Over the past decade, I have watched the genre of books available for prayer leaders expand from a few to dozens and dozens. There are so many resources available today for prayer leaders that the question becomes:
Which ones do I purchase first?
Let me review what the Church Prayer Leaders Network recommends in a few key areas. This list is not to say that other books are not good, but it is simply the ones that we find the
best for those seeking to grow more interest in prayer in the local church.
(All are available at www.prayershop.org
where you receive a special discount as a CPLN member.)
Resources
on Prayer in the Local Church
The Prayer Saturated Church by Cheryl Sacks is by far the most thorough
and most practical on growing a deeper level of prayer in the local church. If a prayer leader can only purchase one
resource, this is it.
My House Shall Be a House of Prayer, compiled by Jonathan Graf and Lani
Hinkle. This product offers very practical help for church leaders trying to
simply grasp what it means to be a praying church. It then offers suggestions
on developing five key areas of prayer.
On Corporate Prayer
Fresh Encounters by Daniel Henderson and Margaret Sayer provides
encouragement, challenge and practical ideas on developing a dynamic corporate
prayer meeting that focuses on Jesus Christ rather than the fix-it needs of the
congregation.
And the Place Was Shaken by John Franklin provides insight and practical
ideas for someone learning to lead a corporate prayer meeting. Everyone who is
in charge of a prayer meeting needs to have this book.
For Small Group Prayer
Together in Prayer by Andrew Wheeler is the only book available in this
area. A prayer leader at Willow Creek-McHenry, Wheeler offers very thorough
advice and ideas on moving prayer in the small group from being dull and weak
to more dynamic and kingdom focused.
Bible Studies to Disciple in Prayer
Power Praying by David Chotka is a new release that is a book and workbook
combined. It can be read by an individual or used in a small group/Sunday
school setting. It is a very unique treatment of the Lord’s Prayer that will
leave the user challenged to be more kingdom minded and bold in his or her
prayers.
Teach Us to Pray by Fred Hartley is a 13-week, fill-in-the-blank Bible
study that focuses on the prayer life of Jesus. It has an excellent three-week
study of the Holy Spirit’s role in prayer and how we work with Him as we pray.
Devotional
Love to Pray by Alvin VanderGriend is bar non, the best book on prayer
that can get an individual, a congregation or small group more fired up to
pray. Its 40 days of content, set 5 days a week for 8 weeks, will give users a
complete theology of prayer and take them deeper than they have ever been.
There is a teaching DVD available and materials to turn this into an
entire-church 40 day initiative. There is also an 8-week curriculum for
children available (Kids, Love to Pray, Too by Kathleen Trock) and a
children’s version of the devotional, I Love to Pray.
Personal Prayer Life
The Power of Personal Prayer by Jonathan Graf is an easy-to-read,
thorough treatment of prayer. Its 17 chapters cover basics like where to pray,
how to pray, and who do we pray to, then the types of prayer, and finally a
taking it deeper section that includes things like kingdom prayer, hindrances
to prayer, faith, praying scripture and perseverance to name a few topics.
Men and Prayer
Prayer Coach by Jim Nicodem is the best on the market. Written in a
humorous style with sports and personal family illustrations that men can
relate to, this book will get men over the hump of prayerlessness into trying
to connect with God more regularly.
Children and Prayer
Prayer Saturated Kids by Cheryl Sacks and Arlyn Lawrence offers challenge
and encouragement that children can become powerful prayer warriors in your
church.
Prayer Rooms
Making Room to Pray by Terry Teykl offers practical insight into
developing and maintaining an inviting prayer room at your church.
Creative Prayer Stations by Stephen Trine, offers practical suggestions
and content that will allow the user to develop more than 20 prayer stations in
their church or prayer room. It can be used to develop a prayer room with
rotating stations or to set up a week of prayer using your entire church
facility by putting prayer stations around the building.
Red Moon Rising by Peter Grieg tells the story of the modern 24/7 prayer room movement. It is full of tremendous testimonies of transformation that came out of prayers offered in prayer room settings . . .
and on taking the prayer room to the streets.
Prayer Events
A Year of Prayer Events for Your Church by Sandra Higley offers 15
suggestions for possible prayer events to hold in your church. Enough detail is
given to allow even the most creatively challenged prayer leader to shine in
developing these events.
Training Prayer Teams
Praying Grace by Terry Teykl is a training manual for altar prayer
ministry teams. It offers practical advice on everything from questions to ask
before you pray, listening to the voice of the Spirit as you prayer and “use a
breath mint before ministry.”
Upfront by Dave Buts is a DVD presentation to train people to pray with
others in the worship service.
Prayer for Pastors
Giving Ourselves to Prayer, compiled by Dan Crawford has 80 chapters,
each written by a different professor, prayer leader or pastor, covering four
key areas of prayer: The Theology of Prayer, The Personal Prayer Life of the
Pastor, The Corporate Expression of Prayer and The Global Impact of Prayer.
Preyed On or Prayed For by Terry Teykl. This is an excellent resource to challenge people to pray regularly for their pastors.
All of these books are available at discounts to CPLN members at www.prayershop.org.
Jonathan Graf is the director of the Church Prayer Leaders Network and the founding editor of Pray! magazine.
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