Pray Bold: Dare to Ask and Believe Big

by Joel Osteen

Unlock the experience of praying for and getting what you need with #1 New York Times bestselling author Joel Osteen! At any given moment, God is ready to jump into our lives and act on our circumstances. But we spend so much time overwhelmed by the demands of daily life that we forget the amazing power we have access to as children of God. Our lives are dull and our situations don't change because we are not asking God for the bold desires that are in our hearts. Instead of praying that God will help you survive the day of work at a dead-end job, pray that God will open the doors for you to have your dream job at your dream company. Instead of praying that God will keep you and your spouse from getting a divorce, pray that God will light the way to making your marriage happy and thriving again.  There is a clear pathway between what we think, what we ask for, and what God does. Transform your life by starting a new way of thinking, asking boldly, and believing big!

Genres: Religion

224 pages, Hardcover

Published January 7, 2025

About the author

JOEL OSTEEN is the author of seven 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.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read an Osteen book in awhile and I was glad to have picked this one up. The author used scripture and enthusiasm to encourage big bold prayers to get the most out of life.

While I always appreciate his enthusiasm and positivity, I just want to say all I think the little prayers in life are every bit as important as the daring and big ones. So 4 stars.

[Devante Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the examples in the book about HOW to pray. I think Joel does a good job sharing the word and empathizing with everyone’s own personal journey with God. Definitely worth the read!

[Gela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly feel that this book chose me and couldn’t have came into my life at a better time. I wouldn’t say that I am a Christian, God and I argue all the time, I don’t particularly understand Him and I’m not really sure what he truly thinks of me. With that being said Pray Bold was something I needed to read and dare I say, believe. So, when I was asked if I would like to read Joel Osteens book since I have review one of his before I was like, “wow, maybe the man upstairs is giving me a sign,” plus I like free books, my wallet thanks you!

In Pray Bold Dare to Ask and Believe Big Joel answers the question I think most of us have asked God over and over and it’s one of the things I believe causes us to lose faith in Him. He did not answer my prayers! Why is that? That’s why a part of me still has my doubts and Joel would probably tell me that doubting Him is keeping me from my blessing. So, I am going onto go out on a limb and dare to believe and Pray Bold. Why? Because what would it hurt?

When I sitting at lunch the other day I was talking to someone I admire. A guy who I am actually interest in and who is unaware that he has stolen my heart. He is the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet, caring, loving and wears his heart on his sleeve. And dare I say, he is a self proclaimed atheist. Now hear me out, he has told me stories of growing up with a verbally abusive alcoholic father, poor childhood, bullied and has had his fair share of heartache. I actually loved his banter about his disapproval for me reading this book. However he was very critical when I explained Joel mentioning to not pray little but pray big, pray bold. His reply was see that’s my problem with religion why tell people things like that and give people false hope, life sucks. Boom! This has been my biggest argument with God and my pull to and from faith. And what did I do, I defended Joel’s book and I defended faith. I didn’t do this because I believe 100% or I wanted to argue with the guy I like, but because his argument was exactly the reason I need God and I need Faith. Which probably doesn’t make sense to most, but if I didn’t question you how would I grow? I don’t think you have to be a Christian or religious to appreciate what Joel does and what he preaches. It’s positivity, doing good by one another and speaking yourself up! Joel is a Spiritual Life Coach. He has, or as I remember him saying his father, started this type of preaching style… I don’t know about you, but if I was brought up in this style or type of faith, I probably would be a devout Christian today. Who cares is he’s not the typical Christian preacher, who sounds more like a motivational speaker- isn’t the Bible suppose to be motivational? My point is simple, Joel speaks positivity to all people, he makes me believe that God wants more for me and encourages me to be bold and speak to Him. What is the harm in that? My doubt is the reason why I seek God and Joel is the reason I dare to believe God. Joel’s positivity and faith is contagious! And well, life is hard, it can suck and break your heart and that’s why we all need a Spiritual Life Coach. A little bit of faith and positivity never hurt anyone.

It is my belief that those who argue the most with God are your kinder people and who are actually closer to God is a strange type of way.

Pick up the book - you’ll love it. Joel is great at cheering people up. And I believe God approves and whether or not it turned me into a Christian or not doesn’t matter it’s helping me live my best life and bringing me closer to GOoD things in my life.

I would definitely recommend to anyone who needs more faith… 4 stars only because I have to test this Bold prayers out a bit and positivity to experience it myself. (It’s ok right He should know how I am, He created me)

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Pray Bold, Joel Osteen has written a brand-new book about taking the limits off of God and boldly praying holding nothing back. This book encouraged readers to ask God for explosive blessings and receive everything God has for us. Joel explained how what we pray determines what kind of life we will live. He reminded us that scriptures declare how He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or even imagine. Many of us get stuck in a rut of praying the same prayers over and over again and praying small. If God was able to grant everything, we ask for right now, would it be a small prayer or something bigger.


One of my favorite stories was about a man named Casey. He owned a company that moved houses. They had to regularly move power lines and signage to clear the way to move the house down the road. One day they arrived to realized that the main chain to unload the house was missing. He didn’t have time to go back and find it. He didn’t want to abandon the house either. He told his crew that all they could do was pray. He decided to pray and someone commented and made a joke about how is this even going to happen. It’s not like God is going to make one fall from Heaven. Casey still prayed that God would provide and supernaturally do something to help. A few minutes later, there was a truck coming down the road making a sharp turn in the curve. It had the tail gate open and out comes flying and lands near Casey’s feet. He picks it up and they finish the job. This story was very inspiring in believing and having faith that God can provide for us whenever we need His help.


One of my favorite chapters discussed receive when you believe. A lot of us who are single are praying that we will meet someone soon. Others are praying for healing and wholeness. Some are praying that their marriage will be restored. Some could be praying about relationships that have gone astray, a new job, financial help, just to touch on a few. Joel reminded readers about Mark 11 and how whatever we ask for in prayer we must believe it first and receive it and how then it would be ours. He stated how we need to instead declare how we receive our healing right now. He then retold the story about his mother being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in 1981. The doctors couldn’t do any treatment for her. He shared how they prayed and asked God to heal her. She wrote it down on her calendar the day healing come into her body. She would constantly thank God even though she didn’t feel any different. She kept on thanking Him for healing. She had to received it in her spirit before she saw any evidence in the natural. This chapter deliberated how we don’t have to keep asking God over and over instead we can learn to receive it and believe that it has happened. We can thank Him for it and this shows that we trust Him and His power. He also went over how we don’t need to cancel out our prayers with doubts and unbelief. Being double minded isn’t going to help you.



I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready for a change and they are tired of praying small prayers. This book will inspire you to pray bold prayers and to take the limits off God and believe and then receive it. It was very eye opening to me to be reminded about how we don’t have to keep praying and instead we can receive it by faith. We can learn to control our doubts and not being doubled minded. The stories presented in this book will encourage readers to pray prayers that will stretch your faith. The book also enclosed thirty prayers we can pray such as facing adversity, feeling like a failure, controlling your thoughts, victory over fear, stop living for people’s approval, and much more. There is a special section of discussion questions. This book is another excellent book from pastor, Joel Osteen and readers will love it!

[Valerie Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I've never followed Joel Osteen. However,  several years back a client gifted me one of his books and I've been reading them ever since. I think you could guess the overall message in this one BUT I was actually a little surprised at what the text revealed. In its pages was a new way to think about how you compose your Prayer not just how much emphasis to place on the words. I for sure am guilty of doing so many of the things that Joel says are not the most effective methods of asking for what you need, nor are they maximizing the limitless resources that are God's favor.

I'm not going to give away too much detail, you will all have to read the book to find out all the secrets. But for those who still need more pointers after reading the text there is a cheat sheet of ready made prayers for several types of situations! And if you wanted to engage even more, the reflection/ discussion questions are another added bonus. Those two aspects alone make this one of my favorite of his books so far.

[Angie Dent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

If your faith has been asleep and needs spiritual awakening, this book will definitely raise it up. If your faith is sharp and ready to go at any moment, it’ll move you to reach even higher. Either way, this book will take your faith to a new, bolder level. Having examples of what bold prayers really are made me reevaluate my prayer style.

Including scriptures in this book adds strength to this type of teaching. I was glad for the references. The “reflections” section is also a great plus. They’re excellent ways to continue your bold, faith journey. The selected prayers to assist with overcoming various challenges are powerful and very encouraging. I think anyone reading them would certainly make progress in whatever they desire to accomplish.

Anyone who wants to grow in faith will greatly benefit from this book. I highly recommend it.

[Frances Gonzalez-Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great inspirational book to start the New Year with. I coupled the book with Audible and enjoyed the read from page one to the very end. If you've ever seen any of Joel Osteen's services or have listened to his podcasts, this book is very similar in the sense of tone and delivery. It felt like several mini-sermons embedded within the book.

This book is a perfect blend of simplified explanations, relatable examples, and scriptures that are tied in perfectly to pray boldly and to pray for others (so important at this time!). I loved underlining certain mentioned scriptures and turning to the Bible to read them in their entirety.

I also loved how several prayers for different circumstances were included at the end as your go-to.

[Diva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly inspiring. It helped me stay grounded, especially whenever I needed to navigate through a challenging situation. It served as a powerful reminder of my ability to get through things and that there's always something better out there for me. My belief and my faith have only deepened, and though I've always felt I was meant to live a bigger life; with the help of this book, now I know for sure. If you're looking for a reminder that you are always being guided and that God is always listening, then I highly recommend this book.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel Osteen’s books always encourage me. When life brings me down, he helps boost my faith as I focus on the Lord. This book is motivating and contains helpful insights about praying bold prayers. I especially loved the 30 prayers included in the back of the book.

Bridget’s Book Ratings

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 = Phenomenal book, I loved it, I got a lot of insight out of it, and/ or I couldn’t put it down.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 = A great book. I’m glad I read it.
🌟🌟🌟 = Book was good, but not a personal favorite.
🌟🌟 = The book has room for improvement.
🌟 = Not a book I would recommend.

[Lisa Fanucchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Joel‘s books… However, each book I read is very repetitive. I appreciate the positivity, however he does repeat himself by saying the same thing in every book he’s written. What I’m getting at is this book is nothing new that I haven’t already read of his.
I enjoyed the prayers in the back of the book. Great for daily motivation and positivity.
Minus one star for the repetition, otherwise good message.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The use of "Pray Bold" on the book shows this book will be different than the usual things we readen when Jesus is in the place.

In the "Introduction" piece of the book gets out to show somethings we usually don't hear about it. These three sections in this book makes this book different in many ways.

There's good reading in the book that we have to think about. I suggest that a group of believers need to use the early pieces of the book in a deep way.

[Christine A Columna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read many of Joel’s books and this one feels extremely repetitive. I knew most of the Bible’s stories and the analogies by heart and felt too repetitive about the Compact center, stepping into the ministry, positive talk to one’s self and breaking addiction/habits/patterns. I really liked the 30 Bold prayers in the back and took pictures of them to use and prayer with.

[Asia Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel Osteen helped put prayer and faith into perspective by his many examples and bold words. Pray Bold is a very useful book when you are trying to turn limited thinking into unshakeable faith! Osteen reminds readers how powerful God is and he has the final say in our lives. Ask for bold prayers and see how your life does a 360!

[Nikka · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring read filled with powerful reminders on how to pray with intention and confidence. Joel Osteen encourages bold, faith-filled prayers, offering practical insights and uplifting messages. A great book for anyone looking to strengthen their prayer life.

[Cristian Marrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book to read. A bit too repetitive. A collection of stories from life and the bible to get the message across. Sometimes all we have to do is take a bolder step and ASK for what GOD is waiting for.

[Mark Rhode · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good messages and biblical examples. The audiobook reads like a really long preaching session and ends with examples of prayers for different needs.

[Claudia Anastasopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different message from Pastor Joel that resonates with me. The idea of thanking God ahead of a turnaround instead of waiting for proof.

[Annamarie Cima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Luanne]

Can I read the book pray bold

[Stacy C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a lot of his books that he's published in the past decade. This one isn't as unrealistically positive as the first book I read and his earlier telecasts, which I've viewed. The premise of this book is that time is wasted on minute prayers, and God wants us to ask for things that are out of our reach and unattainable. Basically, when we have God's attention, why not ask him to make something impossible happen in our lives and believe it will be answered? The book offers good suggestions, realistic assignments, and interesting topics for discussion.