Why We Need to Pray FIRST…
Friends!!! How would you rate your prayer life? Full and vibrant, or needing a bit of a boost or a pick-me-up?
Yes, well look no further, I’ve got just the book for you—Checkout the cover…
Notice the words that are crossed out on the cover:
Worry
Cry
Argue
Fight
Do any of these thorns creep their way into your daily life? Chris will help us tackle these “activities” and more…
First, let’s look at three of the eight endorsements for this book (Note these endorsers are all men, showing us this book appeals to men and women.) :
Louie Giglio, Senior Pastor of Passion City Church and author of Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table says, “Pray First isn’t just another book release, it’s a lifestyle Pastor Chris models consistently…Get ready to have your entire life revolutionized as you begin to pray first!”
Dr. Dharius Daniels, author of Relational Intelligence, and lead pastor of Change Church says, “I’ve heard it said, ‘When we work, we work, but when we pray, God works.’…Pastor Chris guides us in taking steps to put prayer in its proper place: a first response and not a last resort.”
Chris Tomlin, artist, songwriter, and author, says, “Pray First has given me a renewed heart and vision for my relationship with prayer and, ultimately, with God…This book is the North Star pointing us and guiding us to a fulfilled life of prayer.”
I was blessed to hear Chris Hodges speak at Lysa TerKeurst’s “She Speaks Conference” in Charlotte, NC a few years ago. He did a great job, encouraging us in a thousand ways. Just as with his writing, his speaking/preaching is easy to understand, very real, and easy to remember, so when I learned he had this new book coming out, I quickly ordered it.
It was also fun to learn that one of his children is married to one of Lysa TerKeurst’s children. My good buddy, Liz Curtis Higgs, was another one of the keynote speakers at the conference. That night, John joined me to hear Liz plus Elevation led us in worship. They were awesome and we had no idea then how popular they’d become. The connections were plentiful!
Another friend had earlier suggested we listen to Chris preach at his church in Birmingham, AL, Church of the Highlands. Chris is the founding and senior pastor, launching campuses all across the state of Alabama, growing it to more than 60,000 people attending weekly. Here’s the website so you can check him out if you like:
So back to the book…It’s divided into three parts with a total of seventeen chapters:
Part 1 is Learning About Prayer, where Chris says, “Prayer is easier than you think and more important than you realize.” He teaches us how to make prayer a lifestyle.
Several parts in the book will make you laugh out loud. My friend and mentor, Jane Chilton, says her son often teases her about praying a “pastoral prayer,” as in a wee bit too lengthy. Chris says, “Don’t assume that God rewards you by your word count!” LOL…
Chapter 4 includes “Praying the Promises: Scriptural Prayer”. These are promises straight out of the Bible. Chris shows us how to pray these promises over our lives. Also, don’t miss how to better envision praying to the Trinity in Chapter 5. It’s eye-opening.
Look at this quote to give you an idea of what we readers learn in Chapter 5:
Part 2: Prayer Models and How to Use Them is my favorite part as Chris walks us thru’ various methods on praying. The take-home value is huge.
We get to learn about how to outline, for example, the 23rd psalm. Moses’ prayer is next. (This was new to me.) Then comes the prayer of Jabez followed by the prayer of the sheep. What? Don’t miss this! Fabulous ideas on the names of God are also included.
My favorite chapter in this section is Chapter 11 on The Prayers for Warfare. Read this from Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932, Wesleyan Methodist Minister):
“Satan laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”
Well, that will surely make us want to pray more, right? Soon after that quote, Chris reminds us, “You’ll recall that prayer is not only communion with God—it is confrontation with the enemy….Confronting him and accessing God’s power to overcome the devil must be foundational to your prayer times.”
Part 3 is Prayer and Fasting. This part has loads of useful ideas. Chapter 16 includes 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Chris doesn’t get specific in how to fast or how he fasts, he pretty much leaves it up to us. This chapter includes 3 weeks of each day’s focus, a Scripture and a short idea to try. Chris said his church does this in January and in August. (This is truly an idea to consider!)
Finally, don’t miss Chapter 17 which is called Creating the Prayer Shield. Chris opens the chapter with a quote from John Bunyan:
Early into the chapter, we’re reminded of Psalm 3:3,
I believe you can tell how resourceful this book is from the few tidbits I’ve shared. If you’re wanting to change your prayer life, this book will help you do just that.
I for one feel like sometimes I pray the same ole’ thing and am sure the Lord is going, “I know, I know, I know…” because He knows what we’re about to say anyway, right? Why not mix it up a little and try these ideas? The Lord will appreciate our efforts, especially when we pray His Word right back to Him. (The section on the promises of God are a perfect example of this.)
Remember the Life cereal commercials? “Try it, you’ll like it!” This book’s prayer suggestions could be a fun and new summer activity for you. (And maybe a gift for a friend?!)
So, RUN, DON’T WALK, to your nearest bookstore and grab Pray First: The Transformative Power of a Life Built on Prayer. You’ll be so glad you did.
‘Til next time!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.”