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How Strong Women Pray

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New Habits in the New YearWith each new beginning, be it the new school year when I have another chance to create a system that works for me, or the flip of the calendar, my spiritual life is always a key area of scrutiny. How can I improve? How can I get closer to God? How will I be able to do that?

In How Strong Women Pray Bonnie St. John (former paraolympic medalist, White House staffer, and Rhodes Scholar) tackles the issue of prayer–one area in which I always feel that I am lacking. She clearly explains why we often stumble through our prayer lives (p. xiii):

Conversations about prayer are rare. People can go to church together every day and never talk about how they pray. Husbands and wives can pray separately for a lifetime and never share the experience. Even in a prayer group, most people talk about what they are praying about, not how they actually pray.

In the pages of this book St. John shares her own story–personal and professional successes and failures, the hurt of abuse, and her spiritual journey. She also lets 25 women share how prayer has impacted their lives, but more than that, they simplify and demystify the experience by sharing how they pray. I enjoyed reading her story and the profiles of the other strong women who acknowledge the importance of prayer.  I found this book practically helpful in the area of prayer, encouraging, funny, touching and inspiring. Here are some examples from a few of the women profiled:

“I always feel that I should have a regular prayer routine, but I don’t. I usually talk to God about three times a day.” Heather Whitestone McCallum, former Miss America

Olympic medalist Vonetta Flowers: Today my husband and I get up before the kids and pray before the day gets started. I go downstairs in the basement and sit on apray.jpg comfortable couch with my eyes open.

Amy Domini, CEO of a company which uses investments to build a better world says, “I always pray last thing before I go to sleep. Sometimes I get on my knees. Mostly, I don’t.”

Marilyn McCoo, speaking of her marriage, shares “The Lord gave me the patience. Before I was praying, I tried to handle it all through arguing. Prayer worked much better than arguing. It helped me tremendously. I learned not to take matters in my own hands.”

There are discussion questions included, which would make this book perfect for a book club or small group Bible study.

If you’d like to win a copy, please leave a comment on this post, and check out the New Habits in the New Year guidelines at this main post.

Come back on January 9 to see if you have won. Please be sure that the email address that you enter with is one that you check regularly, and also check your spam folder when the winners are announced if you see your name.


Thank you for all your great comments on your favorite reads of 2007. I really enjoyed reading them. The winner of one (or more) surprise books from my stash is Melissa Markham. You should have an email from me requesting your address.


Comments

  1. I can relate to a few of the stories from the women. This sounds like a great read for our womens group. I would love to view it and get better insight of how and when women chose to pray in any circumstance.

  2. I WANT TO MAINTAIN MY FAMILY HAPPY MY EXAM WAS STARTED IN 5 MARCH I WANT FIRST RANK PLS PRAY FOR ME TO HELP MY FAMILY AND ALL WHAT THING I LOST I WANT TO GET ITPLEASE PRAY FOR ME.

  6. It’s so funny that one of the celebrities who comments on this book, sings one of my favorite Christian Songs, “The Me Nobody Knows” by Marilyn McCoo, if she recommends this book, I definitely want to read it even more now!

  8. Would be a great book, I know some people who need this book, actually everyone could use it.

  13. This is a wonderful subject to be thinking about and to be handing out a prize such as this is great. Thanks for the opportunity.

  29. The Power of Prayer.. strong, God loving, prayer warriors. We all need to be one. I need to read this book.

  30. Prayer seems like it should be easy, but often times is not. this book would be beneficial.

  35. Improving my prayer life is one of my Goals for 2008. I’m in search of some stable advice on ways to strengthen that area of my life, and this book sounds like a great place to start!

  42. Being a mom is the most important job on the planet and I couldnt make it through the day without the power of prayer. Please enter me in this drawing.

  47. Prayer is an important part of my daily life. Prayer is for the strong, the weak, and all those between the two.

  64. I won’t go into all of the personal details, but the members of my family would certainly benefit from sharing this book. Thank you for this giveaway. Please enter me to win!

  76. Prayer is a big part of most people’s lives, especially women. I personally think everyone should get back to god.

  87. What a great way to get the new year started. Count me in, and thanks for the offer!

  98. This is the year I’m going to God. This would be great to win to help me on my way.

    Thanks for contest…Good Luck all you moms out there!!

  113. Prayer is very positive and it does work. I pray that I win this book. I never tire reading, learning more about the power of prayer. Praise God!

  158. Hmmm – would love to check out this book – I like the way you put it – that “we often stumble through our prayer lives”. It would be wonderful to grow more graceful in prayer.

  172. I would love to win this book I am just now starting to have a strong relationship with God and I think this book would help me.

  173. I would love to give this to my future daughter-in-law. I know have difficult keeping a marriage together these days are, so I would like her to know that she can do all things through prayer.

  183. I have already commited to engaging in bible study and I think this book about prayer woud help me in my spiritual quest

  197. Add me! I would love to have this on my “spiritual retreat” to cancun at the end of the month.

  209. I would love to win this. I have been going through a lot and my faith has been tested. This would be excellent!!

  210. Awesome!!! Just what I need right now – I know for sure I am feeling God’s pull to deepen my spiritual life. Thanks for the wonderful recommendation!

  216. I would love to win this book! One of my New Year’s resolutions is to deepen my spiritual walk with the Lord by quiet time, prayer & Scripture Memorization, this would really be helpful! Thanks.

  231. Just today in the car I was thinking how I need to be praying more and how that will look in my life. This would be a great booster book.

  237. I just got baptized 2 months ago. I would love to win this book. I need all of the help I can get.

  241. I would like to win this book. I know since I’ve had surgery and met so many nice authors who have prayed with me and encouraged me when no one at my church even asks how I am doing, it has been such a blessing. I am even a leader in the church.
    Yet it has been authors who have been there while I have been shut in to encourage and uplift me and pray with me. God Bless them all.

  254. I pray each day…usually by the time my feet touch the floor I have ask for protection over our family and friends all over the globe and from there the conversation continues throughout the day. I would love to pray more mindfully, more earnestly…to slow down and really focus on the power I am addressing.

  259. Prayer is a part of my life but I would like to find a way to incorporate it more into my overall lifestyle. This book sounds like it could do that for the lucky winner

  260. I re-learned prayer when I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. While I have made the leap to faith – I still need a lot of fine tuning.

  271. Prayer is a daily part of my life. It’s awesome to see God move as a result of prayer. I’m a firm believer in prayer.

  286. I would love to win this for my mom who is having a tough time but keeps going each day with her faith. 😉 Thanks and Happy 2008!!

  297. One of my resolutions this year is to nuture my relationship with God so I would LOVE to have this awesome spiritual tool to help me on my way! Thanks for the chance to win this!

  310. This sounds like a great book! I love to hear about others’ experiences, and could certainly use some practical advice. Please enter me!

  314. With so many struggles I’ve had over the years, I would love to learn how to pray more. Thanks for a great giveaway.

  330. It is so easy to begin each new day with the intention to stop, get quiet and listen for Him to speak, but so often for me, I get whisked away by the hustle and bustle of my 4 children, each going in a different direction. I believe this book would be a huge asset to my mornings in helping me re-construct and make a priority, beginning and ending each day in communion with my Creator.
    Thank you for the opportunity to win! 🙂

  331. My spitual and prayer life has been much in my thoughts lately because I hear so many people talk about their wonderful relationship with God, and while I do pray, I don’t feel I have that, so I would love to read these stories of how women developed their prayer lives. I need ispiration.

  339. Prayer is something I need to incorporate in my life. I would really use this prize.

  348. I love the title of the book! Our family has discovered that no day is complete if it doesn’t begin and end in prayer. We have also discovered how fun it is to listen to each other pray – we all have a different approach, and you can always hear our personal concerns come out when we have family prayer. As a final note…you find it a lot harder to stay grumpy with someone you’ve just knelt in prayer with! (a big plus when you have so many siblings!)

  351. Sounds like a powerful book. My prayer-life need this book! I know I am lacking in powerful prayer! The fact that it has a study guide/question is super. Please put me in the drawing for you book giveaway.
    Thanks so much, Cindi

  354. Prayer is an area I definitely want to focus on and improve this year. I’ve read several books on it, but this one sounds like it has the perspective I can relate to and benefit from. Thanks!

Trackbacks

  2. […] for the year? We are giving away a copy of The Ultimate Tea Diet. Our seventh giveaway is the book How Strong Women Pray. Our eighth post offers some parenting encouragement and a change to win a copy of Parenting Power […]

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