By Carol E. Hind

Petitions From My Heart is a little gem of a book for serious Christian intercessors.

Indeed, if you’re looking for a few “quickie” prayer ideas to zip through on the run or a “shotgun approach” to praying, this isn’t it. PFMH is for serious prayer warriors who are committed to “raising the roof” from their knees.

Structure

The text is divided into twelve sections, beginning with Adoration, Thanksgiving and Praise. It concludes with Seasonal Prayers, a Concluding Prayer and a Praise Tribute. In between are specific, focused prayers on a wide variety of subjects including national and world leaders, ministry workers, and family. Sections begin with a specific Scripture relevant to the theme or topic. All in NKJV.

The book includes some terms and spellings that may be unfamiliar to non-British audiences: “whilst,” “honour, “ “utilise,” “Saviour,” etc. Additionally, the book assumes a British audience. See page 163:

“I thank you for the Queen, who is the head of this country and for her government…”

But these are minor distractions and do not detract from the main message. Just adapt accordingly for your particular context.

Two Minor Caveats:

• I do not necessarily agree with every theological position put forth by the author. Used in the broad sense, however, Petitions From My Heart could be an effective tool for those interested in going beyond flimsy “parachute” prayers or shallow, sporadic praying.
• The author initially suggests reading “through all the prayers in the first instance, so that you are familiar with their content and have an idea which one will suit a particular issue you wish to pray about.” It’s a good idea but may dissuade casual readers. Cuz it’s a lot.

 

An Excellent Resource

About 200 pages, Petitions From My Heart is engaging, thoughtful and well written. It’s also presented in an easy-to-follow format that both new and seasoned pray-ers will appreciate. Pithy and succinct, PFMH includes:

• Suggestions for use
• A daily prayer chart/praying guide
• A prayer journal with several pages for prayer requests and praise reports.

 

Anyone interested in learning biblically-based prayers and how to pray more systematically and deliberately will benefit from this book. PFMH will also assist “prayer rookies” in growing their prayer life and deepening their personal walk with Jesus Christ.