Book Review: Praying Women

I was given a digital copy to read prior to the release date of February 4, 2020. I prefer a book in my hand when reading, but I find I need to be flexible with the age we are in. I do not always compromise, but in this case I did.  This book review focuses on Praying Women, a practice I intend to grow in. In living out my homesteading life, prayer makes up an important part of my day.  It ranks up there with feeding livestock and growing my own food. I feel excited as I learn and apply.

Sheila brings her sense of humor to this book. Beginning with a funny story about her grandfather and prayer. In her descriptive detail, I had to smile and found my heart lifted the way humor does.  She moves on to the serious details of feelings and questions a lot of women have when it comes to prayer.

What about those times it feels like our answer does not come? Or the answer is not what we were expecting?

I have been there with that one many times. I prayed trusting God’s will while attaching my own outcome to the trust. What now, when God’s will becomes different than my expectation? The agony of waiting for an answer can become a feeling of lonely despair. Creating the question, ‘Does he even hear me?’

I found myself challenged to approach prayer in a new way. I now intend to pray the word of God on a regular basis. I have done a bit of that in the past, but I now understand a little about the power in praying His word back to Him.

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Praying Women started me thinking about prayer as a strategic weapon in spiritual warfare. I grew up always hearing “I will pray for you” to the point that it seemed a thing to say with out any follow up. Now I believe there is power in prayer. I know it to be important. Reading Praying Woman upped the level of understanding of just how important our prayer life is to our walk of faith.

In Praying Women, I found myself circling back to the important facts of being in a relationship with Jesus.

I felt encouraged by the examples of where Sheila has struggled in her own prayer life and how the Lord has led her through these struggles, teaching her along the way.

I read again one of my favorite verses, “Be still, and know that I am God”, Psalms 46:10. I am pretty sure I did not master that yet, but I appreciate the reminder to keep practicing.

I was reminded of how we can be real when talking to God, a heart to heart conversation.

M. Graber

However, I think I have often lost sight of the sovereignty of prayer. When we pray, we are talking to the creator of the universe, the one who holds all power over everything. A king of the universe, the one who gives and takes away. Jesus said He would intercede for us and only possible because he died on the cross. Before His life on Earth as a human and death, there was only religious rituals to cleanse one from sin. Now the relationship shifted to one of family or friend.

Sheila shares the importance of praying beyond our feelings.

Praying when we don’t feel like it and praying when it feels like God is not there. She asks you to examine your heart, getting down to the root of why. Who or what we look to for our identity? I have been there finding my identity in things and people other than my relationship with Jesus. To be honest, this focus of who I am in Christ continues to be an ongoing journey of growth. Separating the human Maria from the new person I am in Christ, who He calls me to be.

I realize this post is a bit different than producing your own food or raising livestock.  It does relate to my everyday life and in that sense, it becomes a real part of my homesteading journey. In fact, every bit as much of my daily routine of animal husbandry and living off the land as best I can.