​This is a book I was not expecting to read. But it proved to be exactly what I needed. In fact, I was hesitant to read it. This is because I have read a few books on prayer, and none of them were all that helpful. Even the book written by the Kendrick brothers for the War Room movie did not prove to help me improve my prayer life or prayer strategies as I hoped it would. This book proved itself to be different than the rest. It was relevant and powerful in every way. I read it at a time that I had so many issues weighing down on my heart, I didn’t know how to begin to pray through them. This book changed the way that I understand prayer. It also introduced me to the Priscilla Shirer as an author. She has a great writing style that is honest and relevant. I would recommend this book to any woman who wants to learn more about strategic prayer. I also look forward to reading and reviewing more books by Priscilla in the future ~ Bethel

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Prayer. It’s such a common word, but it is so common to misunderstand what this word can do. We often think of it as a conversation with God. It can often turn into a list of requests and tend to happened most consistently during times of trouble. It seldom happens consistently during times of normalcy and peace. We rarely see it as the weapon that it is, a weapon of defense against the forces of evil one, the one that seeks to destroy our faith by overwhelming us with the troubles of this life. We are often so burdened by these troubles that we fail to see the weapon that is right under our noses. But we also struggle with knowing where to start. It makes us ask the question: How can we learn ways to strategize our prayers to help stand against the devil’s  schemes?

​In her book, Fervent, Priscilla Shirer shares with women how they can pray specifically and strategically. Instead of taking about the in’s and out’s of prayer, she shares about ways that we can make our prayers more intentional to the issues at the heart of our lives. Each chapter walks through different areas of our lives where it’s important to develop strategies, shares practical insights on how to develop your own personalized plan, and shares Scriptures to help shape your prayers. Priscilla also shares personal stories to illustrate how her life was shaped by her prayers or lack of prayer. Starting with prayers for passion in our spiritual zeal, she covers nine other categories, including prayers of focus on the real enemy, prayers for family, prayers for the past, and prayers for relationships. At the heart of all of it is to help each Christian woman become the warrior that God has enable her to be by surrendering all the things we struggle with and allowing God to do what only He can do. All of this is done in a writing style that is fresh and relatable. There are even tear out cards to help you start writing down your own prayer strategies. This book is an amazing tool that can be used by any woman, regardless of age or stage of life you are in. Get your copy today!

​I was excited to hear that Levi was coming out with another book. I loved his first two books and was looking forward to reading another book by him, even though I didn’t really know much of what it was about. I pre-ordered it, but it took me a while to get around to reading it. When I finally got around to reading it, I was not disappointed. Levi’s ability to explain concepts is so easy to relate to, regardless of your season of life. I read it at a time that I really needed its message and I will always be grateful for it. Although I believe Through the Eyes of a Lion will always be my favorite book from Levi, this one is not too far behind. Like his first book, I think I will continue to refer back to this one for years to come. If you haven’t checked it out, you should ~ Bethel

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So many of us today are at war with ourselves, even if we don’t realize it. We often get so stuck in our own minds and our habits, we have a hard time getting past ourselves so that we can live the lives that God intends for us to live. So many of us throw in the towel before we even acknowledge that there is a war to be fought in our hearts and minds. Some of us think that we don’t have the strength to make it through everything that we are facing. Others know that have the strength somewhere inside of them, but they are unsure of how to tap into that strength or how to direct it to win their personal battles. It makes us ask the question: how do I win the battle within myself?
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​In his book, I Declare War, author Levi Lusko uses the model of the card game War to share four keys to winning the battle within yourselves and encouraging you to allow the wolf to rise up inside of you. The first card, declaring war on what you think, helps us takes our thoughts captive so we can become a better versions of ourselves. The second card, declaring war on what you say, encourages us to talk in the victory we should be striving for. The third card, declaring war on what you do, reminds us that we need to acting in the belief that we can shape the direction of our lives by acting on what we know we should do. But the fourth card, just like in the game of War, is the most important card of all, and that is the power of the gospel at work within us. The first three card are only effective if the fourth card is in place. And once it is, you can finally unleash the wolf, the strength and courage you never knew you had, inside of you. All of this is explained with stories and insights from the author’s own life. Both practical and relevant, this book is written in an easy-to-understand tone that the audience can easily identify with, even teenagers. There is also study guide and a study DVD available for those that want to do use this book as a Bible study. This book is a great resource that I would recommend to practically anyone. Get your copy today!

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​No matter where we go in this life, we are more than sure to be met with disappointments. That’s part of living in this world. Some of these disappointments are minor, while many of them are earth-shattering, causing so much pain and suffering in their wake. All too many of us find ourselves crippled by our circumstances, especially when difficulties hit us unexpectedly. So many of us get to the point of questioning God’s goodness or desiring to turn our backs on Him. This can make us feel trapped like there’s no way out. It makes us ask the question: how can I handle the major disappointments I am sure to face in this life?

​In her newest book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa Terkeurst walks us through how we can turn to the Lord to find strength and courage when life throws unexpected disappointments at us. This topic is very relevant to Lysa, who in only a few years’ time has dealt with marital strife and two major health issues than inevitably required surgery. With her own fair share of hardships, Lysa admits that facing these disappointments is hard, and sometimes feels impossible to overcome. But she directs us to the Lord and His Word to helps us find strength to keep moving forward, even if we don’t have all the answers or when it we are actually given more than we can handle. She also reminds us how important it is for us to remain alert to the tactics of the one that wants to use our disappointments to keep us apart from God. This is all pointing to the reality that God is using our trials to prepare us from strength in this life and eternal peace in the next. This book is powerful, relevant, and honest. Although written out of her own personal experience, this book felt like it was written for me and my current struggles, which speaks to the talent of the author to relate to her audience. If you are going through trials or disappointments in your own life, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is the perfect companion to her last book, Uninvited. This book is available as of November 13. Get your copy today!

To read my review of Lysa's last book, Uninvited, click here
To read more about the circumstances that made this book so personal relevant, click here

​Ever since I met Bob Goff and read his first book, I could wait for another book by him. I was all the more excited when I was able to get onto the launch team for this book. Unfortunately, circumstances in my life prevented me from reading and reviewing the book until now. But in the end, I was glad that I waited. So many of the themes of this book came just at the time I needed to hear it. The recent circumstances in my life have made certain people more difficult to love than others. But Bob’s storytelling has an incredible ability to help you see past yourself in order to help you live your live the way that Jesus would. It was exactly the challenge I needed at the time I needed it. Bob’s first book is in many ways about loving God, which is the summary of the greatest commandment. This second book is about loving people, which is the second greatest commandment. Both books can stand alone, but they are all the more powerful together. I cannot recommend this book or Love Does enough ~ Bethel

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There are many people we encounter in our lives that are not easy to love. The reasons for our struggles with loving them is just a numerous. But at the end of the day, our greatest struggle is loving difficult people is learning to see past ourselves. The things that we need to do in order to show them love require us to step out of our comfort zone and take action. That is usually easier said than done. And unfortunately, most people don’t. We tend to push away those that need love most. This is the pattern set by the people around. It makes us ask the question: is there a way to love difficult people in our world today?

In his book, Everybody Always, Bob Goff uses his popular storytelling style to share personal stories that can help us learn to love those that seem impossible to love. Bob shares stories of many people in his life that taught him and challenged him, most of whom were difficult to love. Either by personality or by the circumstances, Bob found ways to show love to everyone. From a neighbor dying of cancer, to his limo driver, to a witch doctor, the variety of people Bob encounters is both entertaining and inspiring. He never really preaches, but shares truth from God’s Word as it is portrayed in the stories from his life. This in turn challenges and inspires us to not be hindered by the patterns of love based on restrictions or contracts. This gives hope for us to show love to everybody always. This book is great read that will inspire and challenge anyone that is willing to take its message to heart. If you liked Love Does, you definitely want to check out Everybody Always. Get your copy today!

​Note: A huge thank you to my launch team friend Bailey for paying for my copy of this book. She offered to help me get the book when I was unable to afford it at the time it came out. This act of kindness was very much a demonstration of the message this book is about. Thank you loving a person you’ve never met Bailey. I will always be grateful for you when I think about this book.

To check out my review of Bob’s first book, Love Does, and the story of how I met him, click here
To read more what’s been happening in my life this year, click here

​My mom had talked about Chapman’s original book about the five love languages since I was young. But it was only recently that I discovered that there was a version written specifically to single adults. When I found out about it, I was so excited to read it. When I finally got it, I couldn’t put it down. I finished it in two days. These concepts about love languages are something that every person needs to read. But I believe it’s especially significant to learn this in your singles years, because it will build into any future dating relationships and in marriage. I absolutely recommend this to any of my single friends, and for anyone that isn’t single, there is probably an edition of this book written for you. Do a little research and get it. You won’t regret it ~ Bethel

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Love is expressed is many different ways, but these expressions don’t always mean the same thing to different people. Something that is meaningful to one person may not be to another. This can make it hard for us to figure out how to best express love. This doesn’t just apply to romantic relationships. This can make things difficult for all relationships: family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, roommates, and the list could go on. It’s so hard to know how to relate well to each other when we struggle to express love in a way that others can relate to. This can seem to be an especially hard struggle for single adults, especially those who haven’t ever been married. It makes us ask the question: how can I learn to love others better as a single adult?

​In his book, The 5 Love Languages (Singles Edition), Gary Chapman walks us through the five “languages” in which all human communicate love, and how singles can apply these love languages to all relationships in our lives. Some feel most loved through words of affirmation. Some feel and express love best through receiving or giving gifts. Some feel most loved through acts of service. Some feel loved through spending quality time with those they care about. And some feel and express love best through physical touch. Out of each of these languages, everyone has a primary love language in which makes them feel the most loved. But understanding and learning to communicate all five are important for us to find ways to love others more. Chapman walks through what these love languages look like lived out with parents and siblings, as well as those that may be looking toward romantic relationships in the future. He also talks about relating to roommates, classmates, and coworkers. He even walks through single parents loving their children better. All of this is presented in friendly and relevant writing style that anyone can understand. These truths about love languages are profound, especially in a day and age when we are quick to make things about ourselves. But this book is a great tool to help us reach out beyond our own love language into the other languages so that we can love others the way that Christ did. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is currently single, or anyone who wants to figure out how to relate to singles better. If you don’t fit into those categories, there is probably an edition of this book written for you. Get your copy today!

* I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review