Books are some of the best friends a pastor can have. How to know which friends to have is quite difficult, for as the inspired Preacher said, “Of making many books there is no end” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). I recently suggested three books every time-strapped and budget-strapped pastor should read on pastoral ministry and preaching. Here are my offerings on the work of prayer:

A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson. Carson says, “The one thing we most urgently need in Western Christendom is a deeper knowledge of God. We need to know God better” (15). One of the foundational steps in knowing God is “spiritual, persistent, biblically minded prayer” (16). To help Christians know their God and pray to their God Carson walks through Paul’s prayers in his epistles. Each chapter provides rich commentary on an individual passage and wonderfully wise application to prayer. The great takeaway from this work is to saturate your prayers with clear, biblical concerns. Carson’s encouragement on pages 34-35 to those who pray publicly is worth the price of the book.

A Method for Prayer: Freedom in the Face of God by Matthew Henry. If Carson convinces you to offer prayers saturated with Scripture, then Henry will show you what Scripture saturated prayer can sound like. Henry’s “method” is adoration, confession, petition, thanksgiving, and intercession. The numerous examples provided on each kind of prayer are excellent tools to sharpen public and private prayer. The Christian Heritage edition of this book includes a discourse on “how to spend each day with God,” where Henry writes, “The life of communion with God, and constant attendance upon him, is a heaven upon earth.”

The Secret Key to Heaven: The Vital Importance of Private Prayer by Thomas Brooks. The Secret Key (originally published as The Privy Key) finds Brooks expounding on Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” From this verse he gathers his main doctrine, “That closet prayer or private prayer is an indispensable duty.” Few books have had such an immediate impact on my life and ministry as this one. It might do the same for you.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer by E.M. Bounds. This volume contains eight different books from Bounds on the subject of prayer. You need only read “Power Through Prayer” to find your conscience powerfully pricked unto devotion in prayer.

Leading in Prayer: A Workbook for Worship by Hughes Oliphant Old. This is more of a resource on public prayer, but a vital one for any pastor that regularly pray before his congregation.