Prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian faith–but many followers of Jesus still struggle to make prayer part of their daily lives. In Pray First, bestselling author and pastor Chris Hodges shows us how to make prayer a first response instead of a last resort.
Why is it that so many Christians find it difficult to develop a vibrant and exciting prayer life? Even though prayer is foundational to the Christian life, many are intimidated or uncertain about how to talk to God. Prayer feels quaint and old-fashioned to some, sacred and uncomfortable to others. It’s not a lack of inspiration–there’s plenty of that. And it’s not that we don’t realize prayer is important–we know it is. So, what’s the issue?
We sometimes expect that prayer comes naturally to Christians, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Even when a believer feels comfortable praying, it doesn’t mean that their prayer style will lead them to a deep and fulfilling relationship with God. Author Chris Hodges’s Pray First outlines the ‘transformative power of a life built on prayer’.
When I first read the title “Pray First”, I made an assumption that the book would be a quick, easy, and fluffy read. I quickly learned it is anything but! Instead, Pray First is 272 pages packed with insight, guidance, and many examples that serve as food for thought as the reader determines what approaches might work best for their own prayer journey.
The book is broken into three sections that include an extensive foundation of prayer, several prayer models, and how and why prayer and fasting work together. As someone who isn’t accustomed to sacrificial fasting, I appreciated the comprehensive segment about fasting and why fasting is an important part of praying – whether the fast is from food or another sacrificial aspect, such as social media.
Pastor Hodges has an impressive following at his church and it’s easy to see why after reading Pray First. He has an engaging style and is clearly enthusiastic about prayer, as evidenced by the incredible foundation of prayer he’s established in his church community. Although I had a couple of differences of opinion, I was still impressed with and inspired by this book as a whole. Anyone who’s looking to amp up their prayer life will certainly benefit from reading this book.
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The book reviews at Finding God Among Us focus on Christian books – adult and children, fiction and nonfiction. Our specialties are books on faith and new Christian book releases. We’re proud to be included in the Top Christian Book Review Bloggers. I chose to read this book with no obligation for a review.
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