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Synced: Living Connected to the Heart of Jesus
Synced is an inspiring book that shows how the power of prayer looks in our ordinary lives when we stay connected to the heart of Jesus. Using the Lord’s Prayer as anchor points, Synced includes additional gospel passages that encourage us to emulate the way Jesus lived His life in step with the Father through prayer. Also included are real-life stories of people living connected to the heart of Jesus, finding themselves in the right place at the right time. Be inspired to live connected.
176 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 12, 2016
I’ve spent some time this year focused on the book of Matthew, and as a part of it I’ve been reading and learning about the Sermon of the Mount. It is here that we learn the model prayer that Jesus gives to the disciples, and as a result my interest in my prayer life and growing that portion of my life has grown. So, when I received the opportunity to review Synced: Living Connected to the Heart of Jesus, I knew that I was interested in reading more about the life of prayer and connection that Jesus lived.
In Synced, author Jennifer Dean Kennedy explores how Jesus did nothing apart from the Father and how he synced his life to match his Father’s directives and desires. As Kennedy explores these ideas, she uses the Lord’s prayer and explores aspects of that prayer as a way of showing just how in-step the Father and Son are. In application, she also shows us how to be connected to the Father through our living out the phrases of this prayer.
Kennedy concentrates pretty heavily on the first two phrases in the Lord’s prayer and the bulk of her book is built upon exploring such concepts as “Our Father,” “The Heavens,” “The Hallowed Name,” and “Seeking the Kingdom.” These portions are sometimes a little less practical than I would like, but they’re beneficial for building a foundation in what the Lord’s prayer means and looks like as well as the relationship with the Father.
The two chapters I needed up relating to the best were the chapters on “day by day” and “let it go.” I felt the sting of conviction when I read about the manna and pondered what God might be feeding me “day by day” to strip me of myself and grow me towards him. I didn’t actually have to ponder because I already know, but suffice it to say that I have a different attitude towards that area of my life than I did before.
There’s also a story in the “let it go” section that really speaks to me. Much like the author, I didn’t realize that I had such an attachment to money and the “stuff” in my life until I had a little less stuff and turned into quite the whiny baby. I’m so glad that, even though it’s often painful, God knows what we need to purify our hearts.
Overall, this was a good book, and one that I found helpful on my faith journey. I’m glad for what I’ve gleaned from it and for the picture of the relationship between the Father and Son that I, through adoption am privileged to attempt to emulate.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In Synced, author Jennifer Dean Kennedy explores how Jesus did nothing apart from the Father and how he synced his life to match his Father’s directives and desires. As Kennedy explores these ideas, she uses the Lord’s prayer and explores aspects of that prayer as a way of showing just how in-step the Father and Son are. In application, she also shows us how to be connected to the Father through our living out the phrases of this prayer.
Kennedy concentrates pretty heavily on the first two phrases in the Lord’s prayer and the bulk of her book is built upon exploring such concepts as “Our Father,” “The Heavens,” “The Hallowed Name,” and “Seeking the Kingdom.” These portions are sometimes a little less practical than I would like, but they’re beneficial for building a foundation in what the Lord’s prayer means and looks like as well as the relationship with the Father.
The two chapters I needed up relating to the best were the chapters on “day by day” and “let it go.” I felt the sting of conviction when I read about the manna and pondered what God might be feeding me “day by day” to strip me of myself and grow me towards him. I didn’t actually have to ponder because I already know, but suffice it to say that I have a different attitude towards that area of my life than I did before.
There’s also a story in the “let it go” section that really speaks to me. Much like the author, I didn’t realize that I had such an attachment to money and the “stuff” in my life until I had a little less stuff and turned into quite the whiny baby. I’m so glad that, even though it’s often painful, God knows what we need to purify our hearts.
Overall, this was a good book, and one that I found helpful on my faith journey. I’m glad for what I’ve gleaned from it and for the picture of the relationship between the Father and Son that I, through adoption am privileged to attempt to emulate.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2016
Jennifer Kennedy Dean in her new book, “Synced” published by New Hope Publishers gives us Living Connected to the Heart of Jesus.
From the back cover: What was the secret to Jesus’ life of power? Living in sync with God.
In Synced, national best-selling author and prayer expert Jennifer Kennedy Dean shows us what living synced looks like, and how we can live connected to the heart of Jesus the same way He lived synced to the Father.
* Explore how His life of power came from His life of prayer.
*Discover how Jesus walked in a flow of power as He found Himself in the right place at the right time with the right resources?
*See what the Scripture has to show us about living connected to the heart of Jesus, and hear from present day believers who have experienced the power of living synced.
Live connected to the heart of Jesus through an extraordinary prayer life!
To live “Synced” you have to start with a foundation of obedience. And obedience works on a day-by-day schedule, you cannot be obedient on Monday and have that carry you for the week. In 1 Kings chapter 17 Elijah is commanded to go to a widow who will feed him daily. It turns out when he arrives that she only has food for that one day and then she and her son will starve. Elijah tells her to feed him with them and she does. From that day on they never run out of provision to eat but it is given to them daily. Ms. Dean looks at the Sermon of the Mount from the book of Matthew and all her chapters are built from its verses. The Sermon On The Mount was a model prayer and Ms. Dean uses it to show us how we can enter into closer fellowship with the Lord. I recommend this book highly.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: What was the secret to Jesus’ life of power? Living in sync with God.
In Synced, national best-selling author and prayer expert Jennifer Kennedy Dean shows us what living synced looks like, and how we can live connected to the heart of Jesus the same way He lived synced to the Father.
* Explore how His life of power came from His life of prayer.
*Discover how Jesus walked in a flow of power as He found Himself in the right place at the right time with the right resources?
*See what the Scripture has to show us about living connected to the heart of Jesus, and hear from present day believers who have experienced the power of living synced.
Live connected to the heart of Jesus through an extraordinary prayer life!
To live “Synced” you have to start with a foundation of obedience. And obedience works on a day-by-day schedule, you cannot be obedient on Monday and have that carry you for the week. In 1 Kings chapter 17 Elijah is commanded to go to a widow who will feed him daily. It turns out when he arrives that she only has food for that one day and then she and her son will starve. Elijah tells her to feed him with them and she does. From that day on they never run out of provision to eat but it is given to them daily. Ms. Dean looks at the Sermon of the Mount from the book of Matthew and all her chapters are built from its verses. The Sermon On The Mount was a model prayer and Ms. Dean uses it to show us how we can enter into closer fellowship with the Lord. I recommend this book highly.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
March 23, 2016
Reviewed at The Power of Words: http://bit.ly/1PrxNIr
Jennifer Kennedy Dean is a gifted teacher and communicator who is passionate about prayer, and she always makes me realize how much more I have to learn when it comes to moving from “having a prayer life” to “living a praying life.” In these days where most of us own several electronic devices, the term “synced” is very familiar. Jennifer applies this concept as she summarizes Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane: “Father, download Your will into my heart so that it overwrites any other desire. Download courageous faith that deletes fear. Synchronize My heart’s desire to Yours.”
Synced is neither a devotional nor a “how to” book on prayer – and while it’s not deep theology, neither is it light reading. Synced is a close examination of how the life that Jesus lived flowed out of the prayer that Jesus prayed when the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Synced seemed a little repetitive at times, yet it helped reinforce Jennifer’s teaching and I came away looking at the Lord’s Prayer in a new way. I love the reminder that “just as Jesus called on the power from heaven for the tasks of earth, we have access through Him to that same power.” Chapters deal with various themes, such as our Father, the heavens, seeking the kingdom, to will His will, day by day, and let it go.
These words from Jennifer’s Litfuse interview beautifully convey the main message of Synced: “Jesus has invited us to live synced to His heart the same way He lived synced to the Father’s heart. We can live our earthly lives supplied by heaven’s resources. Like Jesus, we will see that God’s will finds us and we just happen to be in the right place at the right time with the right resources. Unending adventure.”
I had lots of highlights when I finished reading; here are just a few quotes that spoke to me:
“When “our Father” is the headline, then the requests that follow are all defined by the intimate, loving, safe relationship of a father to His child.”
- Chapter 3, Our Father
“When we ty to live tomorrow today, what God wants to do today gets lost in the haze of an unknowable tomorrow.”
- Chapter 9, Day by Day
“If we are synced to the Spirit, then His slightest whispers and His warnings aren’t hard to hear.”
- Chapter 10, Let It Go
Jennifer writes from the heart, conveying insights gained through years of personal experience, and her conversational style makes for easy following. I expect Synced to be life changing when I begin going through it in depth and I can tell that it will be a book I refer to again and again in the years ahead.
Thank you to Litfuse for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Jennifer Kennedy Dean is a gifted teacher and communicator who is passionate about prayer, and she always makes me realize how much more I have to learn when it comes to moving from “having a prayer life” to “living a praying life.” In these days where most of us own several electronic devices, the term “synced” is very familiar. Jennifer applies this concept as she summarizes Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane: “Father, download Your will into my heart so that it overwrites any other desire. Download courageous faith that deletes fear. Synchronize My heart’s desire to Yours.”
Synced is neither a devotional nor a “how to” book on prayer – and while it’s not deep theology, neither is it light reading. Synced is a close examination of how the life that Jesus lived flowed out of the prayer that Jesus prayed when the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Synced seemed a little repetitive at times, yet it helped reinforce Jennifer’s teaching and I came away looking at the Lord’s Prayer in a new way. I love the reminder that “just as Jesus called on the power from heaven for the tasks of earth, we have access through Him to that same power.” Chapters deal with various themes, such as our Father, the heavens, seeking the kingdom, to will His will, day by day, and let it go.
These words from Jennifer’s Litfuse interview beautifully convey the main message of Synced: “Jesus has invited us to live synced to His heart the same way He lived synced to the Father’s heart. We can live our earthly lives supplied by heaven’s resources. Like Jesus, we will see that God’s will finds us and we just happen to be in the right place at the right time with the right resources. Unending adventure.”
I had lots of highlights when I finished reading; here are just a few quotes that spoke to me:
“When “our Father” is the headline, then the requests that follow are all defined by the intimate, loving, safe relationship of a father to His child.”
- Chapter 3, Our Father
“When we ty to live tomorrow today, what God wants to do today gets lost in the haze of an unknowable tomorrow.”
- Chapter 9, Day by Day
“If we are synced to the Spirit, then His slightest whispers and His warnings aren’t hard to hear.”
- Chapter 10, Let It Go
Jennifer writes from the heart, conveying insights gained through years of personal experience, and her conversational style makes for easy following. I expect Synced to be life changing when I begin going through it in depth and I can tell that it will be a book I refer to again and again in the years ahead.
Thank you to Litfuse for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 17, 2016
When I received the book my first impression from the cover was one of peace. The inside brings us instruction of how to strengthen our prayer life or as the author explains it's living a praying life. She starts out by explaining that though The Father and Jesus were one in nature that when Jesus came to earth and took on a human form he still made the choice over and over again to surrender to The Father.
Jesus tells us in Luke 22:42
"Not my will, but yours be done",
and also in John 6:38
"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will,
but to do the will of him who sent me".
The author reminds us that living synced means starting with complete, undiluted obedience and an unreserved commitment.
She explains that this requires deliberate intentions and decision.
Furthermore as she delves deeper into becoming synced with Jesus she circles around to prayer. For a lot of people this is a difficult area for most people and I admit I am one. I seem to get hung up on trying to do it properly. Well guess what, praying is ongoing and as long as you go into prayer joyful and completely then there's not really a wrong way. I think God understands us completely. Each chapter reveals how to live in the flow.
The book is 192 pages in length.
It consists of 11 chapters and a conclusion.
The Chapters:
Living Synced
The Art Of Prayer
Our Father
The Father
The Heavens
The Hallowed Name
Seek The Kingdom
To Will His Will
Day By Day
Let It Go
Proven
The book is written is easy to understand language and has biblical reference to further explain her points.
This is a well written book that is essentially about prayer. Yes, it has it's positives, but for some reason there were times I just couldn't connect with it. I can't really say why. My relationship with God is strengthen through prayer and reading his word in the Bible.
I think this would be perfect lead as a bible study in a group setting.
*I received this book from the author for a honest review without outside influence or bias. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jesus tells us in Luke 22:42
"Not my will, but yours be done",
and also in John 6:38
"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will,
but to do the will of him who sent me".
The author reminds us that living synced means starting with complete, undiluted obedience and an unreserved commitment.
She explains that this requires deliberate intentions and decision.
Furthermore as she delves deeper into becoming synced with Jesus she circles around to prayer. For a lot of people this is a difficult area for most people and I admit I am one. I seem to get hung up on trying to do it properly. Well guess what, praying is ongoing and as long as you go into prayer joyful and completely then there's not really a wrong way. I think God understands us completely. Each chapter reveals how to live in the flow.
The book is 192 pages in length.
It consists of 11 chapters and a conclusion.
The Chapters:
Living Synced
The Art Of Prayer
Our Father
The Father
The Heavens
The Hallowed Name
Seek The Kingdom
To Will His Will
Day By Day
Let It Go
Proven
The book is written is easy to understand language and has biblical reference to further explain her points.
This is a well written book that is essentially about prayer. Yes, it has it's positives, but for some reason there were times I just couldn't connect with it. I can't really say why. My relationship with God is strengthen through prayer and reading his word in the Bible.
I think this would be perfect lead as a bible study in a group setting.
*I received this book from the author for a honest review without outside influence or bias. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 14, 2016
Various parts of this book ministered to my heart. My desire is definitely to live in sync with my Heavenly Father and Jesus my Savior. But at times it is difficult to see just how to get there. Jennifer does a wonderful job putting her thoughts into words and echoing the mind of Christ and how He lived in sync with His heavenly Father while in human form, feeling the same things we feel, yet totally submitted to God's will for His life. Wow! That is exactly what I want my life to look like - like Jesus'.
Jennifer shares by using the Lord's Prayer and breaking it up over several chapters. She says: "Living synced starts with an unreserved commitment to full and undiluted obedience. The hours spent syncing His heart (Jesus') to the Father's in prayer were the explanation for His flowing fluent rhythms of obedience, in step with the Father." Over and over, Jennifer takes us back to prayer - prayer is the essence of living an empowered life. She repeatedly shares the importance of prayer with stories and examples from Scripture and the life of Christ as He lived on earth while being in constant communion with the Father.
What I gleaned from this book:
It is possible for us to live like Jesus; to walk in the power of God because we are so in sync with Him. To be in total submission to Him that His will always over-rides our own will. This is a book, I feel like I could return to often, when I need to be reminded and refreshed spiritually. With all the distractions in today's day and age, it is easy to feel dis-communicated with God and just go about doing our own thing. Living synced takes work but is worth it to live victoriously in peace and have rest in our souls. I was once again reminded that prayer is the essence of living. Without it, I am truly nothing.
I felt like this book was written in a way that was easy to understand. In some places it may be a little repetitive, but still worth reading. It isn't a read in one sitting type book, but more one you would read as a devotional or addition to daily Bible reading.
I was blessed with a complimentary copy of this book by Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my honest opinion.
Jennifer shares by using the Lord's Prayer and breaking it up over several chapters. She says: "Living synced starts with an unreserved commitment to full and undiluted obedience. The hours spent syncing His heart (Jesus') to the Father's in prayer were the explanation for His flowing fluent rhythms of obedience, in step with the Father." Over and over, Jennifer takes us back to prayer - prayer is the essence of living an empowered life. She repeatedly shares the importance of prayer with stories and examples from Scripture and the life of Christ as He lived on earth while being in constant communion with the Father.
What I gleaned from this book:
It is possible for us to live like Jesus; to walk in the power of God because we are so in sync with Him. To be in total submission to Him that His will always over-rides our own will. This is a book, I feel like I could return to often, when I need to be reminded and refreshed spiritually. With all the distractions in today's day and age, it is easy to feel dis-communicated with God and just go about doing our own thing. Living synced takes work but is worth it to live victoriously in peace and have rest in our souls. I was once again reminded that prayer is the essence of living. Without it, I am truly nothing.
I felt like this book was written in a way that was easy to understand. In some places it may be a little repetitive, but still worth reading. It isn't a read in one sitting type book, but more one you would read as a devotional or addition to daily Bible reading.
I was blessed with a complimentary copy of this book by Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 22, 2016
Summary:
Synced encourages you to emulate the way Jesus lived His life. With real-life stories of people walking closely with Jesus, finding themselves in the right place at the right time, readers are challenged to examine what staying in step with the Spirit looks like. National best-selling author and known prayer expert, Jennifer Kennedy Dean, uses the familiar passage of the Lord's Prayer as anchor points to present the way Jesus lived His life in step with the Father through prayer.
Every moment is pregnant with purpose. Every moment is drenched in power. Prayer is no longer the means by which you attempt to get God to perform for you and becomes, instead, the means by which you connect with His heart and mind. A praying life is a life of peace and soul-rest. A praying life is lived in sync with the heart of Jesus.
My Thoughts:
Eleven chapters and a concluding chapter examine a life lived "in sync with God." Dean uses the Lord's prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 as the text.
This then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. NIV.
After reading Synced, I came to the conclusion the author's main thrust is in remaining in a close fellowship with God. The word Synced is used, but it means the same thing to me: abiding in Christ Jesus and thus in a close fellowship with God.
Several points are given in having a close fellowship with God:
Give the Lord control of our life.
Unity with Jesus is unity with God.
Rest in the Lord.
Compassion for people.
Shalom, "living fully supplied and provided for.
Do not "profane God's name."
When God calls us, He prepares us.
Forgiveness and letting go.
Being proven through testing.
Over-all, I felt synced provided me with the teaching and applications for living a life in unity and fellowship with God. I've read other books with a similar topic that delves deeper, but for an average student of the Bible, Synced is a solid choice.
Synced encourages you to emulate the way Jesus lived His life. With real-life stories of people walking closely with Jesus, finding themselves in the right place at the right time, readers are challenged to examine what staying in step with the Spirit looks like. National best-selling author and known prayer expert, Jennifer Kennedy Dean, uses the familiar passage of the Lord's Prayer as anchor points to present the way Jesus lived His life in step with the Father through prayer.
Every moment is pregnant with purpose. Every moment is drenched in power. Prayer is no longer the means by which you attempt to get God to perform for you and becomes, instead, the means by which you connect with His heart and mind. A praying life is a life of peace and soul-rest. A praying life is lived in sync with the heart of Jesus.
My Thoughts:
Eleven chapters and a concluding chapter examine a life lived "in sync with God." Dean uses the Lord's prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 as the text.
This then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. NIV.
After reading Synced, I came to the conclusion the author's main thrust is in remaining in a close fellowship with God. The word Synced is used, but it means the same thing to me: abiding in Christ Jesus and thus in a close fellowship with God.
Several points are given in having a close fellowship with God:
Give the Lord control of our life.
Unity with Jesus is unity with God.
Rest in the Lord.
Compassion for people.
Shalom, "living fully supplied and provided for.
Do not "profane God's name."
When God calls us, He prepares us.
Forgiveness and letting go.
Being proven through testing.
Over-all, I felt synced provided me with the teaching and applications for living a life in unity and fellowship with God. I've read other books with a similar topic that delves deeper, but for an average student of the Bible, Synced is a solid choice.
March 23, 2016
For me, this book was life changing. Not because it held some new concept or new direction but because it spoke to my heart and soul in ways that I needed.
This book is deep yet so easy to read and understand. It made it so lovely to read because I wasn't struggling to interpret what the author was trying to say. She spoke like a friend sitting across the table and that's how the whole book felt. I highlighted extensively throughout so I could refer back to the passages that spoke so deeply to my heart.
The book shares how Jesus' heart was in total sync with his Father's and that's how we need to be. As Christians, we have times when our faith life can go dry or even stall and this book was great in helping us to restart that faith and grow in deeper fellowship with the Lord. Jennifer writes by backing up everything with Scripture, which I always love. She shares how the Lord will direct our thoughts and open the doors that need to be opened and close the ones that need to be closed. I found this so reassuring because sometimes fear can crop up and this eased my heart.
I love the prayer life she encourages us to have. One like Jesus had. His power came from his prayer life and it she shows us how we can have the same kind of prayer life. I really feel like my prayer life got the boost it needed through this book.
I highly recommend this book. It encourages, enlightens and comforts. I will definitely be keeping this book handy to keep my prayer life refreshed and for encouragement on those days when I need it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group
This book is deep yet so easy to read and understand. It made it so lovely to read because I wasn't struggling to interpret what the author was trying to say. She spoke like a friend sitting across the table and that's how the whole book felt. I highlighted extensively throughout so I could refer back to the passages that spoke so deeply to my heart.
The book shares how Jesus' heart was in total sync with his Father's and that's how we need to be. As Christians, we have times when our faith life can go dry or even stall and this book was great in helping us to restart that faith and grow in deeper fellowship with the Lord. Jennifer writes by backing up everything with Scripture, which I always love. She shares how the Lord will direct our thoughts and open the doors that need to be opened and close the ones that need to be closed. I found this so reassuring because sometimes fear can crop up and this eased my heart.
I love the prayer life she encourages us to have. One like Jesus had. His power came from his prayer life and it she shows us how we can have the same kind of prayer life. I really feel like my prayer life got the boost it needed through this book.
I highly recommend this book. It encourages, enlightens and comforts. I will definitely be keeping this book handy to keep my prayer life refreshed and for encouragement on those days when I need it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group
March 18, 2016
This book changed my thinking. I can see myself referring back to it again and again as I need to remind myself just how much my Savior wants to have a relationship with me. I am excited to begin the work of resting in Him. To live a more "synced" life. I highly recommend this book. It will gently remind you that you too can live a life of complete rest in Him
This book was provided to me by Litfuse and New Hope Publishers for free for my review.
This book was provided to me by Litfuse and New Hope Publishers for free for my review.
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