Handle With Prayer: Unwrap the Source of God's Strength for Living

by Charles F. Stanley

Handle With Prayer is a definitive guide to the power and practice of prayer. This modern-day classic is a must-read for anyone craving a rich, intimate prayer life that produces results. God longs to communicate with His children. He desires to move in our lives, help us through difficulties, and unveil the unseen. Yet few of us would claim to have a satisfying prayer life. So why is it that so many Christians struggle to open God’s precious gift of prayer? This revised and refreshed edition features new artwork, an enhanced study guide, and updated content to connect with today’s readers. With over 250,000 copies sold, Handle With Prayer continues to inspire believers of all backgrounds to revive their time of prayer with God.

Genres: Prayer, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Christian Non Fiction, Faith, Religion

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Dr. Charles F. Stanley is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta, founder of In Touch Ministries, and a New York Times best-selling author who has written more than fifty books, and has sold more than nine million copies. He demonstrates a keen awareness of people's needs and provides Christ-centered, biblically-based principles for everyday life.

Charles Frazier Stanley was born September 25, 1932, in the small town of Dry Fork, Virginia. The only child of Charley and Rebecca Stanley, Charles came into the world during a time when the entire nation felt the grip of the Great Depression. To make matters worse, just nine months later, his father Charley died at the young age of 29.

However, Charles refused to let the Great Depression or the difficulties of his life define him. Instead, like his father and grandfather before him, he clung to God’s Word and took up the mantle to preach the gospel to whoever would listen.

Dr. Stanley’s motivation is best represented by the truth found in Acts 20:24, “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love.” This is because, as he says, “It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.”

Dr. Stanley’s teachings can be heard weekly at First Baptist Church Atlanta, daily on “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley” radio and television broadcasts on more than 2,800 stations around the world, on the Internet at intouch.org, through the In Touch Messenger, and in the monthly, award-winning In Touch magazine.

Reviews

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy reading a book by Charles Stanley. In this book he covers praying with authority, burden prayers, answered prayers, unanswered prayers, praying the will of God, praying for others and warfare prayer among other prayer topics. He backs up what he sets out with Bible verses. I had the biggest personal problem with unanswered prayer. We have all had unanswered prayers. Stanley sets out all factors you need to have in sync before God will listen to you or answer your prayers. I just felt this was way too robotic. If you have A and B but no C, no favorable response for you. I personally feel that God will always listen to my prayers. He may not answer them they way I want Him to but that is because I have such a narrow self centered now focus, where God is looking out for my best over the long haul. Even things that we cannot see the benefit from even way down the road there is a purpose that we can learn of in heaven.

Good book though. I enjoy learning as much as possible about communicating with God. It is an area I have struggled with over the years. I often feel guilty reading about those who pray for hours each day. You get a little of that from reading about Stanley's prayer life.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Stanley is one of those voices I remember coming from the radio when I was growing up. You know, the kind that made you want to go to sleep. Last year, I opened one of his books at a friends house and I didn't fall asleep, I felt like I had found a friend.
Dr. Stanley speaks the truth with no cushioning. This isn't a book that will help you feel good about yourself, but it isn't a guilt-trip either, it is a biblical look at the topic of prayer. One of the things that comes up is that our own sin can hinder our prayers. In a world where so many books are just there to make you feel good about yourself, I loved the heard hitting truth packed into this book.
I read this all in one day, it was that good.

[Jun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading this book for the 2nd time right now. It changes my view about prayers. The writer put the concepts in very organized format with compelling arguments. We are truly missing out so much when we just run our lives on our own strength.

[Amber French · Rating 5 out of 5]

“God desires to make known the unknown to His children. He desires to unveil the hidden. Yet many times we are satisfied not knowing. Either we aren't willing to take the time to wait, or we aren't sure God even wants us to know." God reveals these things to us through prayer. It's when we lay aside our plans and our agendas that God is able to speak to us. Charles Stanley talks about the different aspects of prayer as well as the different kinds of prayer itself. He discusses why we don't always receive an answer to our prayers (or maybe it's that we don't receive the answer we want). He talks about the benefits of fasting coupled with prayer as well as the importance of having people who will both pray for you and that you can in turn lift up in your life.

I've not ever read anything by Stanley but I've grown up hearing his name and know he's written quite a few books. I enjoyed this book! Prayer is a deep topic so it's something I want to keep on hand to refer to when I need to remember the points he made. There's also a study guide included at the back of the book. To me, I feel like the theme of the book is: in order to pray effectively, you have to take the focus off of you and not only be willing to pray sincerely but also listen to what God is saying back. It's not a time of us having our chance to talk and then we throw in a hurried "amen" before God can respond. We have to exchange our timetable for His. "Regardless of what kinds of storms come our way, regardless of our circumstances, we are to keep looking at the Word. He wants our prayers to be God-centered, Christ-centered, and Spirit-centered - not thing-centered, trial-centered, and circumstance-centered."

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: HANDLE WITH PRAYER
Author: Dr. Charles Stanley
Publisher: David C. Cook
March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7814-0446-4
Genre: Inspirational/Christian Living/Prayer

Prayer is essential to the life of every believer. It connects us with our heavenly Father and opens the door for Him to move in our lives, to impact our circumstances, and to help us make wise choices.

Yet—few of us claim to enjoy a satisfying prayer life. In HANDLE WITH PRAYER, Dr. Charles Stanley will show us how to cultivate a prayer life that truly makes a difference.

HANDLE WITH PRAYER is a definitive guide for making prayer a part of your everyday life.

Inside the pages of this book, Dr. Stanley will show us:

. How we can pray with authority
. How we can receive answers to prayer
. Why prayers seem to go unanswered
. How to pray in God’s will
. How we can pray for others
and more.

This book not only does all this, but there is a thirteen-session leader’s guide included, so if you are teaching a class on prayer, this resource is right at your finger tips. And Dr. Stanley also gives you session goals, preparation hints, discussion points to guide the group’s conversation, and activities to keep your group thinking about the power of prayer between sessions.

This book is an all in one resource for the student and teacher about prayer – it is a book that belongs on every pastor’s shelf, church libraries, Sunday School teachers, and serious student’s of the Bible. Don’t miss HANDLE WITH PRAYER. $16.99 hardcover. 224 pages.

[Sheila Calabrese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many people think of prayer as the last resort in a time of crisis. In his book Dr. Charles Stanley explaines that prayer is actually communion with God. He goes into great detail in analyzing the manner in which prayers are answered and how to pray within the will of God. His insights will not only improve your prayer life but help you to understand the barriers to a more rich and rewarding relationship with God.

[Adriane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and easy to read. Clear and to the point. Very helpful in providing direction and giving helpful answers to the most common questions we have about prayer.

[Sharriette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Charles Stanley is simply the best Bible teacher we have today. Any book by him will help us live a better life in Christ because that is his total and complete focus. He does not have any other agenda, based on all I've observed over the years. I greatly admire other messengers of truth, like Bishop T.D. Jakes, Mrs. Joyce Meyer, and Pastor Joseph Prince; however, Dr. Stanley always brings it. He teaches complex truths in the simplest ways, yet his style of teaching encourages growth. He is probably the oldest of the great Bible teachers of today. As I read, watch, or listen, I understand why the Lord continues to sustain him. God continue to bless him, indeed, in Christ Jesus.

[Frank Henley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot over emphasize enough when I say I loved this book. It was wonderful. Everything that the late Dr. Charles Stanley has written and has done for that matter is wonderful. This book was everything I thought it was going to be and more. I highly recommend this book. It will put your prayer life on track and will teach you how to pray more efficiently. Everything Dr. Charles Stanley has written is such a blessing.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Stanley does an excellent job of explaining our number one means of communicating with God. He shares personal experiences and gives examples of others who struggle same as I do. Easily understood.

[Sarah Marchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an excellent book. I always learn so much and increase my faith when read Charles Stanley’s books. His theology is absolutely sound and anyone who picks up this book will undoubtedly affect their faith and prayer life and walk with Christ in a greater way.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring and full of nice examples of the power of prayer.

[Michelle LaRue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent !

This is an excellent book. It reinforced my knowledge and took me to a deeper level in prayer. I will recommend this book to friends and family.

[Laura Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book back in 1984. It taught me to pray and I did my first 3 day fast. Life changing book for a new Christian. I bought some hard copies to make sure I always have it available. ❤

[Mark Clinard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Stanley continues to be America’s Pastor. He gives great insight into the power of prayer while opening his life’s work with the good and the bad. He keeps it real.

[Stacey E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. However, I felt the first half was better than the second half. Still would recommend to others looking to enrich their prayer life.

[Amanda Watkins]

I have followed Charles Stanley's books for years. This one was great. I found it to be very informative and learned a few things I did not know.
I realize I am not supposed to get someone's formula for prayer, but I have been struggling lately, and this book helped put things back into perspective again.
I definitely recommend it. However, I do feel those who feel confident in their prayer lives would just be reviewing practices they already practice in their prayers on a regular basis.
In my opinion, it is for those who either don't know how to pray, don't feel confident when they pray, or are struggling to pray at all

[christianchicklit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Manual On Prayer And So Much More!

This is a wonderfully written book that covers a lot of the common questions we have about prayer:
• The purpose of prayer
• Why our prayers go unanswered
• How to pray with authority
• Praying for others
• The warfare of prayer

But, this book pleasantly goes beyond the basic information to provide rich insights about the benefits of praying and fasting, what it means to have a prayer burden (and why we might have one), and how to pray in the will of God. All of Charles Stanley’s key points are backed up with scripture and there are many personal anecdotes to help support the principles in this book. Especially worth pondering is Stanley’s comment about the attitude of our heart when praying. We have a God that desires to truly know us and have a relationship with us. This book helps to teach principles beyond using prayer as a tool to just ask God for stuff. It’s a tool for seeking God at a deeper level, knowing His will and how to obtain His guidance for your life.

At the end of this book there is a 13 session group leader’s guide. For each lesson, it includes the overall goals for each session, what you can do to prepare for each session and several discussion questions relating to each chapter. From a quick review of the questions, it seems like this would be a terrific study to share with a small group. I think there would be great value in doing this study with others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from David C. Cook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

[Dana Rongione · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I know without a doubt is that I always receive a blessing from Dr. Charles Stanley. This book is no exception. Just when I thought I'd heard everything there was to know about prayer, Dr. Stanley opened my eyes to new revelations in God's Word. Chapter by chapter, he unveiled mysteries such as how to pray, when to pray and why some prayers seem to go unanswered. And while I don't necessarily agree with everything in the book, I feel that every believer would benefit from reading this book.

I don't believe it was a coincidence that I was reading this book during a dark time in my life. Frustrated with situations beyond my control, I was losing faith that God was truly hearing my prayers. Like David in the Psalms, I found myself constantly pleading, "Lord, please don't hide your face from me. Help me! I'm in trouble here." Still, silence seemed to be my only answer.

Dr. Stanley's book served to remind me that there were some things in my life I needed to get right before God would even hear my prayer. Beyond that, I was reminded that just because I don't receive an immediate answer or even the answer I want does not mean that God is not listening. God knows best and will answer in His way and His time.

I'm thankful to have had such a good and encouraging book to read in my dark hour. Not only did it give me hope, it helped redirect me to the Light.

[Dottie Parish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Handle with Prayer by Charles Stanley is an excellent, biblical, easy to read book covering various aspects of prayer. Dr. Stanley explains why prayers aren’t answered, how to pray in the will of God and prayer warfare. I have read many books on prayer and I pray daily, but the lessons here will deepen my prayer life. The chapter Praying and Fasting explains the biblical reasons fasting intensifies our prayer life and brings us closer to Christ. The chapter titled A Prayer Burden presented ideas new to me. When we pray without a burden we pray repetitiously and with little energy. Stanley says “praying with a burden is probably the most neglected aspect of prayer.” He says “When God lays a burden on our hearts and we follow up with it faithfully, it is as good as done.” The book includes a detailed study guide. I need to reread and study this book and suggest my small group study it!

[Krystal Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Stanley did a great job at breaking down what the Bible says about prayer. He covers all aspects of praying. Stanley used specific verses and how we can apply what those verses teach to our lives and ultimately how we pray. He also includes examples from his own life and lives of those he has counseled. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting help understanding the power of prayer when done as the Bible instructs.

[Sundi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really opened my eyes to the power of prayer. It both convicted me and taught me how to better dig into God's Word. God used this book as a tool to renew my prayer life. It taught me ways not only to pray for myself but to pray for others. Thank you Charles Stanley for following God's prompting to write it.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book...had some great insights on how to handle situations through prayer. Some stuff already knew but it was good to be reminded. I needed the eye-opener. I felt refreshed and I recommend this to everyone that is in need of being refreshed and simply want to know more about prayer!

[Marie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it opened my heart to the true meaning of prayer and if done with the purpose it was intended the results will be more fulfilling. I now enter into praying with a different, but relaxing attitude.

[Patricia C Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Biblical Resource

This is more than just a book to read. It can serve as a small group Bible study. It's an excellent resource to learn more about prayer: how to, who we should pray for, etc. Take the challenge. Grow in faith. Join the battle. God needs more prayer warriors.

[Angelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more of a guideline than a novel. I am reading it again! In the back is a study guide that one could use in a reading group.I plan to lead a bible study session with my son .This book will become a useful reference guide for me to refer to regulary.

[jessica]

[free nook book]

[Karen Bobic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read !!

[Andy Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book on prayer. I highly recommend it.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always liked Charles Stanley, but this book was more for people who have group discussions which I cannot attend for health reasons. over half the book was dedicated to lessons.