‘Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples’ by Matt Bell – Book Information and Article

Being a fairly newly married couple (our wedding date was June 10, 2005), I can attest to the fact that money is the most contentious issue in our marriage. In his newest book, ‘Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples,’ Matt Bell provides wise and Godly counsel to young (and older!) couples.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

For Richer or Poorer. Newlywed couples quickly discover that money is a big deal in their new lives together. Conversations about money can all too easily turn into arguments about spending habits, credit card debt, and when to make major purchases. Getting on the same financial page is essential because research has shown that the more frequently a couple fights about finances, the more likely they are to divorce. So how do you as an engaged or newly married couple work as a team when dealing with money?

Financial expert Matt Bell shows you the way. This book will help you to make the most of each other’s financial strengths, teaching you how to work together to build a solid financial future. Through a ten-step action plan, you’ll learn how to prioritize goals, get out of debt, build savings, invest wisely, buy a house, and much more -  all in a way that minimizes stress and maximizes unity. With this essential guide, you’ll avoid the pitfalls and place yourselves on the path to financial success.

Here is the biography of this author:

Matt Bell is a personal finance expert whose previous books include Money, Purpose, Joy and Money Strategies for Tough Times. He leads workshops throughout the country; has been featured in major media such as USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, and WGN-TV; and writes the MattAboutMoney.com blog.

Matt shares with his readers a Ten-Step Action Plan for Financial Success:

1.        Plan to Succeed

2.        Work Wisely

3.        Give Some Away

4.        Put Some Away

5.        Ruthlessly Avoid Debt

6.        Manage Your Credit Score

7.        Patiently Pursue Interest

8.        Build Walls of Protection

9.        Spend Smart on Housing

10. Spend Smart on All Other Expenses

To be perfectly honest, my husband, Fred, is much wiser when it comes to money than I have been. I have cajoled (coerced?) him to make some unwise financial decisions (such as purchasing a brand new vehicle) since we have been married – a decision which I came to regret (despite the fact that I love our Kia Sportage). In retrospect, if I had been more frugal/practical with the resources God gave us, we would be in a better financial position than we are right now…

I found this book to be very valuable – even for an older newly married couple! I have a friend who will be getting married at the end of May; I plan on passing ‘Money & Marriage’ along to her so she can avoid some of the mistakes we have made.

I also want to share an article that Matt wrote; I pray it will be of value to you!

___________________________________________

Money and Marriage: Living With Financial Freedom

By Matt Bell

For many couples, money is a tough topic. But there’s one financial issue that, like no other, causes financial discomfort among couples and raises the chances for financial fights: debt.


Take Off the Shackles


The Bible says, “The borrower is servant to the lender.” Living as a servant to a lender isn’t wise for any of us, but it’s especially problematic in marriage.
Researcher Jeffrey Dew at Utah State University has found that not only does consumer debt (credit card debt and other installment loans) fuel a sense of financial unease among couples and increase the likelihood that they will argue about money, but “this financial unease casts a pall over marriages in general, raising the likelihood that couples will argue over issues other than money and decreasing the time they spend with one another.”


Dew’s research shows that newlyweds that take on substantial consumer debt become less happy in their marriages over time. On the other hand, newly married couples that pay off their consumer debt within their first five years of marriage are more satisfied with their marriage. Those findings held up no matter whether couples were rich or poor.


Whose Debt Is It?


How couples approach their debt is important as well.
When Scott and Karen got married, Karen brought $50,000 of non-mortgage debt into the marriage.  Scott jokingly referred to it as a reverse dowry.
One of the things I love about their story is that from the earliest days of their marriage, whenever Karen would talk about “my” debt, Scott would correct her by saying is was “our” debt. Now there’s a guy who is committed to financial oneness.


One other notable part of their story is that their faith-based convictions motivated them to give away 10 percent of their income throughout their journey of getting out of debt. Karen remembered seeing their year-end giving statement, and thinking, ‘Gee, we could have gotten out of debt so much faster if we had put that money toward our debts.” And she remembers hearing other people’s stories of unexpected blessings they felt came about because of their giving. “I started wondering where’s my cool story?” she said.


Six-and-a-half years after getting married, Scott and Karen made their last debt payment. It was a day neither one of them will ever forget. “It was amazing,” Karen says. “We felt like it was a hard road we had traveled, but we did it, and we did it in a God-honoring way. We are 100 percent debt-free.”
Scott will soon be able to retire with a full pension at a much younger age than most people, having put in over twenty years as a Chicago firefighter. They’re thinking about getting an RV and spending a year traveling the country.


Sounds pretty cool to me.


Be Done With Debt ASAP


If you are engaged or newly married, make it one of your highest financial priorities to get out of debt and then live the rest of your lives with no debt other than a reasonable mortgage (One that requires no more than 25% of monthly household gross income to pay for the combination of your mortgage, taxes, and insurance).


Put together a spending plan that enables you to maximize debt repayment.  You may find it helpful to use the recommended spending plans found in the “Money, Purpose, Joy,” workbook, which contains detailed plans for four different size households across nine different annual incomes.


Very often, when couples get married they get excited about all that they’ll be able to afford with two incomes. But I encourage all newly married couples to base their lifestyle mostly on one income. It’s the single most helpful step you can take to prepare for children since it makes it much easier for one spouse to choose to step out of the paid workforce if that’s their desire. 


If you have debt, it’s especially important to live mostly on one income so you can use the other income to get out of debt. Doing so will make all the difference in helping you build a solid financial foundation and live with financial freedom.

______________________________

You can order ‘Money & Marriage’ here.

This book was published by NavPress. I am pleased to be participating in the Litfuse Publicity Group’s blog tour with these other bloggers.

‘Double Shot: A Maya Davis Novel’ by Erynn Mangum – Book Review

It is great fun to read a book from the perspective of a young, idealistic adult who is just starting out in life. That description defines both the main character in ‘Double Shot: A Maya Davis Novel’ and its author, Erynn Mangum.

Here is the synopsis of this terrifically entertaining novel:

Can coffee and chocolate make everything better? It’s worth a shot. Now that Maya Davis is engaged to her longtime friend and sweetheart, Jack, there should be no more worrying about the future, no more questioning God. Everything should be perfect, right? Actually, it’s just the opposite: Things are complicated. Where are they going to live? What kind of wedding do they want?

And when Jack is offered a once-in-a-lifetime job in Seattle, things begin to unravel even more. Can Maya trust that God is in control even when things seem to be a disastrous mess?

Here is the biography of this author:

Erynn Mangum is the author of Miss Match, Rematch, Match Point, Cool Beans, and Latte Daze (THINK/NavPress). She is a graduate of the Christian Writers Guild Apprentice and Journeyman programs. She also is a major chocoholic and love chick flicks, coffee, and cold winter days. Erynn is married to her best friend, John O’Brien, and has a young son, Nathan. The family lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This novel is about the lives of the main character, Maya Davis, her fiancé Jack, her best friend Jen, and new husband Travis, along with Maya’s family and coworkers.

The book opens with the wedding of Maya’s best friend, Jen. Here is Maya describing Jen on her wedding day:

I look at Jen, and she takes my breath away. She is beautiful to begin with, but this is her wedding day and she looks ethereal. Her dress is stunning. It’s fitted and simple in a way that makes it look extremely expensive. Her long blond hair is down in romantic, loose curls, and her makeup is flawless. The veil floats delicately over her hair. (p. 15)

Interestingly, Maya dated Travis before Jen did. She is very sure she is over Travis:

And the real reason I’m 100 percent over Travis Clayton has arrived in our conversation. Jack Dominguez is one of my very best friends. I’ve known him since the second grade and worked with him for the last four years before he decided he wanted to shovel elephant dung for the rest of his life. He now works at the Hudson Zoo.

He’s also the one who gave me the sparkling nearly-a-carat solitaire that is glittering on my left hand so much that it’s overwhelming the dress.

That was three days ago. I’m still not used to the ring being there. Driving has become a hazardous experience for me because I get distracted staring at the ring that I can’t focus on the streets. (pp. 16-17)

That gives you a glimpse of the sweet and fun personality of the main character!

Another fun passage is Maya sharing with the readers her mother Mary’s attempts at texting:

Sunday nights I have dinner with my parents. Lately, Jack’s been coming too. Which is good, considering my mother now likes him best. She’s always sending me text messages on Friday afternoon that go something like this: Cld U plse ask J re: wht he wnts 4 dnnr?

My mother is the worst text messager in the whole world. It kind of makes me wonder how she would have done with Morse code. Remember that movie about the dog that saved all the little kids who were dying in Alaska by racing to get medicine for them? And how they had to send a message over Morse code to bring more medicine?

If Mom were in charge of that message, the dog probably would have brought more medics. (p. 35)

Maya is a woman of faith, and she endeavors to share her faith with her coworker, Ethan:

I go to the back to check on the cinnamon rolls, smiling. Ethan is a pain in the neck, but he’s a nice guy all the same. He’s not a Christian, and there isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t try to convince him that church is a good place to be, and there isn’t a week that goes by that he doesn’t tell me he doesn’t believe in “that stuff,” but he’s a good guy nonetheless. (p. 46)

Much of the book includes Maya’s adventures in planning her wedding. She is fascinated by the concept of marriage:

Marriage is weird. Not only am I about to live with a man for the rest of my life, but I am about to live with a man for the rest of my life.

And it will be legal. In both the state’s eyes and in God’s eyes.

It’s sort of like being offered that Forbidden Apple and being told to peel it, core it, and make a cobbler with it. (p. 93)

I love the day-in-the-life vibe of this book, and Maya’s observations on the little things of life. Here is Maya sharing one day at work at Cool Beans, a coffee shop:

About two-thirds of the tables are filled, it’s almost eleven, and we have yet to sell all of our first pan of cinnamon rolls.   

I think that’s a new record for August. Usually, I only see that in January when everyone is sticking to their New Year’s resolutions of no carbs, no sugar, and definitely no cinnamon rolls.

I do not make New Year’s resolutions. I think they are a waste of time. Why would I write down a bunch of things that I know I need to change but never will?

Plus, I think God works on me all year long, not just in January. (pp. 142-143)

I personally am grateful and relieved that God wants to help us year ‘round!

Maya has a cool young pastor named Andrew. They meet every Wednesday evening at Cool Beans for a Bible study. I love what he taught them during one of the studies:

Andrew clears his throat. and I shake my head slightly, trying to pay attention. “In the last three weeks,” he starts, “we have covered faith, love, and peace. Tonight, we’re going to cover justice.”

I’m mentally reciting the Fruit of the Spirit, and I don’t remember justice being on that list.

“I hope you guys are catching on that this list, like most things related to God’s Word, is a direct reflection of God’s attributes. As Christians, we are to reflect the One who made us. Which is why qualities we need to possess are simply characteristics of God.” (pp. 148-149)

Maya has a quirky worldview, which I love. Here is her theory on footwear:

I’m wearing nice jeans and a button-down, western-style shirt with a blue cami underneath it. I look like I need cowboy boots with this outfit, but I’m wearing Crocs, entirely unstylish but incredibly comfy.

I love those shoes. I have this theory that the uglier the shoe, the more comfortable it is. Think about it. Crocs, UGGs, those black arthritic-looking shoes that you have to wear for restaurant jobs. All very comfortable and yet frightfully ugly. (pp. 216-217)

I happen to like the looks of Crocs; I totally agree they are very comfy!

Maya and Jack have to go through Pre-Marital Counseling with Andrew before their wedding.  I loved these words of wisdom Andrew shared:

…I’m thinking about what Andrew said in closing: “Just remember that the best example of love is always found in Jesus Christ. He said that there is no greater love than someone who lays down his life for a friend. And that, Jack and Maya, is what marriage is all about.”

For someone who isn’t married, Andrew sure has a lot of wisdom about it. And while I’m super excited to get married to Jack, I have to confess that I’m also a little scared. (p. 228)

Living in Metro Detroit, which is right across the Detroit River from Canada, I loved this passage – Maya is watching a Canadian gentleman remodel house on HGTV:

The Canadian guy has made this couple’s basement look like it belongs in a home decorating magazine. He’s telling the couple all about how this place is fully ready for a tenant.

And he says about like this: aboot.

It’s cute. Maybe I could learn to talk like a Canadian.

Jack shows up about fifteen minutes later. “Well, it’s aboot time,” I say, opening the door.

“What?”

Maybe I’ll just stick with the American pronunciation. (p. 241)

Although this book is written for a Young Adult audience, as someone who no longer fits into that category, I enjoyed it a lot (I am still young at heart!). This book is fun and light, while at the same time, sharing spiritual truths about God, marriage, and life in general. Erynn writes in a style that makes you take her characters to heart; you will instantly love them! This is the first book from this talented young author that I have read; it will not be my last! I recommend it to audiences of all ages.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by THINK/NavPress and generously provided by the author for review purposes.

‘The Fruitful Life: The Overflow of God’s Love Through You’ by Jerry Bridges – Book Review

It is pretty obvious that if we all lived with our lives being led by the Spirit, as exemplified by its fruit, this world would not only be a better place, but we’d be happier and more God-honoring people. In his book, ‘The Fruitful Life: The Overflow of God’s Love Through You,’ Jerry Bridges takes a deep look at the qualities written about by the apostle Paul in the fifth chapter of the Book of Galatians.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

How can we put on the garment of grace? As we become serious followers of Christ, we want to live loving, joyful, anxiety-free lives. Yet loving our enemies seems impossible. Even being patient with our family is often difficult. How can we put on the gentle garments of grace when we’re so busy battling our odd behavior patterns?

In The Fruitful Life, beloved author Jerry Bridges explores the nine aspects of the “fruit of the Spirit” described in Galatians 5: 22-23; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He clarifies the cultivation process by showing us how to practice the fruit in real life.

Bridges says these qualities of character can truly mark our lives if we devote ourselves to a twofold pursuit: God-centeredness and God-likeness. This book will guide you on that quest by focusing on God’s nature as revealed in Scripture and by helping you cultivate the beautiful fruit given by the Holy Spirit.

Here is the biography of this author:

Dr. Jerry Bridges is an author and conference speaker. His most popular book, The Pursuit of Holiness, has sold over one million copies. He is also the author of Transforming Grace and The Practice of Godliness (from which this book is derived). Jerry has been on the staff of The Navigators for over fifty years, and currently serves in the Collegiate Mission where he is involved primarily in staff development, but also serves as a speaker resource to the campus ministries. A popular speaker known around the world, Jerry lives with his wife, Jane, in Colorado Springs.

Here is Dr. Bridges discussing Godliness:

Dr. Bridges explains why he thinks it’s important to take a look at the fruit of the Spirit in our day:

We should also notice that the fruit of the Spirit is both formational and relational – not just a matter for private experience. For example, “joy” is more accurately “joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17), “peace” is the peace Christ gives us (see John 14:27), and “love comes from God” (1 John 4:7). Further, several of these character qualities have a definite outward focus toward other people. They require practice in the midst of the world. As Jonathan Edwards said, “All true Christian grace tends to holy practice.”

Another reason for revisiting the fruit of the Spirit is that I often hear a certain possessiveness today about “my spiritual gifts.” Certainly, we can be thankful that in the last generation there has been a thriving literature on spiritual gifts. But again, sometimes there is a self-focus for the gifts. We use “assessment instruments” to nail down what our gifts are and seek to use them in a way that can tend toward personal fulfillment. The danger is that the gifts of the Spirit will be separate from the fruit of the Spirit. This can lead to prideful ambition rather than humble, loving service. Sinclair B. Ferguson writes that the fruit of the Spirit “should be distinguished from the gifts of the Spirit, but ought never to be absent in their exercise. For without love, and the humility which accompanies it…the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit is thwarted.” (pp. 8-9)

It is important that Christians are strongly devoted to God:

        The attitude of devotion to God is composed of three essential elements:

·         The fear of God

·         The love of God

·         The desire for God

From this godward attitude arises the character and conduct that we usually think of as godliness. So often we try to develop Christian character and conduct without taking the time to develop God-centered devotion. We try to please God without taking the time to walk with Him and develop a relationship with Him. This is impossible to do. (p. 30)

I will focus here on a couple of the fruits of the Spirit that are most meaningful to me at this point in my life – Joy and Peace.

In the chapter on Joy, Dr. Bridges points out that we have to make a decision:

So the choice is ours. We can be joyless Christians, or we can be joyful Christians. We can go through life bored, glum, and complaining, or we can rejoice in the Lord, in our names being written in heaven, in the hope of an eternal inheritance. It is both our privilege and our duty to be joyful. To be joyless is to dishonor God and to deny His love and His control over our lives. It is practical atheism. To be joyful is to experience the power of the Holy Spirit within us and to say to a watching world, “Our God reigns.” (pp. 85-86)

Wow – that paragraph is really convicting to me. I spend, and have spent, more time than I like to think about (or admit) focusing on the negative. I failed to consider the fact that that grieves the heart of God…

In the chapter on peace, Dr. Bridges admits that his mindset is similar to that of many of us:

I doubt that any Christian is more vulnerable to worry and fretfulness than I am. I sympathize with others who are also prone to anxiety. I am well aware that it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can experience His peace. But God tells in His Word that His peace is available, and we must not be content until we experience it (see Philippians 4:7). We must persevere in prayer until He answers. (p. 94)

Working on our relationship with God will bring positive results:

The practice of developing our relationship with God should never be thought of as drudgery. We are seeking to grow in our devotion to the most wonderful Person in all of the universe, the infinite glorious and loving God. Nothing can compare with the privilege of knowing Him in whose presence is fullness of joy and in whose hand there are pleasures forever (see Psalm 16:11, NASB). From this joyful relationship flows the rich harvest of our transformed character. (p. 178)

Each chapter ends with ‘Exercises for Practice and Discussion.’ I think this is a very biblically sound book, and think it would be a wonderful tool for personal or group study. I appreciate Dr. Bridges’ heart and intellect, and thank him for putting it down in print for the rest of us.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by NavPress and provided by them for review purposes.

‘Intercessors Arise: Personal Prayer That Changes the World’ by Debbie Przybylski – Book Review

One of the most impactful and powerful actions that a Christian can take is to pray.  In ‘Intercessors Arise: Personal Prayer That Changes the World,’ Debbie Przybylski shares what she has learned in many decades of ministry.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

          When God’s Spirit Moves, Change Happens!

Prayer happens for many reasons, but no prayer is uttered by accident.  When we pray, individual lives change. Imagine watching whole neighborhoods affected, cities and nations touched by the power of prayer.

With the key concepts taught in Intercessors Arise, you’ll learn to release your potential in prayer through practical and personal application steps. Use it alone or with a group, and stand in the gap for a world in need of change.

Here is the biography of the author:

Debbie Przybylski is the founder and director of Intercessors Arise International, a part of the ministry of Elijah Company, Inc. Debbie’s passion is to see intercessors at work, stirring the nations and setting captives free through the world by the ministry of prayer. She believes that intercessors must be trained, encouraged, and released for the end-time harvest. She serves alongside her husband, Norman, at Elijah Company, Inc.

Debbie graduated with a diploma in Bible theology and a diploma in Christian education from Moody Bible Institute, and a master’s degree in missions with a certificate in counseling from Columbia International University. She and Norm have ministered in more than sixty countries.

With those credentials, I think Debbie can provide a lot of valuable insights on praying!  And indeed she does.

In the introduction, Debbie explains that some pray-ers are not necessarily born; they’re made:

Some people have said to me, “I don’t have the gift of intercession” and then have grown to be mighty prayer warriors. None of us is born a prayer hero. We become one through practice. Intercessory prayer is an extension of the ministry of Jesus through His church on earth. He works through the prayers of His people. Through intercession, we mediate between God and humans as His representatives on earth, standing between Him and a lost world.

God is calling the entire body of Christ to pray and to intercede. Jesus is our example as the greatest intercessor, and He invites us to join Him. This is both our responsibility and a wonderful privilege to partner with God as we pray. We bring people to God in prayer, asking Him to meet with them. With His authority, we enforce the victory of Calvary here on earth through our prayers. Now we must awaken to this glorious privilege.

If you want to grow in your personal prayer life and make an impact in your world through intercession, then this book is for you. God is calling each one of us to rise higher in prayer than ever before. It’s time for us to meet this challenge. It’s time to release God on earth through our prayers. I encourage you as you read this book to make a new commitment to steadfast, earnest prayer. (pp. 14-15)  

Mrs. Przybylski breaks the book down by categories: The Intercessors and Intimacy, The Intercessory and Faith, … and Character, … and Stillness, … and the Bible, … and Persistence, … and Purpose, … and Strongholds, … and Forgiveness, … and Revival, and finally, … and the World.

In the chapter on Intimacy, Debbie brought up a saint whom God has brought to my attention twice in the past month (in book form in Greg Boyd’s ‘Present Perfect’ – you can read my review here) – and that gentleman is Brother Lawrence, who was a humble cook in a seventeenth-century French monastery. He wanted to be present with God every moment of every day. Debbie explains his mindset this way:

Following Brother Lawrence’s example, let’s realize that worship should not be so much an event as a perpetual attitude. (p. 19)

Debbie suggests we use Breath Prayers:

Pray a brief phrase to Jesus throughout the day that you can repeat in one breath. You may want to pray phrases such as, “You can help me,” “You’ll promise to never leave me,” “I can do all things through Christ,” “Your joy is my strength,” “I love You,” and “Help me trust You.” Breath prayers, unlike regular prayers, are short with just a few words that you can quickly pray to God at any time. They will keep you more conscious of your relationship with God on a moment-by-moment basis. You become more aware that He is with you through all the joys and sorrows of daily life. You realize in a deeper dimension His companionship. As time goes on, it becomes a natural practice in your everyday life, and you realize afresh that Jesus really is your best friend. (p. 19)

I really love that suggestion! It is easy to remember to do it, and it keeps you aware of God at all times.  We need all the help we can get in this distraction-filled world.

Knowing the character of God helps us to be more intimate with Him:

When you and I know the emotions and feelings in God’s heart, we can better obey Him. We can walk obediently in His Word and live radically for Him because His love sustains us. We are able to obey God in the long term when we are linked to His power rather than our own weakness. We can live joyfully because we are living in a whole new realm. Psalm 16:11 says, “You will fill me with joy in your presence.” (p. 22)

In the chapter on ‘The Intercessor and Faith,’ Debbie points out that we need to be patient with God:

Jesus used delay in the interest of the greater good. Look at the story of the death of Lazarus (see John 11:1-44). The faith of Mary and Martha was tested. Jesus waited; Lazarus died. This was a seemingly impossible situation. What is more hopeless than death – not only physical death but death of all dreams, plans, and hopes? If God delays in answering your prayer, wait for Him. Waiting is not being lazy or going to sleep. It is not giving up. Rather, it is activity under command – being ready for when the command comes, and doing nothing until it comes. In His own good timing, God will give the command and break through all the obstacles. He will come and will not be late. (p. 34)

In the chapter on Character, Debbie answers some important questions:

How can we grow in godly character? How can the words we say and the way we live demonstrate holiness and humility? How does our character affect the way we pray? When we discover the beauty of humility and brokenness and learn how our tongue can bring grace into the lives of others, we also discover joy in the secret place that breaks through into fruitful and effective prayer. (p. 49)

She also says that we can live joyfully, regardless of our circumstances:

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It is not something we can create ourselves – it comes from God. It’s supernatural and persists in a deep, abiding way, even when we are in the midst of hardship. Joy is not the absence of pain or difficult circumstances. What could be harder than a Roman prison? But rejoicing always is learning to let God’s Spirit fill you with His unquenchable joy, regardless of your circumstances. If you’re joyful, your life becomes a testimony of Christ’s light for a world looking desperately for hope. (p. 59)

In the chapter on Stillness, Debbie makes a good point about waiting:

How many of us rush around without knowing the secret of waiting on God? In order to move with His direction, we must learn this secret. How much time do we waste when we go down the wrong road? In waiting, we will live an overcoming life as we wait to walk in God’s joy, peace, and contentment. When we wait, He will give us His secrets to kingdom living. By waiting for God’s wisdom and direction, we will accomplish the most for Him.

So we regard waiting as a burden? Perhaps. We should see it instead as a place of joy. When we wait, God tells us His secrets; He gives us our assignments. God wants us to walk in the Spirit, not in our fleshly nature. He is looking for those who can wait and let the flesh die so that the spirit can truly live for His purposes. Waiting on God in prayer brings forth His maximum purposes:

          Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

                   my hope comes from Him. (Psalm 62:5)  (p. 69)

I really appreciate her perspective on some consider as a waste of time – spending time with God:

The busyness of everyday life takes a huge amount of energy. Even a normal routine can be quite taxing. But why not add something to your schedule that will actually reenergize your life and lead you into a deeper dimension with God? If you integrate this into your life, it will be one of the greatest blessings you can possibly imagine. It’s simple, and it doesn’t cost anything expect your time. And your time will actually increase as your learn to listen to God in this special way because you will eliminate unnecessary things from your schedule.             

What am I talking about?

The blessing I am describing is calling soaking in God’s presence. The word soak means to drench, to wet thoroughly, to enter into the pores, and to be steeped in a fluid. Soaking in God’s presence is drenching ourselves with God, being with Him, letting Him enter our entire life, and saturating ourselves with His presence through stillness, rest, and worship. A wonderful transformation occurs as we do this. (p. 75)

In the chapter on Persistence, Debbie offers a list of Results of Burden-Bearing Intercession (p. 106):

·         You die to yourself faster.

·         You love God more and more in intimacy.

·         Your Bible comes alive.

·         You experience personal repentance.

·         Your conscience becomes more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

Another valuable list – guidelines to help hear God’s voice as you seek Him in prayer (pp. 125-126):

·         Bathe your life in prayer.

·         Believe that God does speak to you.

·         Find time to be alone with God.

·         Keep a journal of what God says.

·         Test what you hear.

·         Carefully check all guidance with Scripture.

·         Obey God.

In summation, Debbie explains the importance of prayer in our lives:

Each of us needs the personal touch of Jesus that we receive through prayer. Personal prayer is a powerful way to effectively help one another. A single prayer uttered by the anointing and direction of the Holy Spirit can actually change the course of people’s lives. Let us, therefore, be ever ready to pray for others. In traveling to different nations, praying for and with many people for their burdens and concerns, I’m convinced that personal prayer brings victory to the lives of others and carries great eternal reward. Let us neither forget nor neglect this simple ministry by which the Lord changes lives from distress to joy. (p. 181)

This book is terrific for individual study and reflection or group study. Each chapter ends with a ‘Personal Application’ page which includes individual application, help for others, plus ‘My Prayer to God.’ All of us, no matter where we are on our faith journey, can improve in our prayer life. I appreciate Debbie taking the time to write this useful tool, and I intend to return to it again and again.

You can order this book here.

This book was provided by NavPress for review purposes.