Books on Prayer Every Christian Group Should Consider—in This Order

The following books on prayer are my top 10 recommendations for group studies to help Christians grow in prayer. I chose books that offer a special focus on prayer, excluding more general books about spiritual growth.

My list is unique from other lists I have seen because:

• It gives practical criteria specifically for group studies.
• It provides theological perspective from a conservative point of view.
• It offers a specific order for which books on prayer to read first.

Top Books on Prayer

Here are the top books on prayer I recommendation for Christian groups to read in this order:

1. Revival Starts Here by Dave Clayton
2. Waiting on God by Andrew Murray
3. First Freedoms by Jennifer Barnett
4. Hearing God by Dallas Willard
5. Jesus Next Door by Dave Clayton
6. Praying the Psalms by Thomas Merton
7. The Practice of the Presence of God by brother Lawrence
8. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala
9. Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila
10. On the Lord’s Prayer by Tertullian, Cyprian, Origen

1. Revival Starts Here by Dave Clayton

Vital Information about Revival Starts Here

• Chapter Count? 6 chapters
• Page Count? 88 pages
• Weeks of Study? 5–7 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Youth and Adults
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 4 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? Yes
• What level of maturity does this assume? Readers should be hungry for evangelism and ready for God to awaken them to something more.
• Discussion questions in the book? Yes
• Homework required? No
• Video series available? No

Theology of Revival Starts Here

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? No
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? NIV
• Publisher? Nashville: HIM Publications, 2019

What can Revival Starts Here accomplish for your group?

• Helps get your group ready to pray and fast for the lost
• Helps you feel God’s heart for the lost
• Encourages you to overcome common barriers to fasting
• Increases your understanding of the importance of fasting as a disciple of prayer
• Provides a practical tool for yourself, your family, and your group for fasting

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Read my full review of Revival Starts Here here.

2. Waiting on God by Andrew Murray

Vital Information about Waiting on God

• Chapter Count? 31 chapters
• Page Count? 146 pages
• Weeks of Study? 4–5 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Adult
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 5 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? Yes
• What level of maturity does this assume? Any level, so long as they are hungry and open.
• Discussion questions in the book? No
• Homework required? No
• Video series available? No

Theology of Waiting on God

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? No
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? NKJV
• Publisher? Igniting Prayer Action, 2020 (updated in modern English from the originally published version of 1896)

What Can Waiting on God Accomplish for Your Group?

• A daily devotional experience for a month
• Opportunities for better understanding God’s heart
• Development in patience
• Better discernment of God’s timing and movements
• Understanding of how God can unlock doors that previously seemed locked

Recommended Purchase Links for Waiting on God

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• Free Audiobook on YouTube here (public domain, Librivox).
• Buy on Christianbook here.
• Buy on Amazon here.

Read my full review of Waiting on God here.

3. First Freedoms by Jennifer Barnett

Vital Information about First Freedoms

• Chapter Count? 17 chapters
• Page Count? 224 pages
• Weeks of Study? 5–18 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Adult
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 4 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? Yes
• What level of maturity does this assume? This book assumes that the reader is a believer who wants to grow in prayer. Believers of all levels of maturity could read this, assuming they have that desire. So if part of your group’s immaturity is a lack of a desire to pray or grow, this book may not be for you. Most people who read this book will find gems of insight.
• Discussion questions in the book? Yes
• Homework required? Yes
• Video series available? No

Theology of First Freedoms

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? No
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? NIV
• Publisher? Nashville: HIM Publications, 2021

Recommended Purchase Links for First Freedoms

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• Buy on Christianbook here.
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Read my full review of First Freedoms here.

4. Hearing God by Dallas Willard

Vital Information about Hearing God

• Chapter Count? 9 chapters
• Page Count? 308 pages
• Weeks of Study? 9–11 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Adult
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 6 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? Yes
• What level of maturity does Hearing God assume? Hearing God assumes readers are from all maturity levels and have a desire to hear from God and develop an interactive relationship with him.
• Discussion questions in the book? Yes
• Homework required? No
• Video series available? Yes, with a few options:
  • RightNow Media (30-min videos)
  • YouTube series with six videos (30 to 60 minutes)
  • DVD Series with six sessions from Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and John Ortberg on Amazon here.

Theology of Hearing God

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? No
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? NRSV
• Publisher? Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2021 (originally published by Regal Books, 1984)

What can Hearing God accomplish for the group?

• Provides language to help readers grow in prayer
• Gives a framework for “experimenting” with hearing God, as Willard says
• Helps readers grow in their relationship with God
• Offers examples of how God speaks
• Connects practical advice to scripture verses

Recommended Purchase Links for Hearing God

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5. Jesus Next Door by Dave Clayton

Vital Information about Jesus Next Door

• Chapter Count? 30 chapters
• Page Count? 136 pages
• Weeks of Study? 21–30 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? High school students and adults
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 3 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? Yes
• What level of maturity does Jesus Next Door assume? Any level of maturity works for those who have a desire to love those around them!
• Discussion questions in the book? Yes
• Homework required? Yes
• Video series available? No

Theology of Jesus Next Door

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? No
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? NIV
• Publisher? Nashville: HIM Publications, 2020

What can Jesus Next Door accomplish for the group?

• Provides devotional reading during a season of prayer and fasting
• Gives daily inspiration for an entire church
• Offers daily Scripture and prayer prompts
• Helps with practical ideas and stories that help readers take action
• Encourages readers to make room for daily reflection

Recommended Purchase Links for Jesus Next Door

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6. Praying the Psalms by Thomas Merton

Vital Information about Praying the Psalms for Groups

• Chapter Count? No traditional chapters (at a total of 32 pages), but you could divide your study into three weeks like this:
  • Pages 1–11
  • Pages 12–20
  • Pages 21–32
• Page Count? 32 pages
• Weeks of Study? 2–4 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Adult
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 8 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? No
• What level of maturity does Praying the Psalms assume? This assumes that readers can handle reading a Catholic monk and skimming over Latin phrases when they don’t know Latin, and that readers desire to step up in leadership in their context.
• Discussion questions in the book? No
• Homework required? No
• Video series available? No

Theology of Praying the Psalms

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? Yes, Roman Catholic
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? The Psalms, A Prayer Book
• Publisher? Mansfield Centre, CT: Martino Publishing, 2014 (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1956)

What can Praying the Psalms accomplish for your group?

• Gives specific inspiration to read and pray the Psalms
• Inspires men specially to step up to lead their family in prayer as the priest of the family
• Helps readers gain perspective from another tradition—Roman Catholicism—and learn how they can encourage discipleship in the home
• Helps readers see a vision of what a life of prayer in the Psalms can look like
• Provides perspective on the Psalms from a writer in a liturgical tradition

Recommended Purchase Links for Praying the Psalms

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7. The Practice of the Presence of God by brother Lawrence

Vital Information about The Practice of the Presence of God for Groups

• Chapter Count? 25 chapters
• Page Count? 96 pages
• Weeks of Study? 3–5 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Adult
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 5 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? Yes
• What level of maturity does The Practice of the Presence of God assume? This assumes readers can handle a new perspective on prayer from a Carmelite monk! The actual content is pretty palatable and not strongly denominational, so I think any level of maturity can read it.
• Discussion questions in the book? No
• Homework required? No
• Video series available? No

Theology of The Practice of the Presence of God

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? Yes
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? N/A
• Publisher? Whitaker House, 1982 (public domain copyright, originally compiled in 1691)

What can The Practice of the Presence of God accomplish for your group?

• Provides a practical example of how to experience God in everyday life
• Gives a guide for thinking about work as a context in which to talk with God
• Offers a classic piece of writing from a well-known yet humble brother
• Helps readers understand what their relationship with God could look like
• Opens up a conversational relationship with God in a unique format of letters

Recommended Purchase Links for The Practice of the Presence of God

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8. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala

Vital Information about Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

• Chapter Count? 11 chapters
• Page Count? 192 pages
• Weeks of Study? 10–12 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Adult
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 4 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? Yes
• What level of maturity does Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire assume? It assumes a hunger for prayer and revival in one’s life and in their church, for readers at any maturity level!
• Discussion questions in the book? No
• Homework required? No
• Video series available? No

Theology of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? Yes
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? NIV (1984)
• Publisher? Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018 (originally published 1997)

What can Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire accomplish for your group?

• Inspires readers to pray together as a church
• Provides a vision for how God can work through consistent prayer
• Shows how group prayer can carry immense power
• Helps leaders know that they can set the tone for their church’s prayer life
• Gives an example of how God can work toward revival in an urban context

Recommended Purchase Links for Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

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9. Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila

Vital Information about Interior Castle for Groups

• Chapter Count? 26 chapters
• Page Count? 242 pages
• Weeks of Study? 8–13 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Adult
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 9 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? No
• What level of maturity does Interior Castle assume? This is a very difficult read and assumes advanced spiritual maturity.
• Discussion questions in the book? No
• Homework required? No
• Video series available? No

Theology of Interior Castle

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? Yes, Roman Catholic
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? N/A
• Translator: E. Allison Peers
• Publisher? New York: Doubleday / Image Books, 2004 (first Image edition, 1961; original written in 1577)

What can Interior Castle accomplish for your group?

• Provides a classic in mystical spirituality that’s respected by contemporary writers like Dallas Willard and John Mark Comer
• Offers insight into mysticism from a 15th-century Spanish Carmelite nun’s perspective
• Gives a unique framework for thinking about growth in Christ
• Helps readers see how Christ dwells within and what it is like to pursue him who lives in us
• Makes prominent the importance of self-knowledge without being self-serving

Recommended Purchase Links for Interior Castle

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• Buy on Christianbook here.
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10. On the Lord’s Prayer by Tertullian, Cyprian, Origen

Vital Information about On the Lord’s Prayer for Groups

• Chapter Count? 15 chapters
• Page Count? 216 pages
• Weeks of Study? 3–12 weeks
• Recommended size of group? 3–12 people
• Age of target audience? Adult
• Gender specific? No
• Reader difficulty? 9 out of 10
• Appropriate for New Believers? No
• What level of maturity does On the Lord’s Prayer assume? This assumes a nearly scholarly-level interest. It’s digestible by those who are very interested in church history or theology, even among serious lay-level leaders. For example, it would be fitting for an in-house ministry training program at a church for a select few.
• Discussion questions in the book? No
• Homework required? No
• Video series available? No

Theology of On the Lord’s Prayer

• Theological red flags? No
• Denominationally specific content? Yes, ancient church
• Author’s preferred Bible translation? N/A
• Publisher? Crestowood, New York: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2004

What can On the Lord’s Prayer accomplish for your group?

• Provides a historical perspective on prayer
• Gives readers an example of what theological and practical training for new believers was like in the early church
• Helps readers gain perspective on the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer
• Gives insight into prayer from three Church Fathers
• Offers a popular-level introduction to historical theology

Recommended Purchase Links for On the Lord’s Prayer

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Books on Prayer on My Reading List

• How to Hear God by Pete Greig
• Prayer by Tim Keller
• On Prayer by E.M. Bounds

What’s the next prayer book on your reading list?

*The resources on this list are offered only as recommendations. The entirety of content in these books is not necessarily endorsed by the author of this blog nor by HIM Publications; nor does HIM Publications vouch for the content of these resources.

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