The Beginner's Guide to Intercessory Prayer [Paperback]

Dutch Sheets (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

What is intercessory prayer? How can I become an intercessor? When you don’t know where to begin, start with the basics! In The Beginner’s Guide to Intercessory Prayer, readers will learn to find their motivation for prayer in the power of love, by first and foremost experiencing a lasting relationship with God as Father and friend. As Dutch Sheets lays the foundation for one’s motivation to pray, he teaches that the simplicity and purity of devotion – our relationship with Christ – doesn’t need to be complex. Find the complexity of prayer reduced through “Did You Understand” questions at the end of each chapter to test your understanding. Upon completion you will have learned the 13 “P’s” of intercession, ranging from “Priority” to “Pleasure” and from “Plan” to “Pain.” Make intercessory prayer a part of your life by learning to pray effectively, by learning to pray alone and in groups and by persisting in prayer.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

What is intercessory prayer? How can I become an intercessor? When you don’t know where to begin, start with the basics! In The Beginner’s Guide to Intercessory Prayer, you’ll learn to find your motivation for prayer in the power of love, by first and foremost experiencing a lasting relationship with God as Father and friend. As Dutch Sheets lays the foundation for our motivation to pray, he teaches that the simplicity and purity of devotion – our relationship with Christ – doesn’t need to be complex. Find the complexity of prayer reduced through “Did You Understand” questions at the end of each chapter to test your understanding. Upon completion you will have learned the 13 “P’s” of intercession, ranging from “Priority” to “Pleasure” and from “Plan” to “Pain.” Make intercessory prayer a part of your life by learning to pray effectively, by learning to pray alone and in groups and by persisting in prayer.

About the Author

DUTCH SHEETS is the best-selling author of Intercessory Prayer and Tell Your Heart to Beat Again.  For 11 years he has served as pastor at Springs Harvest Fellowship in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Dutch is fervent in empowering believers for passionate prayer and world-changing revival.  He has traveled extensively across the United States, Central America, Australia, Europe and Israel, imparting his heart for prayer and tercessions.  Dutch, Ceci, his wife of 26 years, and their two children, Sarah and Hannah, make their home in Colorado Springs.

 

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Regal (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830745394
• ISBN-13: 978-0830745395
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

DUTCH SHEETS is an internationally known conference speaker, pastor and author. He has written many books, including Authority in Prayer and his bestseller Intercessory Prayer. Dutch travels extensively as a guest lecturer in various venues. He is fervent in empowering believers for passionate prayer and world-changing revival. Dutch is the senior pastor of Freedom Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He and his wife, Ceci, their two daughters and three dogs make their home at the base of the Rocky Mountains.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent even if you read other books on intercession, August 29, 2002

By 

Daniel Dick "founder of www.nodivorces.com" (Pleasanton, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beginner's Guide to Intercession (Paperback)

I read Dutch Sheet's other book "Intercession" and Cindy Jacob's book "Possessing the Gates of the Enemy" and others before my pastor asked me to teach college age students from this book.

I found this book less enjoyable, but more rigorous and foundational than his other book, "Intercession". Between this book and the other two I mentioned, it is impossible for me to say which book is the best.

Everyone is called to pray, but not everyone has the gift of intercession and not everyone is called to the office of an intercessor. I would recommend this book for teaching a basic but rigorous beginners class on intercession.

If you find you are very uncomfortable spending less than an hour per day in prayer, chances are you may have a gift of intercession. If that is so, I recommend reading the other two books mentioned before first, then C. Peter Wagner's series on intercessory prayer.

One other book that I found precious is "That None Should Perish" by Ed Silvoso which focuses on prayer evangelism.

Tom Tenney's "God Chasers" and "God Catchers" are also very good reading--enjoyable and challenging, but not as foundational as the others mentioned.

Also, one other book that helps build a solid foundation for intercessory prayer for all regardless of gifting is Charles G. Finney's Revival Lecture Series.

Now that I've given a two or three line review of all the other books, this one deserves a little more specific attention. If you examine the table of contents, you will see what I mean when I say this book is rigorous. I don't mean difficult--just very thorough.

When I taught from this book, I tried to get the students to remember each theme of each chapter. For example, Chapter 1 is "The Priority of Intercession", and when you read it, you find it is "Relationship". The whole chapter hangs on that. Chapter 2 is "The Plan of Intercession" and that is "to use people to accomplish His will", and so forth. Each week before I would start teaching I would ask them about the themes of the chapters before. I found myself challenged as I had to learn the material to teach it.

This book should be considered vital if you are being used by God to build a team of intercessors in your church. No church should be without such a team properly constructed well trained and prepared to serve. Many churches go into this without proper preparation and training and end up with gossips and strange mysticism rather than effective intercessory prayer.

I cannot stress hard enough how important this kind of preparation is.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book can change your life...!, November 5, 2001

By 

Dave "AngelBoyD73" (Davison, Mi United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beginner's Guide to Intercession (Paperback)

"God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be,..." ~ Dutch Sheets I recently had the chance to go on a mission trip to England. While over there a good friend of mine recommended I read this book. This book is amazing! Through the coarse of reading this book it has changed my life and outlook on my personal relationship with God. Now understanding much more about God's call for us to become intercessors, I have found a new and amazing freedom as well as understanding and POWER in my prayer life! God has reveled amazing truths and principles in this book that we need to enforce in prayer. The book covers topics on how to intercede for everyday situations as well as very specific ones, such as the Salvation if our lost brothers and sisters. Sheets tell many spiritually encouraging stories and miracles that have been witnessed through the prayers of Spirit lead people. I truly and sincerely recommend this book to any who are looking for a deeper, more exciting and more powerful prayer life with our blessed Savior and Father. This book has the power to change your life!! "Your prayers and mine can make a difference. We must become convinced of this. Our prayers can be irresistible to God and indefensible to Satan." ~Dutch Sheets

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone Should Read This, September 16, 2005

By 

D. MILLS (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beginner's Guide to Intercession (Paperback)

I read the Spanish translation of this book.

I've read this book several times. I intend to read it again with pad and paper at hand. It has had a noticeable effect on my personal prayer life as well as my outlook on the Christian life, churches and accomplishing the Great Commission. I first noticed the positive effect that it was having on me when someone found it necessary to wake me up in the middle of the night to ask me to pray.

Although it is identified as a Beginner's Guide, it seems very comprehensive as far as the extent that it discusses Biblical doctrines with respect to prayer and intercession. It provides a good foundation for prayer.

First and foremost, the author makes it clear that the absolute foundation of intercession is a relationship with God. The intercessor should make that the absolute priority for without that you might as well not even go on to Chapter 2.

Other topics discussed are perseverance, group intercession, faith, intercession for non-believers, and the ever asked question, "Why?" Why is prayer necessary given that God knows what we are going to ask even before we ask it?

Also, it should be said that the principles outlined in this book are totally Biblical. The author can perhaps be described as leaning towards the Charismatic/Pentecostal persuasion in Christianity, but this book does not fixate on that persuasion. It is not extra-biblical, and the principles taught in this book can be understood and applied by people who are of the Charismatic/Pentecostal persuasion and by those who are not. It's a very Biblically sound book.

One topic that is disappointingly not discussed is the act of "abiding". "If you abide in me and my words abide in you..." What does it mean to "abide" in Him? I think a chapter should have been devoted to that. But even with that absent, the book is tremendous, and applying the Biblical principles in this book has had a startling effect on my prayer life.