Colossians by Joyce Meyer

Colossians by Joyce Meyer ISBN-13: 9781546026143 Hardcover: 208 pages Publisher: FaithWords Released: March 31st 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Let the wisdom of Colossians transform relationships in every area of your life -- home, church, and even the world -- with this study guide from renowned Bible teacher Joyce Meyer. Paul's letter to the Colossians reminds us that as we have died with Christ, so, too, do we need to die to our sins. It encourages us that because we have also been raised in Him, we must submit to Jesus and adopt qualities motivated by Christian love.


My Review:
Colossians is a Bible commentary on Colossians that can be used for personal Bible study or even as a devotional. The author provided the Bible verses in the book (often using an amplified version). She covered several verses at a time and worked her way through Colossians. She talked about each group of verses and brought out insights to improve our understanding. She stayed focused on the verses rather than telling funny stories, but it wasn't highly academic or difficult to follow. It's written at a layman's level and contained short enough sections that it could be used for daily devotional reading. She included questions for personal reflection along with space to write in your answer. Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to better understand Colossians.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

That Way and No Other by Amy Carmichael

That Way and No Other by Amy Carmichael ISBN-13: 9780874863031 Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: Plough Publishing House Released: March 3rd 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Amy Carmichael left everything to become a missionary in India. But then seven-year-old Preena, fleeing sexual slavery, threw herself on the newcomer's protection. Could Carmichael relinquish a religious vocation to become a "nursemaid"? A picture of Jesus washing his disciples' feet came to her mind, and "the question answered itself and was not asked again." Joined by a growing team of Indian women, Carmichael founded Dohnavur, a community of households that has provided family for hundreds of girls who might otherwise have been sold into prostitution.

The practical wisdom in these selections were taken from her many books.


My Review:
That Way and No Other talked about Amy Carmichael's work and what she felt it meant to be a fully devoted disciple of Jesus. The first quarter of the book was descriptions of Amy Carmichael's life provided by others to give context to Amy's writings. They talked about her work in India rescuing young children from sexual abuse in Hindu temples. The rest of the book was written by Amy Carmichael. She sometimes talked about things occurring with the children (how she learned about the abuse, rescuing a child, raising the children), but they were more tidbits than full stories. Since this is a collection, the book didn't have a tied-together feel. She mostly talked about topics like praying. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in Amy Carmichael's work and thoughts.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

A Journey to Victorious Praying by Bill Thrasher

A Journey to Victorious Praying by Bill Thrasher ISBN-13: 9780802415639 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Moody Publishers Released: June 6th 2017

Source: review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It’s something many Christians can relate to: the desire to pray but the failure to execute. A Journey to Victorious Praying will tell readers why this is—and how to move past it. Addressing common misconceptions about prayer, then offering biblical truths and practices instead, Bill Thrasher teaches readers how to honestly share their desires with God, turn temptations into victorious prayers, experience the Spirit’s motivation in prayer, get help when they don’t know how to pray, implement fasting into their prayer life, move from anxiety to peace, and more.

Filled with practical insight and pastoral warmth, this book will give readers renewed enthusiasm for embarking on the essential journey of prayer. And its brief chapters, organized around various themes, make it perfect for quick reference, as does the appendix with tips for stimulating prayer.


My Review:
A Journey to Victorious Praying talked about various aspects of praying. Each chapter was about 4-8 pages long, and there were 30 chapters. This book would work well as a daily devotional as each chapter leaves you with something to think about throughout the day. The author talked about things like praying Scripture, gaining strength through prayer, the benefits of fasting and how to do it, and transforming your anxiety into peace. The author was easy to understand, his points were biblically-based, and his tone was encouraging. Each chapter left me wanting to pray rather than feeling that prayer was too difficult to get right. He also told stories about praying people in the past and present to help illustrate a point or encourage the reader. At the end of the book, there were journal writing prompts, some verse references for prayers from the Bible on various topics, and ideas to stimulate prayer. Overall, I'd highly recommend this encouraging and useful book.

"What is prayer? O. Hallesby, one of Norway's leading Christian teachers, said that prayer is an attitude of our hearts towards God. It is an attitude of helplessness. This attitude of helplessness is not meant to drive you to anxiety but rather to drive you to God. In other words, prayer is helplessness plus faith. We may stumble over this until we realize that faith is simply coming to Christ with our helplessness. When we petition God in prayer, we come to Christ and tell him what we and those for whom we pray are lacking. It is opening up our needy lives to him." From page 25.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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