Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller
Why do we pray, and how? These are the questions answered in Tim Keller’s Prayer. Starting with the theological basis for prayer, Keller explains what it means to converse with and encounter God. As we often fail to do so, he then goes on to explain how to practically approach prayer. This book is great for understanding the importance of prayer and learning how to make prayer a personal and regular part of your life.
Fireseeds of Spiritual Awakening by Dan Hayes
Dan Hayes’ Fireseeds of Spiritual Awakening has been proven effective for starting student-led campus-wide prayers. Inspired by prayer revivals like those in Pyeng Yang in 1907, Hayes encourages people to prepare themselves for God’s Spirit to move in them and in the world. Convicting and motivating, Fireseeds of Spiritual Awakening teaches us how to pray expectantly.
The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
If we want to be transformed—if we want to find freedom from sin and live a full life in Jesus Christ—then Dallas Willard suggests that we need to practise spiritual disciplines in our lives. Like the disciples, we can learn from the way that Christ lived. We need moments of silence, prayer, sacrificial living, and time spent in God’s word to enrich our spiritual lives.
A Hunger for God by John Piper
A Hunger for God is John Piper’s way of inviting us to fast and find our satisfaction in God. He describes how fasting will help us learn to seek fulfillment in God instead of earthly things, and that this will help us to hunger more for God than anything else. When God is what we hunger for most in our lives, then he becomes the most important thing to us. If we long for God above earthly things, the direction of our lives can change.
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney
Growing in spiritual maturity and godliness means putting in work and learning to practise discipline. As with any skill, it takes time and dedication. Whitney highlights the importance of things like prayer, worship, journaling, fasting, evangelism, and Scripture meditation, and explains how to put them into practice so that we become more dependent on God in our spiritual walks.
If you like these, check out more Great Book recommendations for our small group resources.
Looking to learn more about the “Approach” study? Find everything you need to know here. Or explore the rest of our “Equipped” series.