What are some good books on prayer?

I am always thrilled when one of the ladies asks me a question, either a theological question, one on Christian life, or a book recommendation. It means she is thinking, seeking God's glory, and striving on her walk. With so much negtivity around, it's great to be reminded, that nothing and no one will overthrow Jesus's church. It is thriving, growing, and will endure till the last day. There are still many Christians on earth who care about the way God wants to receive worship and prayer and who care about their Christian walk. What a blessing the brethren are.

A reader recently asked me for recommendations on books about prayer. My first thought immediately went to the Valley of Vision. Valley of Vision! It's a book OF prayers by Puritans. But reading it will teach you to pray. It is THE most convicting, moving, and stirring book one could hope to read! (after the Bible). These Puritans' prayers are deep and God centered. I'd say it's #3 of best loved books in the English language, with the Bible first and Pilgrim's Progress next. If you have those three books on your shelf, the seeds of theological solidity have been planted, with more books to sprout as you go.

Also, I recommended "The Power Of Prayer In A Believer's Life", by C.H. Spurgeon, a collection of sermons. Charles Spurgeon preached numerous times on prayer.

Considered by his peers then and now as "The Prince of Preachers," Charles Spurgeon built London's Metropolitan Tabernacle into the world's largest independent congregation during the nineteenth century. While many factors have been highlighted that help explain the effectiveness of Spurgeon's preaching, the foremost secret that empowered Charles Spurgeon was his devotion to prayer.

Or this one on Amazon is a good one.

7 classics on PRAYER: Here is the blurb:

This fantastic compilation brings you 7 Christian classics on PRAYER. Ever struggled with how to pray, what to pray for, or just needed encouragement to keep praying? These powerful writings will stir your heart and strengthen your faith, helping you grow in communion with God.

 How To Pray – by R. A. Torrey [12 chapters]

• With Christ in the School of Prayer – by Andrew Murray [32 chapters]

• Prevailing Prayer – by D. L. Moody [11 chapters]

• How I Know God Answers Prayer – by Rosalind Goforth [10 chapters]

• Answers to Prayer – from George Muller’s Narratives [6 chapters]

• Power Through Prayer – by E. M. Bounds [20 chapters]

• A Short and Easy Method of Prayer – by Madame Jeanne Guyon [24 chapters]

Jeanne Guyon was a Catholic Mystic, so that section of the book appears to be the only dud chapter.

I am extremely hesitant to recommend something newer. Of late many people have been writing about prayer, but the authors are outight heretics or in some cases blossoming heretics. Or they quote Catholics or mystics in the book. Others twist the discipline of prayer into a prosperity or self-help notion. If you know of a recent and solid book on prayer, please do share. When I recommend, I think it's better to stick with the more solid older books on this subject. See what a search for 'Christian books on prayer' yields:

One can always go to the gty.org store and look for something there, or the same at Ligonier.org. Banner of Truth books is pretty trustowrthy, this is their page on the subject of prayer

Thanks for the question, keep them coming!