Over the years, I have tried many, many resources on prayer and Bible study. In fact, when I owned a Christian book store I was constantly asked for help in identifying books for my customers that would help in their prayer and Bible study time. Many of my customers were diligent in reading their bible and praying, but they sometimes needed a little different perspective. Sometimes they needed to hear someone else’s ideas on a particular Bible passage that they were having trouble understanding. Sometimes they were stuck praying for the same things over and over and needed words from someone else. That can be good sometimes, you know?
I put together a list of the resources I go back to over and over in my prayer and Bible study time.. My copies of these books are dog-eared and have broken spines from being used almost everyday for YEARS. If you are looking for supplemental materials to help you in your walk with Christ, might I suggest looking at a few of these? Clicking on the pictures below will take you to my Amazon affiliate page.
The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: I know I’ve discussed this one before. But why move on when this book is still so helpful? In her “Power of a Praying” series, Omartian gives you roughly 30 days of scripture-based prayers addressing various aspects of your husband’s life. She helps you pray for his work, his fears, his integrity, his insecurities, his choices, his health, etc. She gives scripture for each prayer so that when you pray, you can pray boldly, knowing you are asking God for what He wants to give.
The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian: This one is from the same series as the one above, except that it addresses issues affecting your children. She covers releasing your child into God’s hands, maintaining good family relationships, attracting Godly friends and role models, following truth and rejecting lies, praying through a child’s room, and much more. There are so many ideas in her books that I don’t think to pray over on my own. It’s good to have a reminder to pray for the things I don’t think of.
Lutheran Book of Prayer by J.W. Acker: This prayer book is more general, guiding Christians in praying for our nation, the church, our pastor, those who are sick, etc. It also gives prayers for holidays and morning and evening prayers for each day of the week.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: I first started using this volume when I carried it in my book store. Once I discovered the wealth of information in this book, I have used it ever since. This reference book leads you to every scripture passage that uses whatever word you are researching. Right now, I’m hung up on the beauty of God, so I’m working my way through each scripture passage containing the word “beauty.” It’s keyed to the King James version of the Bible, so it can be a little cumbersome to look up the passages in KJV and cross-reference in another version. However, for those who are serious about learning scripture, this book is a staple.
Amplified Bible: I grew up in a NIV church, and my current pastor preaches from the ESV. That’s about the extent of my Bible translation experience. However, a few years ago I began using an Amplified Bible in my personal Bible study time. The Amplified Bible “amplifies” certain key words by further explaining them or giving supplemental meanings. It’s easy to use and really can shed light on the true and complete translation of scripture passages.
Bible Commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com. : A good Bible commentary can be invaluable in explaining hard-to-understand Bible passages. The problem is, there are many different Bible commentaries, and it can be very expensive to purchase them. BibleStudyTools.com has a nice selection of commentaries available online for free. When you are having trouble with a particular passage, it can be quite helpful to read several different commentary explanations on that passage to shed light on it.
Of course, it goes without saying that the best way to understand the Bible is to ask the Holy Spirit for understanding and then read the scriptures for yourself. I think we too often rely on our own strength for understanding without consulting the Holy Spirit, who loves to help us understand scripture. (See 1 John 2:27 and John 14:26.) And I’m a big proponent of keeping a prayer journal so that you have a written record of the many ways God has answered your prayers. Just REMEMBERING what God has done in the past will spur you on in your prayer life and teach you to approach the throne of grace badly.
What are your go-to books for help in prayer and Bible study?
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