For those who know me well, I have never been much of a reader. I am kind of embarrassed to even admit that, but I am also all about being open and transparent here! However, the past three years I have come to like, and really appreciate, reading. With fiction books I would still rather just watch the movie if that is an option, but I love non-fiction books. Especially books that help strengthen my faith or give me encouragement.
I also love books that I can learn from or that show me other ways of life and books about history and about others lives and things they have gone though and experienced. I guess that is the Empath in me coming out. I also just truly feel like I am at a point where I want to soak in knowledge especially since chemo and forced menopause before I was 40 did a number on my brain, and I still struggle so much with that.
Welcome to the bi monthly “What are you Reading Wednesday”!
I wanted to do a “what are you reading” post every other Wednesday and share what I am reading and my thoughts on it and hoping others will share what they are reading too. After I thought about it some more I decided to start with just once a month. I reminded myself that I do have a teenager, a Kindergarten boy with more energy that I think one child could possibly have, on top of multiple doctor appoints each week and the energy level of a sloth most days so I was being a little bit too eager thinking I could read and blog about two books each month! My goal is to work up to that!
This months What are you Reading is Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer. I LOVE Priscilla Shirer. Did I mention I LOVE Priscilla Shirer?!? If you don’t know who she is you may know of her dad, Tony Evans. Once you hear her you know she is her daddy’s daughter! She is real, she is open, she is bold, she is blunt and she isn’t afraid to speak truth! One thing that I see others starting to lack these days. She however does all of this with love. You can just feel her love and her passion in all she does!
You also may recognize her from the movie, War Room (which this book was inspired from) or the latest movie she is in, Overcomer. I would highly recommend both of them! But we are talking about books here, not movies…I will get back to books!
“Fervent is a hands-on, knees-down, never-give-up action guide to practical, purposeful praying.”
This is on the back on the book and I could not agree more! In the book, Priscilla identifies 10 areas where Satan seems to direct his hits the hardest to us as women. These 10 areas are our:
- Passion
- Focus
- Identity
- Family
- Confidence
- Calling
- Purity
- Rest and Contentment
- Heart
- Relationships
I don’t know about you, but I know I have been hit many times in all of these areas and some much more than others. There is a chapter on each area and she gives strategies on how to pray and go to war against the enemy who so wants to destroy you. She walks you through setting up your own strategy and the book also includes prayer cards in the back that you can use to write out your specific prayers and post them in your own “War Room.”
This is my second time reading Fervent
The first time was probably 2 1/2 years ago. It is a book I would recommend reading multiple times, and I am sure in a couple of years I will read it again. It also is a book that should be used always as a resource. It is a book that should be written in, pages marked and even almost falling apart! She even says in the introduction that we should think of this book as “industrial-grade survival gear!”
If you truly want to increase your prayer life and have some help and guidance as you “go to war”, I would highly recommend this book. Just yesterday I was sitting at Chick fil a working and I had this book out. This lady came up and said, “that is truly the very best book I have ever read.” We talked a little and she was with a friend who had not heard of it and right then she pulled out her phone and ordered it off Amazon because the two of us were sharing how it has helped and blessed us. So if you don’t want to just take it from me, take it from the other sweet lady from Chick fil A!
Fervent can be found in any local bookstore and can also be found HERE. If you like audio books and like to listen in the car you can also get it off of Audible HERE. I would highly suggest though getting the hard copy for a reference too!
So now my question to you, is what are you reading this Wednesday? I would love to hear any suggestions you may have!
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