Have you ever struggled with how to pray, what to pray for, or simply needed encouragement to keep praying? This collection of 312 daily readings on prayer will challenge and inspire you to make your communication with God more intimate and your relationship with Him stronger. Written by some of the most respected authors on prayer from the last three centuries, these readings--enough for an entire year--are by:

• John Bunyan
• C. S. Lewis
• Elisabeth Elliot
• E. M. Bounds
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• And many more

Each devotion follows a biblical rhythm of prayer: Preparation/Examination/Confession/Worship/Request. In addition, weekend entries are powerful true stories and testimonies of God's workings through prayer. This inspirational collection is a must-have for pastors, prayer leaders, and believers who want to make their prayer lives richer and more personal.

An unabridged edition, to include: Law of Reversibility - Dual Nature of Consciousness - Imagination & Faith - Controlled Reverie - Good Tidings - Law of Thought Transmission - The Greatest Prayer

'A leader's ability to achieve anything great for God begins in his or her heart and mind.' --John C. Maxwell Effective leadership starts with healthy, clear thinking. Successful leaders know how to focus on the essentials. Best-selling author and leadership specialist John C. Maxwell shares meditations sure to challenge us as leaders to reach our full potential as servants of God. In this 30th anniversary edition of his very first book, we learn that 'our ability to achieve anything great for God begins in our hearts and minds.' Ready for a change of heart? Ready to be transformed by the renewing of your mind? Increase your effectiveness as both leader and servant as you 'think on these things.

On Thursday as they ate the Passover meal with Jesus, the disciples believed that the kingdom was coming and they were on the front end of a revolution. Then came the tragedy of Friday and, somehow even worse, the silence of Saturday. They ran. They doubted. They despaired. Yet, within the grave, God's power was still flowing like a mighty river beneath the ice of winter. And then there was Sunday morning. Real, raw, and achingly honest, A Glorious Dark meets readers in the ambiguity, doubt, and uncertainty we feel when our beliefs about the world don't match up to reality. Tackling tough questions like Why is faith so hard? Why do I doubt? Why does God allow me to suffer? and Is God really with me in the midst of my pain? A. J. Swoboda puts into sharp focus a faith that is greater than our personal comfort or fulfilment. He invites readers to develop a faith that embraces the tension between what we believe and what we experience, showing that the very tension we seek to eliminate is where God meets us.

Life is full of subtle, unsuspected, hidden perks, ready to make their presence known at the turn of a corner to cheer us, to lift us, to change our attitudes, to give our souls a reason to celebrate. Don't miss them. Don't let them pass by unnoticed. Celebrate those perks one by one, day after day. Celebrate living. Throw thou a party and invite me. Come with a joyful heart, ready to have the time of your life. I'll bring the streamers―"You Bring the Confetti "

We have a choice, says Luci Swindoll. We can trudge through our lives, shoulder to the wheel, worried and stressed and hassled. Or we can choose to really live―to celebrate life's richness, its beauty, its pleasures and perks. In this delightful book, Luci challenges us to choose the second option. She urges us to be on the lookout for reasons to celebrate, and she assures us that those reasons are everywhere to be found. With wise insight, droll wit, and an irresistable sense of fun, she invites us to:

• savor the wonder of the present moment
• appreciate our milestones (even birthdays )
• relish our mealtimes
• cherish our friendships
• rejoice in our reunions
• widen our knowledge
• find purpose in our work
• revel in our accomplishments
• enjoy our imaginations
• seek out beauty everywhere
• cherish our American heritage
• and above all, give thanks to the reason and source of all our celebrations

More than just a reminder to celebrate, this book itself is a celeration of life's infinite and joyful possibilities. It's a wisdom-filled, enthusiastic exploration of what it means to live fully and appreciatively―and it comes with a promise that if you bring the confetti . . .God brings the joy

A bestselling author offers keen insight for living abundantly through adversity from her unique perspective as a mature Christian woman who has experienced personal loss. Each devotional entry includes a quotation or Scripture and a brief prayer.

With characteristic eloquence and insight, Buechner presents a three-part series of reflections that probe, through the course of one day, the innermost mysteries of life. Blending an artist's eye for natureal beauty, the true meaning of human encounters, and the significance of occurances (momentous or seemly trival), with a wealth of personal, literacy, biblical, and spiritual insights, he offers a matchless opportunity for readers to discover the hidden wisdom that can be gleaned through a heightened experience of daily life.

Are you burning brightly-or burning out-in your spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional life? Do you find yourself being torn between work and family? Between what you have to do and what you want to do? In Burn Brightly Without Burning Out, Richard K. Biggs examines twenty delicate contrasts we all face and urges readers to gradually improve the balance between work and the other aspects of life. Filled with examples and exercises, each brief chapter reveals timeless truths, offers practical application tips, and issues a call to action."I love the big message of this small book," writes John Maxwell in the foreword. "Whether you're struggling to find work/life balance, or seeking to better the quality of life you now enjoy, Richard can help."

This collection of nine meditations from renowned biblical scholar and Anglican Bishop Tom Wright carries Holy Week from its solemn beginnings to the dramatic conclusion on Good Friday and Easter. "I hope that these addresses," Wright says in his preface, ." . . will contribute both to the enriched understanding, and also to the empowered living out, of the vital and inexhaustible events at the heart of Christian faith." The writings for Palm Sunday through Maundy Thursday morning, as well as the Easter Vigil, focus on texts from the Gospel of Matthew; Maundy Thursday evening, Good Friday, and Easter morning focus on texts from the Gospel of John.

Stories from a Place That Feels Like Home

Master storyteller Philip Gulley envelops readers in an almost forgotten world of plainspoken and honest small-town values, evoking a simpler time when people knew each other by name, folks looked out for their neighbors, and people were willing to do what was right--no matter the cost.

When Philip Gulley began writing newsletter essays for the twelve members of his Quaker meeting in Indiana, he had no idea one of them would find its way to radio commentator Paul Harvey Jr. and be read on the air to 24 million people. Fourteen books later, with more than a million books in print, Gulley still entertains as well as inspires from his small-town front porch.

In The Magnificent Defeat, Frederick Buechner examines what it means to follow Christ, the lessons of Christmas and Easter, the miracles of grace, and "the magnificent defeat" of the human soul of God.

Christian joy is the constant awareness of the loving presence of Jesus, the Son of God, in our hearts. Advent is a time when we open our minds and hearts to search for the light of love, compassion, and peace in the Word of God. It is a time set aside for more intentional reading of the Word of God-reading that leads to personal reflection, prayer, contemplation, and humble service to others. Advent challenges us to remove the barriers of arrogance, sadness, selfishness, and greed that hinder us from welcoming Christ with joy and living in communion with him and our brothers and sisters.

--From the introduction

The true meaning of Advent and Christmas finds its voice in Joyful Meditations for Every Day of Advent and the 12 Days of Christmas. From the First Sunday of Advent through Christmas and Epiphany for each liturgical year (A, B, and C), this book will help prepare for and deepen our experience this holy season.

Opening each daily reflection is a Scripture quote from the day's readings. The reflection then reaches out to us in our busy lives to consider what God's Word has to offer us during the holidays. Next, a thought to ponder brings home the message for you-to really apply the reading and reflection to your life. Now say a Prayer, an offering and petition to the Lord in our anticipation of his arrival; finally a practice, a chance to change your daily routine in simple ways to bring God's love to your life this joyous season.

"The Work of Day and Night" (Amal al-yawm wa'l-layla) was written by Imam Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti as a guide to correct conduct and worship in accordance with the example of the Prophet and the Pious Predecessors. Translated into English by Rashad Jameer, "The Work of Day and Night" contains some of the most beautiful prayers in Islamic devotional literature, and Suyuti has provided guidance for nearly every situation that one is likely to encounter day-to-day. In it the reader will find: the prayers said upon awakening, before eating and when dressing; the acts carried out at various times of the day and between prayers; and much else. A special section is dedicated to prayers that are recommended for reading at times of need due to their widely recognised protective qualities. "The Work of Day and Night" is invaluable for learning the Sunna of the Prophet and integrating it into one's life, as Suyuti took great care to explain precisely how to perform each of the daily practices in accordance with the example of the Prophet Muhammad.---It is hoped that this bilingual volume of "The Work of Day and Night" will enable a wider English-speaking audience to access one of the treasures of traditional Islamic knowledge and practice, and that it will provide Muslim readers with a source of inspiration in everyday life. A selection of the most beautiful and useful prayers has been transliterated and included in an appendix so that all worshippers may benefit by reciting them-regardless of Arabic ability. There is also a glossary of the most important religious terms.

"I loved The Listening Heart! So rich. Your work is drenched with scripture and your love for God. I've been buying and giving copies to family and friends. I plan to read it again in the future."--FRANCINE RIVERS, New York Times bestselling author Listen to My heart in the quiet of your heart . . . More. Life is full to overflowing, but we crave an elusive more. Via social networking, airwaves, and TV, our culture tells us to strive for more stuff, more activities, more adventure--you name it. Yet we are often left feeling unfulfilled and wanting. Empty, even. With so many demands for our attention, it is difficult to quiet our minds long enough to hear the still, small voice of our loving Father, and to listen to the One who desires to bring us so much more than the noise of everyday life. Judy Gordon Morrow discovered the more when her world was turned upside down and she knelt before God to seek Him and ask for His help. More than a decade ago, in tear-stained notebooks, she began to pen God's responses to her desperate prayers. Now, in The Listening Heart, Judy invites you to spend a year hearing from the God Who Speaks--the God who wants to speak to you. Each daily devotion echoes the Father's love and care for you, offering hope, comfort, encouragement, and more--a rich closeness with God that will satisfy the longings of your heart.

Bible readings, reflections and prayers for the days of Holy Week, and a large section of resources, including `Prayers on the seven words from the Cross', `A service of lamentation to liberate us for action', poems, meditations, and reflections ... The sun slowly rises on city streets where saints trail and spread God's light. The sun slowly rises in Glasgow classrooms where folk teach English as a second language to refugees and asylum seekers. The sun slowly rises at islands for world peace and over Iona Abbey. It rises on farms in Palestine where folk plant olive trees and work to grow peace from the ground up. It rises where street pastors hand out bandages and love. It rises in houses of hospitality, in the work of organisations like Church Action on Poverty, in Spirit-filled churches everywhere from Taipei to Orkney, at demos in solidarity with those suffering unjust taxation and benefit cuts. The sun slowly rises at climate marches around the globe. The sun slowly rises at Faslane submarine base where protesters sing and waltz the dance of life and blockade death and pray for the day when all nuclear weapons will be abolished ...