I said it. Today's book is one of the best Christian books I have ever read! Now I am always intrigued by a book about women of the Bible. I have looked at several of the women in some detail here on this blog. Women like Mary, Esther, and Mary Magdalene. I have shared versions of the Bible as well as devotionals including my go-to devotional that I reread every year! Today I am going to share a book that can be used as a devotional though each chapter is a bit long for a short read that delves into the stories of ten women of the Bible and relates their stories and their prayers to your everyday life. What amazes me most about this book besides that it really hits home is it is written by a man. The book is When Women Pray by Bishop T. D. Jakes.
From the Publisher:
Find power in your prayer like never before with this inspiring guide from #1 New York Times bestselling author Bishop T.D. Jakes.In a time when women carry more influence than any other generation, the power of prayer has never been more important to remind us that we do not have to bear our crosses alone. We need prayer to stand guard over our hearts and minds and over the hearts and minds of our families.
Women today are shattering glass ceilings and forging new paths in the world. What Happens When a Woman Prays is a clarion call for women to continue their progressive march of empowerment by dreaming like their daughters and praying like their grandmothers.
Through exploring the lives of 10 prayer-filled women of the Bible, Bishop Jakes emphasizes the life-changing power that women have when they find their identity, their strength, their healing, and their voices in Christ.
From Me:
The women in the book are Hannah, Mary, Sarah, the woman with the issue of blood, Naomi, the Samaritan woman, Esther, Rhoda, the Shunammite woman, and Anna. Each woman had desires and prayed. Their faith helped change their lives as well as the lives of others. It is an interesting assortment of women. Both Hannah and Sarah desired to be a moms. Both eventually have sons. Three of the women are unnamed in the Bible and thus this book. Bishop Jakes realizes how much women can change the world. He realizes how important they are. Reading this book reminded me of a story our minister shared a couple weeks ago (for Mother's Day). It was a story from his daughter's birth. His wife was surrounded by her midwife and nurses. He was the only male in the room. He watched in awe as the power of the woman took hold and brought life into the world. He knew then what power women have. This is a power that I feel is not always recognized in our society these days.
This book however recognizes it. Not only does Bishop Jakes recognize it and point it out but he wants every woman reading the book to feel her own power. He wants to open the gates to the power of God for these women. Throughout the book he takes their stories and relates it to desires many people have. Or he takes issues and relates them to today's societal issues. I loved how the stories related to current societal life. He relates the stories to issues of race (he is a Black man), as well as issues of drug abuse or domestic violence. He relates the stories to one's own desires. He pushes the reader to open up her deepest desires and find what she really wants because God can and will help those desires to be reached if she only prays.
This book is about the lives of the ten women but it is also about the power of pray and how both can change your life. I found it hard to put down though I was trying to read one chapter a day. There is a chapter about each woman. The chapters are roughly around 20 pages long. He starts each chapter with a story with the woman as the narrator of an event in her own life. Then he shares more of the woman's story from the Bible as well as the Biblical society and its rules and ways. I have taught the story of Ruth and Naomi many times in Sunday School, but his insight opened the story in new ways for me. I truly found this book interesting and inspiring. I also find myself praying even more than usual since reading the book. I hope you will check it out. I don't think you will be disappointed.
