February 4, 2016
“Because this is war. The fight of your life. A very real enemy has been strategizing and scheming against you, assaulting you, coming after your emotions, your mind, your man, your child, your future. In fact, he’s doing it right this second. Right where you’re sitting. Right where you are.” (p 2)
No, you aren’t on the front lines of a war with bombs and a visible enemy, you’re in the midst of your life. Yet many believers go through days without acknowledging that their plans to live for Christ are in direct opposition of the enemy’s goals.
In her book, Fervent, Priscilla Shirer offers a battle plan of sorts, a practical guide to strengthening our prayer lives and in turn, our lives as a whole. Written in a conversational style, Shirer presents areas where our lives are often targeted and offers strategies to gain victory in them.
Shirer’s tone relays the seriousness of utilizing the power of prayer while encouraging readers with practical methods and most importantly, Scripture, to enforce her thoughts.
The book is challenging in that Shirer stresses the importance of having a plan, but she is a cheerleader for prayer and its power throughout. The 190 page handbook reads as easily as listening to her over a cup of coffee. Each chapter is dedicated to an area of life that may be targeted for spiritual warfare. Further, each is organized with examples, Bible verses, and a challenge to commit the principles to prayer.
Chapters range in topic from fighting for our passion, focus, confidence, relationships and rest. Shirer decided on these areas of focus after surveying a large number of women concerning the ways their lives are targeted, thus leading to the book’s subtitle, “A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer.” The subtitle’s specificity to women brings my only criticism because this book would be an asset to all believers, women and men. Young and old. Veterans and novices of prayer.
Add Fervent to your library. Keep it in a handy place. You’ll reference it often.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18
Contest is now closed.
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*I received a copy of Fervent courtesy of B & H Publishing. Thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.