Growing in Prayer: A Real-Life Guide to Talking with God

by Mike Bickle

A practical, effective strategy for incorporating prayer into everyday life As the founder of the International House of Prayer, Mike Bickle has devoted his life to understanding and practicing the principles and power of prayer. In Growing in Prayer he combines his biblical study with his extensive experience on the topic to give you the tools you need to develop a stronger prayer life through a passionate commitment to your relationship with God.   Start today! God is waiting to hear from you. He doesn’t just love you, He really likes you and enjoys listening to you when you pray even in your weaknesses. You can be confident that your prayers are valuable to God and will make a difference in your world. 

Genres: Christian, Prayer, Theology, Nonfiction, Faith

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 8, 2013

About the author

Mike Bickle is the director of the International House of Prayer Missions Base of Kansas City, an evangelical missions organization based on 24/7 prayer with worship that is engaged in many evangelistic and inner city outreaches along with multiple justice initiatives, planting houses of prayer, and training missionaries.

The International House of Prayer has continued in non-stop prayer led by worship teams since September 19,1999, and is committed to combining 24/7 prayers for justice with 24/7 works of justice. Around 1,500 people (staff members, students, interns) serve full-time on the missions base, investing fifty hours per week in the prayer room, classroom, and ministry outreaches. Mike is also the founder of the International House of Prayer University which includes a full-time Bible school, music school, and media school.

Reviews

[Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly didn't know what to expect reading this book. I didn't know if the author was going to go way off from Scripture or would he remain faithful to the Bible? In the end, I found that I agreed with much of what he wrote. One might take exception with Bickle over his views regarding prophecy or regarding praying in tongues ("in the Spirit") but the book is not that bad. I found that I had a better desire to pray biblically after reading the book. Now I will admit that I prefer to read books that are teaching books on passages from the Bible on prayer. More of an expository understanding of prayer. But that said, Bickle does a good job of teaching the reader what it means to pray and how to develop a stronger prayer life.

The positives from this book. The last chapter was the best. I don't mean that to be sarcastic. Earlier in the book Bickle wrote about what he called "apostolic prayers" in which he prays the Scriptures. In the appendix, Bickle gives you all those apostolic passages and how to pray them. This was the best for me. Bickle went from the Old Testament to the end of the New listing passage after passage with the promise to pray. This was very helpful to me in prayer.

Another positive was Bickle's prayer journal. He gives several acronyms to help you pray and encourages you to keep a journal to help you see how God answers your prayers. This also helps you stay focused during prayer and you won't spend all your time praying for your own needs.

Let me list some negatives. For me, the gospel must be our motivation to pray. When we study the gospel and understand by faith what Christ has done in saving us by His grace from the wrath of a holy God, this will lead us to pray (Hebrews 4:14-16). Prayer should flow from our saving relationship through Christ with the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27). While Bickle mentions the gospel here and there, the gospel was not the foundation to pray from and this disappointed me. I have no doubt that Bickle would encourage disciples to pray from a relationship with God and this would flow from salvation but the gospel is all about God. Salvation is God! Prayer is only vital and powerful when we truly know God and understand who He is and what He has done in saving us from our sins through His Son.

Lastly, Bickle uses a few people that I would not have mentioned such as Kenneth Hagin or John G. Lake. Both men's theology was seriously flawed.

Overall this book is worth reading. I don't think it was the greatest book I have read on prayer. The works of Leonard Ravenhill far exceed this book. However, it is a good read and I did enjoy it overall.

[Talia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's taken me so long to finish this book--not because it was dull and dry all the way through, but because there was so much to take in. There was a lot of in-depth stuff in this book that needed to be taken in slowly, for me anyways. Well, and also, I am one of those people who connects more when preachers or teachers tell stories while preaching, for an example or for some point. Mike Bickle's teaching style doesn't include a lot of stories that illustrate the point so it was a little harder for me to get into at times. It is more like a textbook/study guide feel. It was to the point and did not get off course that often. For those of you who prefer solely informational teaching with little storytelling or rabbit-trailing, this will be a bonus point for you.

After having taken over a year to read this book, I can say that it has inspired me to pray more and encouraged me in the area of knowing that my prayers are effective. I have had prayers answered by God, looking back, but sometimes it feels as though I'm doing nothing when I pray. That doesn't mean that nothing is happening though.

I didn't agree with everything Mike Bickle wrote, but I rarely agree with everything anyone says, including myself at times.

Some things that were discussed in this book were the different types of prayer; those discussed being intercessory, personal petition, & devotional prayer. A look at some of the subjects of chapters:

Characteristics of Effective Prayer
Organizing Your Prayer Time
Fellowshipping With the Holy Spirit

This book covers so much about prayer, including fasting, praying in the Holy Spirit, the worship in Heaven, and the global prayer movement today to name a few. This is not a slap-dash deal--it is well thought out, and a great resource for those who think that they should pray (more) but may have not been taught that much about it. Or if you just want to know more about praying in general to deepen your prayer life.

If you're not sure where to start when it comes to praying, Mike Bickle provides several example prayers to give you a kick-off point when you do finally set aside time to pray but your mind goes blank. He includes prayers for leaders in government, cities and nations, your family, and others.

Chapter 19 - Praying in the Spirit was one of my favorite chapters. I didn't agree with all of what was said in there but the author made so many good points that I don't think I've heard any other author or teacher make.

There was a chapter, chapter 25 I believe, that was the hardest for me to read because I didn't find it very interesting. This chapter took me a long time to get through because I wasn't interested.

This book is a good resource for those interesting in learning more about prayer.

"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."
James 5:16 NLT

4 stars.

[Ashton E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being an intersession missionary sounds so cool. Spending 6 hours a day at least in the prayer room, worshiping God and asking him to move on the earth.
This book surprised me with helpful acronyms and practicals about how to start your own prayer group.
There was a huge emphasis on praying the Bible and passages to pray. This would be a great book to keep in a prayer room.

[Matthew Rosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is deep and practical. I've always enjoyed hearing Mike Bickle teach with childlike excitement, and that same excitement comes across in this book. This man has a heart like David's, with not just a longing to be in the presence of God, but a life long commitment to spend daily time in prayer. I trust he practices what he preaches. I also deeply appreciate the heart he has to pray for the salvation of Israel.

I truly believe there are principles in this book I will never forget and always incorporate into my prayer life. In addition, it will be a great reference in those seasons when prayer begins to feel dry.

[Jerrye Tellmeagreatstorylove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meeting God Face to Face by Bill Johnson/Growing in Prayer by Mike Bickle

Published by Charisma House January 08, 2019/February 05, 2019

Genre: Devotional, Spiritual Growth

Pages: 365/230

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars – both

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Publisher’s Description

Did you know that you have the same access to God the Father that Jesus has? Meeting God Face to Face is a 365-day devotional based on Bill Johnson’s best-selling book Face to Face With God. Each day’s reflection contains a Scripture verse, a short reading, a highlighted point to ponder, and lines for journaling.

Much of the content of this devotional and its companion book, Face to Face With God, was first preached by Bill Johnson in 2002. This message became his whole life—a life devoted to discovering and hosting the presence of God. Pursuing this goal has been costly, but it did not prevent him from making it his sole reason for living.

If you desire to grow in intimacy with God and develop a stronger sense of and appreciation for His presence, this book is for you! Deepen your relationship with God by pursuing His favor and continuing the spiritual journey you started through Face to Face With God.

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Every believer who sincerely desires an intimate relationship with God must discover the transformational power of prayer. This one-hundred-day devotional, inspired by Mike Bickle’s best-selling book Growing in Prayer, will give readers daily inspiration, knowledge, and guidance to help them cultivate deeper intimacy with God through prayer.
Each day contains a quote on prayer from a classic Christian author, a passage from a chapter in Growing in Prayer for reflection, a Scripture verse or reference, a prayer starter, a suggestion for practical application of the principle being taught, and lines for journaling.

This devotional will help energize a prayer life that has become routine, stale, or nonexistent and will be a welcome resource for believers who desire to grow in prayer.

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Story Notes

I am reviewing these books together as I feel they compliment each other and give more depth to a daily quiet time.

Bill Johnson’s 365 day devotional will bring encouragement, lessons to learn and a chance to bring believers closer than ever to the Lord.

I really enjoyed reading this devotional for review, though I will admit that I didn’t get to every page yet. Its difficult to read what is supposed to be for a year within a month but I wanted to get a good grasp before I reviewed and here is what I saw: To begin with, this book is definitely geared towards those who do not currently spend time in daily quiet with the Lord. It has short passages for each day with challenges and a space for personal reflection that will help new Bible studiers figure out how to set aside time to learn from and hear from God. I liked that each day built on something from the day before and that Mr. Johnson asked tough questions meant to be pondered. And the inclusion of personal experiences or encounters with God will be encouragement for those seeking to know Him better. I will say that while I found the content to be very good, it may not appeal to believers who have been studying for a long while. Its not particularly “meaty” enough if you just read one day at a time, but I found it better when I read 3-5 of them at a time. I will certainly recommend this study for those looking to find a new way to grow closer to God or those who are new believers. It give fresh perspective to things we may have read or seen many times before.

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Mike Bickle’s 100 day devotional seeks to teach believers the power of prayer to transform their relationship with God into what God intends it to be – an ongoing conversation that brings strength and comfort every day.

I’m still working through this devotional and I’m loving the content. Each day builds on the last and the challenges that Mr. Bickle gives come straight from the Word. He began each day with a quote on prayer and then would answer a question about why, how, when, where or how much we should pray. This led to the question of what the reader should then do and a challenge for the day. The readings closed with a prayer and space for reflection of what was learned or what will be done that day. I like that while the daily readings were short, the questions or challenges included required me to ponder them and consider what I needed to pray about now or all day. I found myself thinking of those readings throughout the day and praying for those I love and respect more frequently than before. I also found myself checking in more often with others about what is happening with them and if they had any prayer needs or updates. I fully intend to finish this devotional and will certainly pass it on to others. This devotional could be done by new believers or those who are finding their prayer life a little lack-luster these days. Readers will come away with encouraged hearts and new challenges to pray more often and longer in order to grow closer to the Lord and do His will. I will certainly recommend it to others and hope they will encounter God in a deeper way and improve their daily conversations with Him as I am now doing.

I received both of these books free of charge from Charisma House in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from Charisma House for either of these reviews and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

[Renee Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are major points of theology where I disagree with Bickle, and places where he is flat-out wrong, e.g. "Jesus is the first social reformer who linked the release of justice to night and day prayer." (p. 184) This completely ignores Moses and the prophets! But there are other places where he gives good advice on starting and developing one's prayer life. For these reasons, I am reluctant to recommend this book to everyone. But if you are confident that you can read and interpret scripture for yourself and not be led astray by someone else's mistakes (and we all make them), there's a lot to be gleaned from this book.

[Jeff Bradbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on prayer I have ever read. It is very comprehensive, Biblical, inspiring. I find that much prayer is learned from experience and Bickle appropriately mixes experience with Scripture. I will refer to this book often. I found it very encouraging as he talks about many of the experiences of prayer that I too have had. Bickle gives a sort of map to follow with contours that point out the ways of prayer. I highly recommend this book.

[Robyn Elise]

This book is incredible! It has really shaped my understanding of prayer and passion to pray! We get to communicate with God in prayer and get to know Him more, hear from Him and enjoy His presence. I still look back at chapters and the appendix area to pray scripture and be encouraged by the simple ways in which we can incorporate prayer into our daily lives.

[Clare Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely informative theological account of how to tackle prayer from all angles.

Whether a mature prayer warrior or completely new to what prayer is all about, this book will keep you on your toes for years to come

[Helen Watson]

Many people love this. Its not a reading book, its a doing book. So if you just want to finish it you may not get the best out of it. Its a book to help you use scripture to pray more powerfully.

[Phil Fortin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. It got me to get deeper into my Bible and praying His Word. I highly recommend it.

[Gabriela Fernández · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo volveré a leer! ☺️

[Kloee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a whiiiiile to finish this guy. So cohesive and informative, and there’s so much valuable information. It’s dense but good!

[Jono Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the heart of all relationships is communication. Speaking with another person is an investment in that relationship. The same is true in our Christian walk and that is why “speaking with God” must be a core activity we engage in. We call this “speaking with God” prayer. Prayer is often a guilt inducing topic for Christians, like evangelism and missions, believers know that that they should be doing it, but often need help to see it modeled. That is why as a staff member at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City I so appreciate Mike Bickle, he doesn’t just preach about prayer but he actually prays. Those who are on staff at IHOPKC know where they will find Mike for much of the week – in the prayer room, connecting with God and modeling the way for others. That is why I am genuinely excited about Mike’s new book “Growing in Prayer” a book of wisdom about prayer from a man who has given himself to prayer and leading prayer meetings for most of his ministry.


I hope this isn’t taken as hyperbole, but I do believe this is Mike’s most important book. As I was gathering endorsements for the book from Christian leaders around the world a common sentiment came up “This book will become a classic.” I am sure that this helpful book will find it’s ways into many of the streams and traditions of the global church. If somebody asks me if I can recommend a book on prayer there are many that come to mind, depending on whether you want to focus on devotional prayer, intercession, revival or other forms of spiritual discipline, however this will now be my go to guide to prayer and I have already started recommending it to people.


In the book Mike deals with many different types of prayer and principles of prayer. Condensing much of the wisdom he has gained over the years, he starts with the importance of prayer in an individual believer’s life and deals with basic things like scheduling and creating prayer lists. He then talks about many practical tools and principles for intercessory prayer – he looks at the importance of praying biblical prayers. This is a critical component of intercessory prayer, for unifying prayer meetings as well as needed for individual devotionally as they pray-read the Word.


The book is informative looking at historical and biblical models of prayer and also looking at what God is doing around the world today with a converging prayer and missions movement, but at its heart this is a book for the practitioner. If you want to pray more, if you want to see your relationship with God go to a different level of depth read a chapter, stop reading and try out what you have just read, it works.


If you are interested in getting this book I encourage you to get it from the IHOPKC bookstore. It’s not only less expensive than anywhere else, by getting a copy here you will be supporting a prayer ministry

[Cheryl Skid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! Is this book good! It capitalizes on the character of the one who prays. It challenges us to pray daily, pray effectively and keep on until our last breath. Now, at this crucial time in history the lessons on spiritual warfare are bullseye! Wake up! Love it! We are leading groups using this book in our church.

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not loving this book, and actually may not finish it. Four chapters in, I'm bored, and we haven't talked much about prayer, yet. i think he's probably laying foundations, but they're not interesting. This might do better as an audiobook, where the repetition and simple sentences can be helpful, or as a series of sermons possibly.

[Daunavan Buyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book on Prayer

I highly recommend this book to people looking to grow in their prayer lives.
Mike Bickle has given his entire life to prayer and knowing Gods word and it’s evident in this book.

[Miss F Snelgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book!

This book will change your prayer life forever. It has changed mine. The book is very thorough and deals with every aspect of prayer. It is easy to read and understand. I really do recommend this book to anyone who wants to go deeper into prayer.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, in depth overview of how to grow in prayer. Great insights, and prayer list ideas.