Book Review: Before Amen by Max Lucado

Do you consider yourselves prayer wimps or prayer warriors :)? Max Lucado, a recovering prayer wimp (his own admission) shares how we can overcome our struggle with prayer and delight in a heartfelt conversation with our Father, instead. Prayer does not have to be complicated. God loves us His children and wants to have a relationship with us. We can experience a deep, personal, intimate connection with our Heavenly Daddy. A simple prayer will do. The author proposes a pocket prayer: "Father, You are good. I need help. Heal me and forgive me. They need help. Thank You. In Jesus' name, amen." It's not meant to be a formula but rather a guideline. Prayer is not about words but rather the attitude of the heart and the condition of the soul that linger at Jesus' feet, enjoying His presence. Prayer is pouring our heart out to God, our Father, in love, in faith, in humble submission, and in gratitude. God wants us to come to Him with a broken & contrite heart; He will adjust our will and desires to line up with His. I've always enjoyed Max Lucado's writings. This book did not disappoint me. In this book, I find many insightful words worthy of quoting. I highly recommend this easy, enjoyable, & encouraging read!

"We speak. He listens. He speaks. We listen. This is prayer in its purest form. God changes His people through such moments." (p. 11)
"Just as a happy child cannot mis-hug, the sincere heart cannot mis-pray. Heaven knows, life has enough burdens without the burden of praying correctly. If prayer depends on how I pray, I'm sunk. But if the power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer, and if the One who hears the prayer is my Daddy, then I have hope." (p. 26)
"Resist the urge to reclaim the problem once you've given it up." (p. 54)
"If Jesus heals you instantly, praise Him. If you are still waiting for healing, trust Him. Your suffering is your sermon." (p. 68)
"His ultimate will is inflexible, but the implementation of His will is not. He does not change in His character and purpose, but He does alter His strategy because of the appeals of His children. We do not change His intention, but we can influence His actions." (p. 94)

~I received an advance reader's copy of this book free via Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. You can read more reviews of this book here.

Be sure to enter the Before Amen iPad Mini giveaway. AND if you pre-order a copy of Before Amen by 9/29, you'll receive a FREE ebook copy of Max’s best-selling Second Chances: More Stories of Grace.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• Before Amen by Max Lucado

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 29th. Winner will be announced September 30th on the Litfuse blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit the Litfuse blog on the 30th to see if you won! (Or better yet, subscribe to their blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)