “be still” and “know” that God is God as it says in the Bible verse Psalm 46:10.

Prior to his year of living prayerfully, the author asked two questions: 1) Does prayer really work? And (2) How can I be more effective in prayer?

God did not disappoint the author. He revealed to Brock that yes, prayer does work but only if you understand that prayer is a conversation between you and God which means you need to do more than talk to God, you need to listen for His response. God also showed Brock that it is a good thing that not all prayers are answered and that unanswered prayer may mean that God is trying to get your attention.

“Maybe,” Brock says on page 210, “God is waiting for my heart to realign with His.”

When breakthroughs in life do not come right away, it should drive you to seek God even more. Somewhere along their journey through Eastern USA, the author and his wife Michelle “came to a small spiritual crossroads.” The author decided that he was “determined to trust God” no matter what the outcome and his faith grew because of that experience.

A Year of Living Prayerfully proves to be an informative, edifying and uplifting read that encourages you to think about what prayer means for mortals in this modern day world. The author doesn’t leave you to discover prayer on your own—Brock includes an interactive list called “Seven Ways to Pray” on the final pages of his book.

Brock’s book is not only well-written, it’s intriguing! I would recommend it as an easy yet educational read for anyone who’s seeking God and looking for something more to life. I’d also share this book with people who grew up in the church and still practice their faith but are looking for a deeper relationship with God.

And that’s exactly what Brock accomplished in writing A Year of Living Prayerfully—he encourages the reader to seek God through the best form of communication humankind did not create—prayer.

*Tyndale House Publishers provided the reviewer (Alexis A. Goring) with a complimentary copy of this book.

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Connect with Jared Brock:

http://jaredbrock.com/bonus-bundle/

https://www.facebook.com/jaredabrock