10 Prayers You Can't Live Without: How to Talk to God About Anything

by Rick Hamlin

Readers will be encouraged that prayer is an ongoing conversation, that God wants them to talk about anything.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Christian

246 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Sometimes I think I must be nuts because for me writing is a way to relax. Sure, I get anxious about it and I'm pretty critical of what I write, wondering if I can ever fix it. But then, when the words come and I'm in a grove, I'm not going to be critical of anything. Until the next morning!

Reviews

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Hamlin, a Guideposts editor, shares 10 Prayers You Can't Live Without. He feels that prayer is an ongoing conversation with God. It's a great book to keep around and reread once in a while. He starts with Pray at Mealtime. He uses stories from the Guideposts to illustrate his point and examples from his own life in each chapter. How to handle interruptions: "If you fight an interruption in a prayer, it becomes much bigger. If you fold it into the prayer loop, it becomes part of the weave of your thoughts, the cord that becomes your lifeline." "Thankfulness at the dinner table is good for the body and soul. You certainly enjoy your food more when you season it with gratitude."
Pray as Conversation: "The important thing is not so much the words you use as the habit you pursue." "Give yourself a time, pick a place and pray. Check in. God will find you wherever you are and you can find God. You don't have to say much. "Hi, God" will do."
Pray for Others: "God wants us to pray for others because it helps us focus on what's important and brings out the good in others in us. It spreads hope. It reverses the momentum of despair and pain. God doesn't need to hear from us to be convinced. But we need to reach out and speak up, to convince ourselves." Take it very seriously when your friends say to keep them in your prayers.
Pray the Lord's Prayer: Praying with others is different than praying by yourself.
Pray for Forgiveness: "God knows there are ways I've hurt others. Forgiving is the only way to a clean slate."
Pray through a Crisis: "At times of crisis, anger, fear and shock hit you hard. You don't think you can even move forward. You're trapped, numbed. You cry out to God, "Noooooooo!" It seems a futile outburst, but that's all you could possibly say. And it's the prayer that keeps you connected. It's the way of reclaiming the good."
Sing Your Prayer: "Music is a great amplifier of the spirit. It can connect you to the emotional heart of something when you're spiritually numb."
A Classic Prayer to Focus Your Thoughts: "The Jesus Prayer is a prayer from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. It's easy to learn and so short you can repeat it in your head without anyone knowing you're praying."
Pray in Thanksgiving at All Times: "Be thankful in all things. Write them down. Even if you don't feel grateful, even if you can't pray. What you write will be your prayer."
Pray Yes: Say Yes and... instead of Yes, but. It's a great way to live.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had first been introduced to Rick Hamlin’s writing through articles he wrote for Guideposts Magazine, of which he is the Executive Editor. Most of what I’d read had to do with prayer, and before I’d even seen that he had authored books, I went looking to see if he HAD authored books and found this one. It is really an awesome book about prayer, probably the best one I’ve ever read. There are many practical tips for expanding your prayer life, and I very easily was able to put some of them in practice right away. The multitude of stories he tells to back up each of the 10 chapters are highly inspirational and interesting. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking to enhance their prayer life, and wanting to improve their personal relationship with God.

[claire respaldiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and encouraging

I'm glad I found this book at this time. I think we all have questions about prayer and struggle at times in our prayer lives. It's always good to know that you are not alone, but also to be encouraged by another believers example of Faith!

[April Bagley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about prayer. Makes me realize there is no wrong way to pray.

[W. Whalin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest resources for everyday life is prayer. Rick Hamlin shows us in practical ways how prayer is like breathing. The book is filled with pointed stories which the reader can apply to their daily life. I loved what Rick writes in the introduction of 10 PRAYERS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT (http://amzn.to/14szTG9), “Every writer hopes to be read, but I would be just as happy if you stopped reading me, dog-eared a page or marked a spot in your e-reader and prayed instead…if you talked to our Maker, I would feel like I really accomplished something.”

In each of these 10 Prayers, Hamlin accomplishes a depth of teaching and also personal insights. I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it. In the final paragraph, Hamlin says, “Can you live without prayer? You can, but why would you? It’s like asking why you would live without love and kindness and hope and faith and good friends and family members, who spur you on.” (Page 238)

10 PRAYERS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT is filled with inspiration.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! Mom sent it to me after we heard Rick Hamlin (executive editor of Guideposts magazine) speak at the Debbie Macomber Fan Retreat in August. Every chapter offers insight about the power of prayer. Hamlin has a conversational style and tells great stories throughout the book of famous and ordinary people who have experienced wonderful things as a response to opening communication with God. My favorites were the Praying the Lord's Prayer, Sing Your Prayer (listening to our local contemporary Christian radio station constantly got me through one of the toughest times in my life a few years back), A Classic Prayer to Focus Your Thoughts ("Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Make haste to help me. Rescue me and save me. Let thy will be done in my life"), and Pray in Thanksgiving at All Times. I will pass my copy on and order more for family and friends. I think it would make a great book for small group studies at churches or a sermon series. Excellent!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes refreshing, sometimes simplistic - but always a sincere approach by the author. The fact that some things seemed simple to me is in no way an indication of my view of the value of what is offered. They are worthy of inclusion because we all journey through the prayer relationship in different ways. I'm sure there are some places in this volume in which I found growth that would reveal areas of my own naivete. Hamlin has done a thoughtful job of coming at this topic from a variety of directions. I think there is something here, consequently, for just about everyone to think about with regard to their relationship with God.

[Billie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on ten ways of praying to God. Each of the ten chapters, Pray at Mealtime, Prayer as Conversation, Pray for Others, Praying the Lord's Prayer, Praying for Forgiveness, Pray through a Crisis, Sing Your Prayer, A Classic Prayer to Focus Your Thoughts, Pray in Thanksgiving at All Times, and Pray Yes encourages praying to God as an ongoing conversation. Stories are inspirational. This is a great book to read for anyone that wants a closer relationship to God. I received this book free from Goodreads Giveaways for a fair and honest review.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick encourages us that we can't fail at prayer. Trying is doing. Rick is executive editor at Guideposts and he shares many stories, including his own. I learned that prayer can be a way of processing history or new information, putting it into the hands of God. It is important for children to hear their parents pray. We can have a conversation with God all day long. Those who like the kinds of stories found in Guideposts will like this book. See my full review at http://bit.ly/17eNBx6.

[Leealaw]

Rick Hamlin's approachable, easy to read, unpretentious and extremely useful. It is inspiring and encouraging, and it shows how prayer can be a part of everyday life. The stories he tells are engaging and illustrate his points beautifully.

[Carrie V. Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praying everyday

I haven't had the opportunity to read a book about prayer before. it was eye opening and it filled my heart. it made prayer seem more accessible, even if you can't find the perfect word.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully inspiring work by Rick Hamlin, who is one of the writers on Guideposts Magazine. I found many positive, helpful ideas to include in my prayer time. This book is the kind you can re-read over and over.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to refresh my prayer life. Would recommend it to anyone. Rereading it Dec 2016

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good, makes you think

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught me so much about a a subject that I thought I knew, but... didn't.

[Ann-maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has some wonderful stories, very enlightening.

[Nic nittle]

Goodreads win

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give away at www.favchristianbooks.com

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous, rushing to share this with someone tday

[Laura Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational!