The Power of Simple Prayer: How to Talk with God about Everything (Hardcover)

by Joyce Meyer (Author)
Key Phrases: pray effective prayers, effective prayer life, prayer lives, Holy Spirit, God's Word, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Meyer, the spirited television preacher with more than 70 books in print, tackles the mystery of prayer with notable success. A prolific author (The Confident Woman; Battlefield of the Mind; Approval Addiction) known for delivering no-nonsense biblical commentary, does a first-rate job in this exhaustive, yet simply presented, guide. Each of the 14 chapters provides fans with a different facet of this spiritual discipline. Meyer says that for a fruitful prayer life, it's essential to understand the balance between praise, worship, thanksgiving and making petitions. She challenges Christians to both consecrate and fully commit themselves to God's service and to realize that though prayer is simple, it is also a work that requires persistence and perseverance. For Meyer, effective prayer is characterized by a life of obedience, righteousness, continual petition and submission to divine authority. Christians must be focused on others, kindhearted, forgiving and boldly expectant. While her large fan base will relish this resource, others not in the charismatic evangelical camp might be alienated by Meyer's take on "praying in a prayer language" and her assumption that blessing others automatically invites material blessings to rebound from God. Still, the book reminds Christians that prayer is a joyous task of partnering with God on eternal matters. (Apr. 3)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
#1 bestselling author Joyce Meyer explores how the simple act of prayer can transform our lives.Prayer is often thought of as merely a means to an end-how can our needs be met, how can we release our burdens? But have we ever really considered what prayer is and why we pray? Do we understand just how our lives are impacted by our prayers? Calling God to our aid is the first step. Now Joyce takes us further, showing us times when we should and maybe shouldn+t pray, and explaining why some are more burdened to pray than others. And by examining the different types of prayers and providing samples of what the Bible greats prayed, Joyce introduces us to a richer, more interactive prayer relationship with God. When we need or want something, God instructs us to pray. When we need prayer most, Joyce shows us how to unleash its power.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446531960
• ISBN-13: 978-0446531962
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,297 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Teaching From Someone With Credibility, April 28, 2007

By	Dr. W. G. Covington, Jr. (Edinboro, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Joyce Meyer combines Bible teaching with practical experience to show how the principles she teaches have worked. She discloses the errors she has made previously and how she has grown spiritually mature as a result. It is such a blessing to read books from authors who have prayed for their readers (which she mentions a couple of times in this book--as I'm doing for the readers of this review I might add). God answered her prayers as the teaching added significantly to my understanding.

In the beginning she begins with the book's theme, i.e., that prayer is simple. From this opening she adds to the discussion by teaching about various kinds of prayers and uses illustrations from the Bible to make his case. Prayer is coupled with other principles in God's Word such as thankfulness. She writes, "Thankfulness opens the door for God to bless us, and complaining opens the door for the devil to curse us."

Other writers on prayer such as Watchman Nee, E. M. Bounds, and Andrew Murray are cited throughout the book. On intercession, she links the experience with the priestly role Jesus performs on our behalf in heaven, telling readers, "I encourage you to draw nearer to God by joining Jesus in His ministry of intercession." Husband Dave is used to illustrate the different prayer assignments God gives. Dave prays passionately for the United States. She points out that it is a God-given passion and God assigns different concerns to us individually.

On loving one's enemies, she tells us that something powerful happens in the spiritual realm when we do this. She correctly notes that "you don't do it because you feel like it--you do it as unto the Lord. Choosing to pray and bless instead of curse..." She adds that consequently, "God will do great things in your life as a result of it."

Chapter eleven on walking in love and blessing people consistently is powerful reading. She gives creative ways to bless people in practical ways. In chapter 13 when she gives an example of a one word prayer that got dramatic results, it reminded me of something I read from Oral Roberts that talked about how a simple one word prayer is extremely effective. The word--"Jesus"--read that section of the book. What happened was a literal miracle. You can't get much more simple than one word. Read this book! Prayer is exciting and easy.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!!!, April 14, 2007

By	Sarah_book_reader "Sarah" (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

Where some authors fail to fully explain prayer or manifestation, Joyce Meyer does a great job of explaining the biblical processes of accepting or living by the law of attraction and how our lives are affected by the praying we do or don't do for that matter. She takes something complex and breaks it down to understandable units. You'll find no short comings here. With explannations and examples this book left me feeling extremely fulfilled.

I would also recommend the Divine Matrix by Gregg Braden.
The Divine Matrix: Bridging Time, Space, Miracles, and Belief

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Simple" +"Prayer" = "Breakthrough", June 13, 2007

By	mamalicious23 (McLean VA) - See all my reviews

For the longest time, I've struggled with prayer.
Then I got hold of this book

I thought I had to assume the position (on my knees, eyes closed)
I found standing at the bus stop, leaning over the copier or my child's bathtime works fine

I thought I needed eloquent, prayer-worthy verses to be heard
I found my everyday words get the message across to my Father

I thought I needed to finetune my pitch before knocking on the Boss's door
I found Someone who listens to everything I say- what I whine about, sob over- without judgement

I thought that I needed to schedule a set block of time
I found 5 second prayers work but I still to schedule a prayer date with my Friend- that works

I thought I repeat my personal requests over and over in case the first never made it passed my ceiling
I found I'm heard the first time and now I can spend the extra time praying for others who need it more than I

I'm only a few chapters into the book
... excited about what else I'll learn about my Friend