Book Review~ The Prayer of Protection: Living Fearlessly In Dangerous Times by Joseph Prince

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:2

Book Description

This book is a beautiful reminder of the
confidence we are given when we are
hidden in Christ!

In these days of danger, trouble, and evil, New York Times bestselling author Joseph Prince reveals how God's children can have round-the-clock protection through the power of prayer.


THE PRAYER OF PROTECTION unveils the Bible's ultimate psalm of protection, Psalm 91, to help you understand more about how God guards His children. Joseph Prince offers simple keys and practical advice to finding and resting in the secret place of the Most High, where no evil can even come near you. You'll begin to live unafraid and with boldness as you allow the certainty of your heavenly Father's love and the sure promises of His Word to guard your heart against every fear. Come under the wings of the Almighty and live life divinely protected, 

positioned, and free from all fears with our covenant-keeping God!

My Personal Review

The Prayer of Protection~Living Fearlessly In Dangerous Times by Joseph Prince and published by FaithWords is an insightful work; it provides reassurance and comfort that we can live a protected and peaceful life in Christ.

Joseph Prince clearly communicates to the reader that the promises of protection located in Psalm 91 are relevant and tangible for each of God's children, today. His newest book, The Prayer of Protection breaks down Psalm 91, verse by verse with the intent to strengthen the reader's walk with Christ through the faith building truths that are found within this wonderful chapter in the Bible. The author points out that our culture breeds fear and weakness, from the constant media frenzy of negativity, to the belittling commentary about our God. This continual saturation of fear mongering can force us into an unfruitful paralyzing state. He asserts that as Christians, we need to stand firm in our hope in the Lord; we need to cling to the Word of God and not allow insecurity to take a stronghold in our lives.

The book is divided into twelve chapters. Each chapter carefully inspects a verse or two from Psalm 91. The prevailing message of getting the Word of God into our hearts is emphasized throughout the book, as Pastor Prince writes, "It is so important for you to invest time in getting God's living and powerful Word into your heart." He also contends that "we must involve the Lord Jesus in our lives every day, because only Christ can deliver us and keep us safe." 

I love the personal faith building testimonies that are scattered throughout this book. These illustrations of perseverence serve to provide examples of God in motion. The stories from other's trials create a fantastic sense of applicability that is inspiring. I also enjoyed the depth of which the author explores various words from the verses and uncovers their meaning within the Bible. In so doing, Prince unveils an understanding of the truths to a much deeper level. He continually stresses the importance of quoting the written Word of God, which will, "put up a shield of faith and release power as you declare that your God shall deliver you..". The author reminds us that when the Lord Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He did not merely "think" about scripture, He spoke it out loud. "The enemy will always try to keep you self-occupied and in fear. God wants you Christ-occupied and in faith." The author challenges the reader to memorize Psalm 91 and speak it with authority over your most difficult situations and watch what God does. He encourages us that worship through praise will activate angelic forces to guard us against all sorts of enemy attacks.

Finally, I was drawn into this book simply based upon the sincerity of the grace and mercy message that it contains. As we know, it is already so difficult to live in this world on a day to day basis, so a book that encourages hope, security, strength, confidence and love through the grounded roots of the gospel of Christ and the written Word of God is a HUGE winner in my mind! As Prince writes, "God has already foreseen the problems that we will face in this day and age, and His protection and covering over us is all-encompassing." 

The Prayer of Protection by Joseph Prince does not teach a formulaic "name it and claim it" ritualistic memorization of chanting nonsense, but conversely Prince pleads for each of us to have a relationship with Christ and then utilize this book as a tool to be explored slowly with an open Bible and a receptive heart to the Word of God. It also beckons to be read in an intimate small group where transparency within the setting would allow the Spirit of God to break chains, bring down walls of insecurity and draw people together through the chord of Christ. Whether you read this book in a quiet devotional setting with the Lord or in tandem with others, I would highly recommend you read it! 

Joseph Prince has provided a free 30-day prayer plan available to correlate with the book’s teaching and further your experience. Please click the following link if you would like to participate: http://www.faithwords.com/divineprotection. He also provides a link within the book that will provide answers to the perplexing suffering of Job through a free audio message of bonus content. 

Thank you to FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group Inc., for this review copy of The Prayer of Protection by Joseph Prince. The opinions within this review are my own; I was not required to write a favorable review.

Book Review: Think Better Live Better (A Victorious Life Begins in Your Mind) by Joel Osteen

2 Corinthians 2:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

This is a fast and friendly motivational
read!!

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Bestselling author Joel Osteen shares how reprogramming your thoughts to remove negativity will lead to a more blessed, fulfilled life. Your mind has incredible power over your success or failure. THINK BETTER, LIVE BETTER offers a simple yet life-changing strategy for erasing the thoughts that keep you down and reprogramming your mind with positive thinking to reach a new level of victory. As a child of the Most High God, you are equipped to handle anything that comes your way. To claim your destiny, start thinking about yourself the way God does and delete the thoughts that tear down your confidence. When you train yourself to tune out the negativity and tune into your calling, you'll begin to live the wonderful plans God has made for you.

About the Author

JOEL OSTEEN is the author of eight New York Times bestsellers. He is the senior pastor of America's largest congregation, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. More than 45,000 people attend services there every week. His televised messages are seen by more than 10 million viewers each week in the United States, and millions more in 100 nations around the world. His 24-hour channel on SiriusXM Satellite Radio and millions of social media followers have prompted numerous publications to name him as one of the most influential Christian leaders in the world. He resides in Houston with his wife, Victoria, and their children. You can visit his website at www.joelosteen.com.

My Personal Review

Think Better Live Better by Joel Osteen provides the reader with encouragement and direction to take positive control of one's thought life and in so doing, unleash the abundant life that God has designed for each of us.

The book's foundation is built upon the truth that "We are who God says we are..." not who "other people say we are". Pastor Osteen reminds us that we are "born into royalty, created to reign in this life" and we should never forget those truths or we will miss the greatness God is calling us to. Think Better Live Better is a quick motivational read that will ignite your passion and desire to serve the Lord. This book has a steady flow of interesting stories to spur you on and breathe faith into your walk.

The continual reminder that we need to "reprogram of our minds" if we are repetitively thinking negative thoughts is clearly communicated. The use of analogies adds an interesting layer to the book. My favorite description of what it is like when we think negatively is when Pastor Osteen compares our lives to being stuck in a cocoon. He explains that "the enemy would love to keep me in my cocoon, thinking these wormy thoughts. He wants us to struggle, to be insecure, to be burdened by addictions and bad habits. It all starts in our mind." But, the author goes on to clarify that we can break out of the cocoon by speaking the truth of scripture over our minds. Anytime the self limiting thoughts creep in we need to confront them by saying, "I can do all things through Christ. I am strong in the Lord. If God be for me, who dare be against me?" 

The totality of this book is based on scripture and taking back our lives for the Lord through meditation on the Word of God and focusing on the promises that are found in the Bible. Osteen references Joshua 1:8: "If you will meditate on God's Word day and night, you will prosper and have good success." The author champions us to concentrate on the "promises of God... not the problems" of life.

Think Better Live Better gives several examples of people in the Bible, who would never have met the full potential that God had in mind for them had they listened to the labels other people had placed on them. We are challenged to care more about the label of the Lord than what the naysayers will say. Speaking the truth over our situations and not allowing fear of tomorrow to grip our today is another excellent piece of advice found in the pages of this book. 

Think Better Live Better by Joel Osteen is currently available for preorder by clicking here. It will be released tomorrow, October 4, 2106. 

Thank you to FaithWords Publishing for this review copy of Think Better Live Better (A Victorious Life Begins In Your Mind) by Joel Osteen. I was not required to write a favorable review, but to simply give my honest opinion of this work. 

Book Review: The Loyal Heart (A Lone Star Hero's Love Story) by Shelley Shepard Gray

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Description

Robert came to Galveston to fulfill his promise to a dying man and look after his widow. He didn’t expect to find love in the unlikeliest of places.

Robert Truax, former Second Lieutenant and Confederate officer in the Civil War, made a promise to his comrade Phillip Markham. If anything happened to Phillip, Robert would look after his beloved wife, Miranda. She was his life, his world, his everything.

This is an excellent Historical 
Christian Fiction read;
I loved it!

After the war, Robert is left to pick up the pieces and fulfill his pact. When he arrives at Miranda’s home in Galveston, Texas, things are worse than he imagined. Phillip’s name has been dragged through the mud, everyone in town believes him to be a traitor, and his widow is treated as an outcast. Even more disturbing is her emotional well-being. Miranda seems hopeless, lost, and so very alone.

Robert had thought his duty would be simple. He would help Miranda as quickly as possible in order to honor a promise. But the moment Robert laid eyes on her, his plans changed. He’s mesmerized by her beauty and yearns to help her in any way he can.

He makes it his duty to protect Miranda, turn her reputation around, and to find some way to help her smile again. But it doesn’t prove to be an easy task—Robert knows something about

Phillip that could shake Miranda to the core and alter her view of the man she thought she knew so well.

Acclaim For Shelley Shepard Gray

"Gray is a master at integrating rich details and historical accuracies to create an engaging tale that will take the reader back in time. Strong secondary characters are well integrated. It is a shame to see this series end."
                              -ROMANTIC TIMES 4-Star review of Whispers In the Reading Room

"Full of vivid descriptions and beautiful prose, Gray has a way of making readers feel like they are actually in Chicago during the World's Fair...the mystery surround the 'Slasher' keeps the reader engaged throughout."
                              -RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4-Star review of Deception On Sable Hill

My Personal Review

I loved this Historical Christian Fiction book surrounding the Civil War era. It is a believable story filled with interesting and extremely well developed characters. 

The Loyal Heart by Shelley Shepard Gray is the first book in a 2 volume series of the Lone Star Hero's Love Story. (The second book: An Uncommon Protector will be released 2/07/17.) The story begins with the conversation of some Confederate prisoners of war making a pact to always look out for one another. They are being held captive on Johnson's Island in Ohio, surrounded by Lake Erie and little availability to escape. The author does a fantastic job of describing their dismal outlook and the hopelessness that most surely would have been a part of their lives on a daily basis. Immediately, the reader is struck with a connection and desire to know what happens in the lives of these men.

The drama that unfolds upon the release of the soldiers is created quickly within the first few chapters and spins a web of talented writing filled with suspense, mystery, devotion and a bit of romance along the way. It is such a cliche...but in all sincerity...this one was hard to put down! The main character, Miranda Markham pulls at your heart strings as she navigates the waters of grief. The loyalty to his comrade Phillip, makes Robert Truax's character shine as well. The development of the house staff was so good, I could almost audibly hear their voices and see the expressions on their faces.

This book caused me to do some research of the Confederate States of America Officers' POW Camp located on Johnson's Island, Ohio. Additionally, I did a little digging into Galveston, Texas, both during and after the Civil War. When the storyline is so interesting that you want to do more study of the time period that is being dramatized, I think you can safely label it as a "good Historical Fiction" book. I also found myself learning a lot of new vocabulary words within this read. Gray does not sell her readers short and assume that the average adjectives will do, rather she ceases every opportunity to tap into the English language with a plethora of variety. I love that!

This is the first book written by Shelley Shepard Gray that I have had the privilege to read, but I will definitely be reading the next book in this series! I can't wait to see where she takes us! 

Thank you to Zondervan for this review copy of The Loyal Heart by Shelley Shepard Gray through the BookLookBlogger program. I was not required to write a favorable review, but simply to read the work in it's entirety and give my honest opinion. 

Book Review: Successful WOMEN of the BIBLE by Katara Washington Patton

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The second book in a new series that brings the experiences of favorite Bible characters to challenges of contemporary life.

Exceptional read filled with lots of insight!

Contemporary "success" is often defined in financial terms or by number of Twitter followers. But for women of faith, success is so much more. And it turns out the timeless qualities of success are exemplified by women on the pages of their favorite book, the Bible. Deborah's model leadership is just as relevant today as it was in the age of the Hebrew judges. Esther's courage to stand up for a cause, Miriam's joyful support of others, Priscilla's exemplary partnership skill, Lydia's business acumen, and other characteristics of women in the Bible are embodied in lively storytelling. Busy Christian women--often working and raising a family--crave examples of success. Here are distilled principles they can use to succeed in today's noisy culture. The lessons of these icons of the faith apply, even in the age of Facebook and Instagram.

 ABOUT AUTHOR

Katara Washington Patton has written and edited Christian books for children, teens, and adults and has created supplemental materials for books by T.D. Jakes, Beth Moore, and Joyce Meyer. She served as general editor and writer of Aspire: The New Women of Color Study Bible. She holds a M.Div. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

MY PERSONAL REVIEW

Successful Women of the Bible by Katara Washington Patton~published by Faith Words~ is a beautifully insightful book that has significant spiritual application for women everywhere!

I absolutely loved Successful Women of the Bible. I'm confident that, if you are a woman, you will see some of your strengths and perhaps a few pitfalls of your weaknesses amidst the pages of this thoughtful read. The author, Katara Washington Patton carefully analyzes the lives of some prominent women of the Bible to create an engaging work that will encourage your heart.

The author clearly defines behaviors that will lead to a closer and more effective walk with the Lord as she evaluates eleven different women of the Bible. She also highlights the importance of women standing together in courage and unity to accomplish certain difficult tasks, citing the story of the "Daughters of Zelophehad", which I might add, I had never studied...so that was a treat! She describes them as a "group of women in the Bible whose interdependence changed the history of a people and further inspires an independent gal like myself to value interdependence even more than independence." (Italics my own.) 

Patton challenges women to "learn that depending on others is not a sign of weakness, but interdependence" that "could actually make me and others stronger." As an "older gal" myself...I can verify from some years of experience... that Patton's statement is definitely true in my life! When I see the amazing women that the Lord places in my life as "teammates" rather than "competition", I am much more sensitive to the Spirit's leading and therefore more apt to accomplish His kingdom purposes.

The format used in this book allows a clear picture of what attributes to recognize within yourself that will assist you in experiencing the complete plan that God is calling you to. At the end of each chapter, Patton takes the creative liberty to write a fictional letter from the Biblical character that singles out their love and devotion to God! I loved Priscilla and Esther... 

"I am Esther, queen of the land. Called for such a time as this. It's not just about me. I can and will influence and impact other's lives. God always has a plan and a plan of escape for those trapped. I will seek to do all that I can to be a voice for the voiceless and lift up the ones without, sometimes scared, but always trusting in God. I know I have been placed on this earth for more than myself and my comfort. I am the voice, I am the arms, I am the eyes of those who need it the most. I know God is all over my life and is directing my story, so I listen for His prompting and His cues so I might follow."

Successful WOMEN of the BIBLE by Katara Washington Patton will be released tomorrow- 8/23/2016 and can be purchased here. It's an incredible read. I highly recommend you snatch it up...you will definitely be refreshed!!

Thank you to Faith Words for this review copy of Successful Women of the Bible by Katara Washington Patton. I was not required to write a favorable review, but rather to give my honest opinion of it's content. 

Book Review: The Gold by Krista Wagner

Another intriguing work by Krista Wagner.

Publishers Description

Ten-year-old Amanda is constantly teased and tormented in school. Her home life is less than satisfactory where her widower father, who is often away on business trips, leaves her in the care of her indifferent teenaged sister. Worse, not a day goes by when Amanda doesn't miss her mom. TO escape reality, Amanda creates fantasy stories, but when she discovers a talking golden pebble, her imagined world turns into a new-fangled reality.

Praise For The Gold

"I loved the way the story unfolded and the magic and mystery were revealed. This book is bound to be a winner with audiences of all ages."

~Susan Day

author and illustrator of the Astro's Adventures series

My Personal Review

The Gold by Krista Wagner & published by Clean Reads is a short fantasy novel that will keep your attention from beginning to end. The publishing information for this book is specifically labeled for the 10-18 year old age group. The main character, Amanda, is in fifth grade. She lives with her Dad and sister. She spends much of her time at home alone or with her preoccupied teenage sister. 

As the story unfolds, the reader learns a little about Amanda's Mom who "passed away from a long term ailment". The incredible sadness and loneliness that her mother's passing has created is tenderly and realistically portrayed from a young girl's perspective. The author's development of Amanda's character creates a connection with the reader immediately and her adventures are spun from there. It is at times a whimsical ride and at other junctures a tumultuous journey.

Here is my take on this novel. First of all, the book left me wanting more. Right from the start, I wanted to know more about the past...so a prequel would be exceptional....and I definitely want to know what happens in the future....so a sequel is a must. Secondly, I greatly appreciated the presentation of the sensitive matter of bullying. Wagner's vivid description of the emotions encountered during episodes of harassment is exceptional. The author also beautifully illustrates how important it is to be connected and aware of what our children are experiencing, so that we can show them love and avoid feelings of desperation and isolation. Finally, I think this work is entertaining for the younger reader and simultaneously has the potential to deliver a sense of hope to a hurting heart. I will be watching for the next book in this series!