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Start with Prayer: 250 Prayers for Hope and Strength
Do you find it difficult to turn to prayer when you need it most? Do you have trouble finding the words to capture exactly how you’re feeling? Start with Prayer, by pastor and New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado, will give you the tools you need to feel more comfortable when you communicate with God.
When struggles and anxieties come up in our lives, we invite God into our world, watching our fears surface and then depart. But how do we help prayer become a tried-and-true practice in our daily lives? Finding the right words to pray can be challenging, but Max is here to help.
Whether you’re learning to pray for the first time or you’re hoping to reinvigorate your prayer life, Start with Prayer will change the way you think about your relationship with God.
Pairing timeless scripture with thoughtful prayers, Start with Prayer is a special collection of 250 prayers that will help you develop the strength and hope you need to turn to prayer first in any situation you're facing.
Adapted from Max’s series of Pocket Prayers with brand new prayers added, Start with Prayer is divided into categories designed to foster prayers that impact every aspect of life, including prayers centered
Clarity and creativity Healing and safety Inspiration and encouragement Preservation and endurance Wisdom and leadership Start with Prayer is a trustworthy resource that you can turn to no matter what season of life you’re in right now, reminding you that starting with prayer is always the right answer.
When struggles and anxieties come up in our lives, we invite God into our world, watching our fears surface and then depart. But how do we help prayer become a tried-and-true practice in our daily lives? Finding the right words to pray can be challenging, but Max is here to help.
Whether you’re learning to pray for the first time or you’re hoping to reinvigorate your prayer life, Start with Prayer will change the way you think about your relationship with God.
Pairing timeless scripture with thoughtful prayers, Start with Prayer is a special collection of 250 prayers that will help you develop the strength and hope you need to turn to prayer first in any situation you're facing.
Adapted from Max’s series of Pocket Prayers with brand new prayers added, Start with Prayer is divided into categories designed to foster prayers that impact every aspect of life, including prayers centered
Clarity and creativity Healing and safety Inspiration and encouragement Preservation and endurance Wisdom and leadership Start with Prayer is a trustworthy resource that you can turn to no matter what season of life you’re in right now, reminding you that starting with prayer is always the right answer.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2022
444 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Max Lucado
1,204 books5,477 followersWith more than 150 million products in print and several NYT bestsellers, Max Lucado is America's bestselling inspirational author. He serves the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy. His most recent book published in August 2024 and is titled What Happens Next.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 9, 2022
Max Lucado, auto-buy and read/listen. Love him to pieces. Why only 4 stars? Because while God the Father and God the Son get a HUGE amount of page time, God the Holy Spirit was given very short shrift. Triune God, not a Duo.
Other than that, the prayers were spot on and helped me in my monster commute to remain calm and smiling the entire way to work and back.
The reader also had a clear, calm and relaxing voice, which paired well with the prayers and Bible verses being read.
Solid 4 stars, definitely one to listen to and re-listen to, highly recommended!
Just a note, the advanced audio book needed a slight bit of editing at Track 227. I liked it, very human and made me smile, but not for the finished audio I think. :)
Thank you Libro.fm and Thomas Nelson for an advanced audio version of this book to listen to and review.
Other than that, the prayers were spot on and helped me in my monster commute to remain calm and smiling the entire way to work and back.
The reader also had a clear, calm and relaxing voice, which paired well with the prayers and Bible verses being read.
Solid 4 stars, definitely one to listen to and re-listen to, highly recommended!
Just a note, the advanced audio book needed a slight bit of editing at Track 227. I liked it, very human and made me smile, but not for the finished audio I think. :)
Thank you Libro.fm and Thomas Nelson for an advanced audio version of this book to listen to and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2022
If Max Lucado wrote it, I’m going to like it, but…
I have read most of Max Lucado’s books, and I always love them, but this one I’m mentally giving a 4.5 rounded up to 5 (rounded up because it’s Max’s book). To be fair, this is a different type of book — a book of prayers, not like the books full of inspirational illustrations that he usually writes. But what I found was that within the individual prayers, part of the prayer seemed appropriate for me, but then there would be a sentence or paragraph that didn’t fit me. I found this to be distracting. It seemed to be prayers designed for someone who has a job, a spouse, children (plural), and an active ministry in church. If you aren’t married, don’t have children, are retired, or participate in church but don’t run a ministry per se—or some or all of the above—then there are a lot of parts that won’t fit you. With all of his other books, I could relate to pretty much everything he wrote. But that might be because I wasn’t reading them in the first person in the way that these personal prayers are read.
I think this book would have been helped by having an index which broke down the various topics further. Within each section, there seemed to be different aspects of the topic, and an index would have helped with this. I don’t think I could use this as a reference book of prayers. Granted, since it was a Kindle book, I wrote my own notes and highlighted words, so I might be able to use it as a reference that way.
But still, it is Max Lucado’s book, so I read it from the beginning to the end. My favorite parts were actually the scripture readings under each section’s topic, many which were favorites of mine.
I’d still recommend the book for anyone who likes books of pre-written prayers, because you can’t argue that he’s a great writer.
I have read most of Max Lucado’s books, and I always love them, but this one I’m mentally giving a 4.5 rounded up to 5 (rounded up because it’s Max’s book). To be fair, this is a different type of book — a book of prayers, not like the books full of inspirational illustrations that he usually writes. But what I found was that within the individual prayers, part of the prayer seemed appropriate for me, but then there would be a sentence or paragraph that didn’t fit me. I found this to be distracting. It seemed to be prayers designed for someone who has a job, a spouse, children (plural), and an active ministry in church. If you aren’t married, don’t have children, are retired, or participate in church but don’t run a ministry per se—or some or all of the above—then there are a lot of parts that won’t fit you. With all of his other books, I could relate to pretty much everything he wrote. But that might be because I wasn’t reading them in the first person in the way that these personal prayers are read.
I think this book would have been helped by having an index which broke down the various topics further. Within each section, there seemed to be different aspects of the topic, and an index would have helped with this. I don’t think I could use this as a reference book of prayers. Granted, since it was a Kindle book, I wrote my own notes and highlighted words, so I might be able to use it as a reference that way.
But still, it is Max Lucado’s book, so I read it from the beginning to the end. My favorite parts were actually the scripture readings under each section’s topic, many which were favorites of mine.
I’d still recommend the book for anyone who likes books of pre-written prayers, because you can’t argue that he’s a great writer.
April 10, 2023
This was a great book to help my prayer life. As others have mentioned, there were points where I found it difficult to relate to the exact words that Lucado used in some of the prayers. For example when he would pray for children (I am newly married and kids are not in the picture yet). However I found that reading this book as a guide in what kinds of things I should pray over my life, instead of using Lucado’s words and experiences as my own, helped me as I worked towards improving my prayer life. I suggest when reading this book to look on Lucados words, but then to pray the idea of what he is saying as it pertains to your own life. And truth be told there may still be some prayers that don’t relate to where you are currently at in life, but in times like that you can always return to the book when you do enter those seasons of life.
May 6, 2023
Not what I expected. Expected prayers on hope and strength as the book suggests. Many prayers on the lives of coworkers, continuing education in our career.. ill be honest i stopped reading at about number 30 or 40. it's all important but in a dark place I was hoping for true prayers to increase my hope and faith in God to see me through. If you're a Lucado fan, note 4 other authors contributed to this work.
March 30, 2025
I have always wanted to learn how to pray through the Bible.
Perfect book to help you pray through the Bible.
If you don't know how or what to pray for the need you have; this is the perfect book for that.
I have taken some of these prayers for specific needs that I have consistently.
Perfect book to help you pray through the Bible.
If you don't know how or what to pray for the need you have; this is the perfect book for that.
I have taken some of these prayers for specific needs that I have consistently.
July 17, 2024
Prayers for hope and strength
Encouragement and spiritual insight I received from reading this book. Is blessings to my soul.
Max Lucado, is great author all the books. I have read of his have been uplifting!
Encouragement and spiritual insight I received from reading this book. Is blessings to my soul.
Max Lucado, is great author all the books. I have read of his have been uplifting!
March 6, 2023
Such a great book of prayer! This book is divided into several categories of prayers… Prayers for protection, prayers for parenthood, prayers for wisdom, etc.
April 7, 2023
I normally love anything by Max Lucado, but I couldn't even finish this. Basically, it's the same five to ten prayers repeated over and over, just worded a little differently.
June 26, 2023
Strong support for life
I took 250 days to read this book & it was well worth it. Each prayer comforted me in a different way. I love how Lucado scripts a prayer that touches the needs of everyone!
I took 250 days to read this book & it was well worth it. Each prayer comforted me in a different way. I love how Lucado scripts a prayer that touches the needs of everyone!
September 30, 2024
It was okay, but the other last two were better.
May 13, 2025
Amazing book
It has powerful prayers that cover all areas of your life. It will encourage you daily and strengthen you as you navigate your life.
It has powerful prayers that cover all areas of your life. It will encourage you daily and strengthen you as you navigate your life.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews