Tag: Christian faith

A Praying Life: Practical Suggestions for a Vibrant Prayer Life

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A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul E. Miller

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

I think it is the rare Christian who can say they honestly believe they pray enough. As my pastor often likes to put it, “God is more ready for us to come to Him than we are to go to Him.” Let’s admit it: Prayer is difficult, at least for most of us. Many Christians don’t have an ongoing, consistent habit, routine, or systematic approach to prayer. They may not know how to integrate prayer into their daily life in a natural way. We fall into formulaic praying that lacks sincerity, wondering if we are really connecting with God, and feel guilty when we find ourselves repeatedly distracted and falling short of some externally imposed standard. We find ourselves thinking more about what to say and maybe how to say it than we do about Who we are talking to. At least, this has been my experience.

As a result of his personal journey towards learning how to pray, Paul Miller’s notes were first turned into a sermon series, then developed into a seminar on prayer, which then evolved into his A Praying Life ministry. His wife and some colleagues then encouraged him to write his book, A Praying Life. In the book, Miller begins with a look at why praying is so hard. Here are some observations he makes:

Continue reading “A Praying Life: Practical Suggestions for a Vibrant Prayer Life” →

Dear Jesus, Please come into my heart. Again.

~ I'mAllBooked

StopAskingJesusIntoYourHeart_Chosen.inddStop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved by J. D. Greear

“My spiritual life was characterized by cycles of doubt, aisle-walking, and submersion in water. I could not find the assurance of salvation no matter how often, or how sincerely, I asked Jesus into my heart…I used to think I was alone in this struggle, but as I’ve shared my story…I’ve concluded this problem is epidemic in the church.”


This book was published just a little over a year ago, and when I first heard the title it really intrigued me, and I immediately added it to my list of books to read. I grew up in a Christian home and was raised in a Baptist church. I was taught that a person became a Christian by praying the “Sinner’s Prayer” and asking Jesus to come into his heart. My mom lead me to do this when, at the age of six or seven, I had enough of an understanding about sin and hell to know that because of my disobedience to my parents (and to God) I deserved to go to hell and asked her what I should do. When I got older, I can recall a couple of other occasions in public meetings raising my hand or standing to express my desire to rededicate my life to the Lord (not to mention times when I did it silently). Continue reading “Dear Jesus, Please come into my heart. Again.” →