The Prayer Coin: Daring to Pray with Honest Abandon

by Elisa Morgan

You can be totally honest with God.

He wants to know exactly how you feel. The Prayer Coin will help you express your deepest emotions to God and have confidence in His will for your life. You’ll explore Jesus’s prayer in the garden of Gethsemane and see His ultimate example of intimacy with the Father. Learn how to trust God the same way Jesus did when He said, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).

Even as a popular and trusted author, speaker and media host, Elisa Morgan struggled with what to pray—her request or God’s will. She understands your need to be heard and your desire to follow the Father. Elisa shares her journey of growing closer to God and incorporates lessons from Scripture to help you find peace in your own prayer journey.

"Applying the two sides of prayer can move us deeper in dialogue with God," Elisa says. "On and on, deeper and deeper, further and further, we flow into oneness that reflects the unity Jesus enjoyed with his Father."

Experience the hope of praying with honesty, abandoning your will, and growing closer to God.

 
The Prayer Coin is also available as an audiobook and an ebook, while a 6-lesson companion, The Prayer Coin DVD, expands on the idea.  
 

Genres: Prayer, Christian

192 pages, Hardcover

Published June 27, 2018

About the author

Elisa Morgan was named by Christianity Today as one of the top 50 women influencing today's church and culture, and she's a sought-after author, speaker, and leader. She has authored more than 25 books on mothering, spiritual formation, and evangelism, including The Beauty of Broken, Hello, Beauty Full, She Did What She Could, and The NIV Mom's Devotional Bible.

For 20 years, Elisa served as the CEO of MOPS International (www.mops.org). Under her leadership, MOPS grew from 350 groups to more than 4,000 groups throughout the United States and in 30 other countries, influencing more than 100,000 moms every year. Elisa now serves as president emerita of MOPS.

Elisa received a BS from the University of Texas and an MDiv from Denver Seminary. She served as the dean of women at Western Bible College (now Colorado Christian University) and on the board of ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). Currently she serves on the board of Denver Seminary.

Elisa is a cohost of the syndicated radio program Discover the Word (www.discovertheword.org), a daily 15-minute real-time conversation around the living Word of God. She is married to Evan (the senior vice president of global ministry efforts for Our Daily Bread Ministries) and has two grown children and two grandchildren who live near her in Denver, Colorado. Wilson and Darla, her two rottweilers, take her on walks in the open space behind her house.

Connect with Elisa at www.elisamorgan.com. You can sign up for her blog, Really, at her website or by texting the word REALLY to 22828.

You can keep in touch with Elisa in the following ways:

Instagram: Elisa Morgan, Author
Facebook: Elisa Morgan, Author
Twitter: @elisa­_morgan

Reviews

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prayer Coin
Daring to Pray with Honest Abandon
by Elisa Morgan
Discovery House Publishers

Discovery House
Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 17 Jul 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Prayer Coin through Discovery House Publishers and Netgalley:


In the Prayer Coin we are reminded that it wasn't only the Lord's Prayer that teaches us to pray but Jesus also taught us to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. We are reminded too that even in the Garden where he knew the pain he was about to endure Jesus cried out in prayer.


It was in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus modeled a prayer that will transform our prayer life. In the same sentence Jesus created two sides to the same prayer (Take this cup and not my will.)

I give The Prayer Coin five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Ashley Fuhr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book was intriguing, and it had some good thoughts and quotes included. It's definitely meant to be digested as a Bible Study and over many weeks, not rushed through in one setting. While I like what Elisa is telling us, I felt the book had a lot of repetition. I understand, for the purposes of Bible Study, that you want to recap what you're learning each week, but I found myself reading sections that my group had already mulled over in previous weeks. Great concept, and one I'm glad I read about, but it's a long road to get there.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won the audio version of The Prayer Coin from the author’s instagram page. I’ve had it on my Audible app for several months, but had not gotten around to listening. I finally did this week and really enjoyed it. I especially like that Elisa Morgan narrated her own book (she does a wonderful job) and that she gave very specific examples of how to pray honestly and with abandon. Morgan speaks from her heart and from so many very hard life experiences (many of which I share). I don’t feel like she offered any advice that she has not taken herself. She honestly shares her struggles in her prayer life. Though I enjoyed listening to the author read her work, I know that I would have retained more if I had read it since I am more of a visual learner.

[Nora St Laurent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated this authors honest and transparent look at prayer as she talks about it from several angles. She discusses the problems with prayer, How and Why we prayer? When we pray etc. She shares how she came up with The Prayer Coin” as she studied Jesus’s prayers, “Take this cup,” and “Not my will.” It’s a two-sided prayer approach to prayer. The author gives examples from her prayer journal, so readers can grasp the concept. On the Take this Cup side she has listed “My friend’s trip to celebrate her sister’s 50th wedding anniversary… Take this cup of anxiety. May you rid the worry she’s experiencing regarding traveling etc… She lists prayers for other friends and their situations.

Then on the Not My Will side. She has this prayer for the first friend she already prayed for: “My friend’s trip. May you turn the unexpected and the interruptions into divine appointments. If she doesn’t make it to her destination in time for the anniversary party, or if she’s kept from returning in time for the second event, may you give her peace. May she embrace the solitude of travel as you give yourself to her in it. Not my will.”

Praying two sides of the coin like this makes you humble, surrendered and helps the reader think outside the box as some make God out to be a genie in a bottle and/or Santa Claus granting wishes.

I loved her in depth look and insight into Jesus’ Honest – Take this Cup look at scripture and what was going on in the Garden of Gethsemane as he prayed. His truthful Request, His authentic Expression, with scripture references to back up what she’s detailing. She says, “Honest comes from trust and trust comes from being known. Jesus knew that the Father knew his heart, all of it, and would hear his raw three-word request.”

I liked her approach to prayer that helps the readers get closer to God, be honest and transparent with themselves and God. It’s an invitation from Jesus to draw near. This is something that is going to take practice and journaling to be able to do it well.

I’m excited that this book also had a 6 – lesson companion book along the Prayer Coin DVD. I’m going to suggest this to my small group to do at the next session.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine https://tinyurl.com/y9lwbfrs
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[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Elisa Morgan’s deep Scripture digs on the radio program Discover the Word, and she does the same great job in her books. The Prayer Coin shows us how Jesus’ honest, two-sided prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane can inspire our own prayers and deepen our trust in God’s plan for our lives.

Jesus prayed both “Take this cup” and “Not my will” in his famous Garden of Gethsemane prayer. On the night before he died, he offered this honest prayer to his Father in heaven. He did not want to face the inevitable shame of sin, physical suffering, and separation from his Father. So he asked that the cup would be taken. But in the same breath, he prayed that the Father’s will would take precedence. He was willing to do whatever the Father thought was best. Aren’t we all glad that he decided to follow his Father’s will? I’m rejoicing right now as I write these words!

Elisa applies the two-sided prayer coin to several of her life struggles. I was inspired by the way she demonstrated how to practically apply this prayer. I’m now using her two-sided prayer model on a regular basis, and I’m so grateful for the biblically-based insight this book provided me.

Netgalley generously provided me a copy of The Prayer Coin.

[Phyllis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was given to me by a friend so I felt obligated to finish it even though it wasn't that great. As I read it, I hoped it would get better. The premise sounded good - how to make prayer more satisfying and how prayer can bring us closer to God. She sort of answered these questions, but her writing style made it difficult to understand her points as she often wrote long and convoluted sentences. I found myself re-reading sentences and paragraphs, slowing down and trying to decipher what she was trying to say. She did a lot of research and quoted many references but I just couldn't follow it all, and I didn't care. I was glad when I got to the end of the book. There are many better books on this topic.

[Mikelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boy howdy, this book could have had great potential but it left more to be desire. I think it’s a good concept on how one can pray, but the way it is delivered is not the best. It’s overly repetitive (this whole book could have easily been summed up in a podcast or a blog post), she’s a little dry of an author, and did I mention she’s a little repetitive? 😂 the more interesting writing in the book was when she was quoting other authors. If you do decide to read it, don’t watch the videos with it, because each video session she is literally reading verbatim from her book.

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this for a bible study. Our group as a whole could not get into it. We watched the videos that went with the study, where the author just reads from the book. Really?

I'm sure some people liked this, but it wasn't for me.

I even had a hard time getting past the grammar choices of honest and abandon.

[Emily P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a challenging, engaging read for me. The Prayer Coin focuses on our two choices with which to deal with struggles in our Christian life: "Take this cup" : Honesty on our turmoil, ie, we'd like for God to take our challenges away, and "Not my will" : realizing God's will is far better than what we'd choose for ourselves. Sometimes the choices fall right beside each other, sometimes we need help figuring which is the best route.

Is it okay to question God? Yes. Can He handle it? Once again, yes. The phrases above illustrate Jesus' struggle to do not only what He knew had to be done, but defer to what God's plan included-- His pain, suffering and death on the cross, in exchange for eternity with His people by His side.

I am ordering a hard copy of this book, as I know of several friends who could benefit from the wisdom in The Prayer Coin. I would like to be able to offer another way to frame the issues many of us have, sometimes on an hourly basis. Elisa Morgan has done a fabulous job of making you think, question and detail why we process choices the way we do, and how we should view the opportunity of seeking God's wisdom to help us choose better things for ourselves and others.


* I received a PDF from NetGalley for my review. All opinions shared above are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review. I appreciate the chance to review this title by Discovery House.*

[Susan Upton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read quite a few books on prayer, and this one is now one of my favorites on the subject. Elisa’s book is a new and refreshing take on prayer, while pulling from a centuries old prayer that come straight from Jesus. She explains in detail how we can have a vibrant and intimate prayer life with God, using both examples and promises from the Bible, as well as examples from her own life and those of her friends.

The focus of this book is definitely Jesus, and how we can learn to pray with both the honesty and abandon that he prayed just before his death (and later resurrection) in the Garden of Gethsemane. For me, this is a great example to use in both those extremely hard times in life, and the other relatively easy ones. It has really challenged me to slow down and think through those prayer requests that I make to God, in a way that creates conversation. Elisa shows how God wants us to bring it all to Him and experience the closeness with God that Jesus made possible for us.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in prayer or wanting to focus on strengthening/transforming their prayer life. I think this book would be a great read for those who consider themselves new to prayer, as well as for those who have experienced years of praying.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a helpful, honest look at prayer from one who ( like myself ) struggles to be real in her prayer life, admitting that she doesn’t always get it right, but willing to dig deep and learn more about the way Jesus modelled prayer for us.
Immediately comes to mind the Lords Prayer, but this is not where Elisa takes the reader, but to Jesus prayer in the garden of Gethsemane on the night of his betrayal......
“ Jesus prayed honest, “Take this cup.” But now, in the same breath, in the same sentence, he prays another prayer, seemingly the opposite of the one he just spoke. Side two ofJesus’ prayer coin”.

This is a fresh approach to prayer, this 2-sided prayer “Coin” that I had not previously considered.
Praying with absolute honesty about what we either want or don’t want, but then also with abandon to having Gods will and plan supersede our wishes........

I enjoyed the “non preachy” style of Elisa’s writing, quotes from scripture and well-known authors gave much food for thought, and this is a book I can wholeheartedly recommend to both seasoned and new believers alike. And the best thing ? This two-sided prayer shapes us. It teaches us. It changes us.....

[Sarah Poling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came at the perfect time. Elisa Morgan is a great author- I've read several of her other books and I love how she can take a concept- make it easy to understand, even easier to apply, but yet a valuable lesson and way to grow your spiritual practices. This book may be my favorite of hers yet.

She explains her desire to learn to pray consistently, effectively, and fervently. This leads her to process the models that Jesus gave us- and in this book she explained how she learned to journal- Take this cup-- and not my will from Jesus prayer in Gethsemane.

It's a habit that I am implementing already and have found simple, yet really convicting, sanctifying, and revealing about how often I get stuck on me... Thank you for teaching me and pushing my faith forward with a lesson you learned in your own life. Thank you Netgalley for the ability to review the book.

[Krista D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dive into a unique perspective on prayer with Author Elisa Morgan as she applies the "two-sided" prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane where he prays "take this cup" and "not my will." This book is both informative and introspective with a memorable concept that you can apply immediately to your prayer life. While it is not a "magic" fix, the author's own honesty and abandon in her prayer journey paired with a better understanding of how Jesus prayed inspires the reader to dig deeper into their prayer life with intention, to pivot between honesty and abandon to cultivate a closer relationship to God.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was done as a group devotional over several sittings. As a group, we didn't finish all the DVD sessions / chapters, because really none of us found it engaging. The conversations spurred by the book were flat and uninspired, until we went on a tangent, often unrelated to the topics put forth.

This book could work as a short pamphlet, or one sitting video, but was far too stretched out with little inspiration as a full length book!

Second star because the framing of prayer as a coin had some value for others in our group, and there really isn't anything bad or hurtful about the authors illustration.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for an online book group and was surprised by the teaching related through this author’s message. Ms. Morgan lays out the two sides of prayer: one side of prayer is my desire and the other side of prayer is surrendering to God’s Will. Thus, the two sides of the prayer “coin.” Very good inspirational teaching message.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elisa does an amazing job of pushing you just enough to want to explore the second side of the prayer coin we often run from, abandon. We want “our will”, not “his will”; however, “his will”, is always better. I look forward to praying with both honesty and abandon in the days ahead.

[Marylou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

She has an interesting take on Jesus' prayer in the garden: Take this cup yet not my will. She expands this into what she calls the prayer coin, a pivot from honesty to abandon.

[Lis Mallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting concept! As I've been spending time finding my faith again through sickness, this has helped me shape my thoughts into productive prayer. I read it through a book club set up through Our Daily Bread and it was very helpful!!

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots to ponder in this book. I found myself growing in praying with deeper honest and abandon than I thought possible. I'm looking forward to the journey ahead.

[Sherrese Holder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice book on prayer. I have already started using some of the suggestions.

[Laura Meese · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the 2-sided prayer, but the book had a lot of repetition.

[Amy Koteskey]

Great read and very practical. Loved starting a prayer coin journal after reading this

[Sakeenah Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. But I felt that I fully got the concept bu the second chapter. After that, the book became a bit redundant. Good information though.

[Nancy Larimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Prayer Coin is a wonderful teaching on prayer. It draws the reader to view prayer with Jesus as our model. He went to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed the way she is teaching us to pray. He prayed honestly that He did not want to take the cup and then He abandoned himself to God's will. This prayer reveals how much Jesus struggled to die for our sins. We also need to surrender ourselves to Him in prayer. When we surrender to Him we give our whole heart. The book talks about why we can not pray and what to do to help our areas of struggle. Elisa shared examples of how to pray with honesty and abandonment. She reads her journal and gives examples of how she struggles and wrestles in prayer. She encourages the reader to also journal and wrestle with God. She talked about how a coin is minted and the work that is involved. She equates our walk with God in the same way of the minting process. The book comes with a study guide that asked specific questions . The study guide challenges the reader to apply these principles. The author asked the reader now that you have read the book how will you apply the book to your life? Will you be willing to jump in and see what The Prayer Coin will do for you? I doubt you will read it without being transformed. Thank you for the publisher and netgalley for making this book available to me to read and write a review..

[Candy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really gave insight to the biblical accounts of Jesus's last night when He beseeches the Father to take this cup from Him. This is often the side of the coin we immediately pray when struggles, trails, and heartache cone. But there's a second side to every coin and both sides make it whole.So while we may plead for the Lord to take things, circumstances, hardships from us,we must ultimately lay it at His feet and declare "Your will not mine ". Because He knows the outcome, the big picture and what's best for us. Plus this ensures His Glory is given not ours.