Book of the Month - August 2023
Pray First
Chris Hodges - ISBN: 978-1400221295 - 2022
Author:
Chris Hodges
Chris Hodges is the founding and senior pastor of the Church of the Highlands. Since it began in 2001, Highlands has grown to have campuses across the state of Alabama, and is known for its life-giving culture and focus on leading people to an intimate relationship with God.
Pastor Chris has a deep passion for developing leaders and planting life-giving churches. He co-founded ARC (Association of Related Churches) in 2001, which has launched hundreds of churches across the United States. He also founded Grow, specializing in training and resourcing pastors and churches to help them break barriers and reach their growth potential. Pastor Chris is also the founder and Chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that trains and launches students into full-time ministry careers.
Pastor Chris and his wife Tammy have five children and live in Birmingham, Alabama, where Church of the Highlands began. He speaks at conferences worldwide and is the author of Fresh Air, Four Cups, The Daniel Dilemma, What’s Next?, Out of the Cave, and Pray First.
Taken from the Church of the Highlands Website.
Brief Synopsis:
Prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian faith--but many followers of Jesus still struggle to make prayer part of their daily lives. In Pray First, bestselling author and pastor Chris Hodges shows us how to make prayer a first response instead of a last resort.
Why is it that so many Christians find it difficult to develop a vibrant and exciting prayer life? Even though prayer is foundational to the Christian life, many are intimidated or uncertain about how to talk to God. Prayer feels quaint and old-fashioned to some, sacred and uncomfortable to others. It's not a lack of inspiration--there's plenty of that. And it's not that we don't realize prayer is important--we know it is. So, what's the issue?
Pastor Chris Hodges has spent years studying the prayers of the Bible and the models of prayer that the scriptures provide for Christians. Now, he shares the teachings and methods he's used to successfully help hundreds of thousands of people understand how to spend time in conversation with God--and enjoy every minute.
Pray First will give you the tools you need to
Bring the joy back into your time with God
Take a journey through the prayers of the Bible, which reveal how to make prayer more personal and powerful
Learn about fasting, an often overlooked but powerful discipline that's a vital companion to prayer
Follow proven, biblically grounded methods for making prayer a priority, not an afterthought
Written in the personable, relatable, and always biblically based style that has become Hodges's hallmark, Pray First is a revolutionary how-to manual for anyone seeking a more dynamic, intimate prayer life with God.
Insights:
“The importance of prayer in sustaining and strengthening our faith cannot be overestimated. If we define prayer as connecting with God and confronting the Enemy, then prayer ought to be an ongoing conversation with God about every area of our lives. In the Bible prayer is not mentioned occasionally as an option or consideration; prayer is essential to knowing God.” - pg xiii
“As we’ve seen, prayer is not about specific words or methods. Words and methods are a means to an end. Prayer is about communication in the personal relationship you have with the living God.” - pg 61
“No one wants to remain an infant sustained on milk when they can grow and mature and feast on the solid food of the Spirit. It’s important to know where you are spiritually so you can have a starting point. If you’ve been on a diet of spiritual milk for some time, you’re likely ready to take your faith to the next level and experience greater intimacy with God. To do this you need to move past the trap of perpetual sin.” - pg 182
“Fasting is a time for purifying yourself before God. As you empty yourself of your sinful habits, indulgent appetites, and pleasurable distractions, you discover more of God’s presence and make room for more of His goodness in your life.” - pg 196
Should I read it or skip it?
I put this book in August because Church of the Highlands does something they call “21 Days of Prayer” twice a year. The first is in January and the second is in August. The first provides a chance to start the new year with a time of focusing on God and giving Him the first fruits of the new year. The second provides a chance to recenter your year and get ready for the fall rush to holidays focused and ready for what God wants to do with you and through you.
With that said, this book is a great resource to grow your prayer life. Pastor Chris covers topics from prayer to fasting. He breaks down what could be intimidating or difficult topics and makes them simple. Any Christian with a desire to grow in their relationship with God knows they have to communicate with God to grow. This book breaks down the hard work of growing your prayer life into bite-sized chunks. Don’t miss out on this book.
