Whispers of Hope (Beth Moore- Giveaway)

Hello friends, it’s been a while since I posted on my blog and I promise that it’s for good reason. Recently my husband and I purchased our first home (yay!), and as if one major life change wasn’t enough (especially approaching Christmas time) I’ve also made some changes career wise. Needless to say, I’ve had little opportunity to write-“but no longer!” (I declare while waving a determined fist in the air.)

But before I continue, I would like to ask for your prayers as my family and I transition and adjust to these new life changes. Although these are good changes, change can still be stressful and there’s no better comforter, encourager, and strengthener than Jesus! (Isaiah 9:6) So, thank you in advance for sending some Heavenly love our way. 🙂

Recently, I received an email asking if I’d be willing to review two recently released books. One is entitled Whispers of Hope by Beth Moore and the other is entitled God is Able by Priscilla Shirer. Now, if you’ve had an opportunity to follow my blog at all than you’ve probably noticed that I have often quoted these two authors in my “I’m Walking” category (posts where I humbly share the lessons I’m learning as I walk with the Lord).

Sooo… when I received the email asking if I would like to read and giveaway copies of books from two of my favorite authors, I simply replied, “You had me at hello.”  🙂

First, I would like to offer my honest opinion of Beth Moore’s, Whispers of Hope.  The layout of this daily devotional is divided into 10 weeks. Each day includes a Scripture reading and devotion. What immediately intrigued me about this devotional is that Beth Moore has included a prayer guide for each day’s reading. As Beth Moore explains, she included these pages to help us form habit of prayer. She states, “I’m certain of two things: prayerless lives are powerless lives, and prayerful lives are powerful lives.” Amen!

I can honestly say that during such a busy time in my life, my prayer time has been affected-but it’s certainly during these times and always that I need to maintain my deep connection and communion with God Almighty. Thus, this devotional has been a blessing. It provides a structure to an otherwise hectic time in my life, and even if your life isn’t especially hectic this book certainly offers a great opportunity to encourage more in-depth time with the Lord.

Beth Moore presents readers with what she calls the “P.R.A.I.S.E format”. I’ve included excerpts of her words below to briefly explain each section:

• “P” for Praise– “Sincere praise from your heart will invite God to pull up His chair and become your audience… Praising God helps remind us he is fully able to do anything we could ask or think according to his will.”

• “R” for Repentance– “NO MATTER WHAT, practice a time of confession and repentance DAILY!! We gain victory over sin by allowing God to treat our problems in their earliest stages… Let God catch things in early stages so we can be Spirit-filled people on a DAILY basis. Remember, the only thing whiter than snow is a freshly cleansed child of God (Psalms 51:7).”

• “A” for Acknowledgment– “Acknowledge His [God’s] right to rule and reign in your life every day. Any day not surrender to the authority of the Holy Spirit will automatically be lived in the flesh (see Galatians 5)… I urge you to make a specific point of acknowledging Him as Lord; voice your choice to bend your knee to Him. You might also ask Him for an immediate awareness when you’re departing his authority.”

• “I” for Intercession– “Pray for others! Ask God to burden your heart with the specific people He wants you to intercede for each day. Intercessory prayer really works!”

• “S” for Supplication for Self– “Now enter into a time of prayer for yourself. God has called each of us to love Him, serve Him, and live holy lives. I need help to live that life! We can only know Him intimately when we bring him our innermost thoughts, fears, hurts, gains, losses, and desires. I use this as a very personal time between the two of us. Pour out your heart to him for God is our refuge (Psalms 62:8).

• “E” for Equipping– “Supplication for self helps us KNOW God; this step assists us as we grow in our capacity to SERVE God. You’re cleansed and prepared for His full habitation, so ask Him to fill you with his spirit, to make Himself “conspicuous” in you and to make you victorious over the evil one. Ask him to give you eyes that “see” and ears sensitize to “hear” Him. Ask him to give your heart to respond when he opens the door of opportunity. Ask Him to empower you to witness as he leads! Invite Him to equip you with the power of the heavenlies-a double portion of the Holy Spirit. “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” ASK HIM FOR IT ALL! May God fold His everlasting arms around us one day in glory and say, “this child withheld nothing from me.”

• Thanksgiving… Philippians 4:6-  “Incorporate Thanksgiving into every aspect of your prayer time. As you PRAISE, thankHim for choosing to reveal himself to you. As you REPENT, thank Him for His faithfulness to forgive your sins. As you ACKNOWLEDGE His Lordship, thank Him for being so trustworthy with His authority. As you INTERCEDE, thank Him for being your Great High Priest and adding power to your petitions. In SUPPLICATION for yourself, thank Him for knowing you intimately and desiring that you know Him. As you ask great EQUIPPING, thank Him for never calling on you to do anything He will not readily equip you to accomplish. In EVERYTHING, THANK HIM!”

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As I went through each section of P.R.A.I.S.E I enjoyed that I had a guide to help me as I considered my thoughts and what I wanted to share with God. I personally enjoy the prayer guide format, but if you’re not one who prefers something so structured I would still encourage you to utilize the devotions. I would recommend this book because of the opportunity it creates for us to grow with God through Scripture and prayer… and what better time than the new year to start a powerful, prayerful habit?! 🙂

If you would like an opportunity to win a free copy of Beth Moore’s, Whispers of Hope, please send me an email to (WriteAshleyLH@gmail.com) or leave a comment below with your email address (so I may contact you if you win) with one (or some) things you are praising God for in your life right now. 🙂

 

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The DEADLINE to leave your comment is SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014.

 

I will select and announce the winner on Monday, January 13, 2014!

Thank you for entering!

 

Also, I will post my review and giveaway a copy of God is Able by Priscilla Shirer in the coming weeks… please check back for an opportunity to win. If you would like to receive email updates about my posts in general, you may also sign up to follow my blog. 🙂

God bless you, and Happy New Year!

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In accordance with FTC Guidelines, here are some RULES for this giveaway:

–          There is no purchase necessary

–          To win, you must be 21 years of age or older

–          Blog drawing/giveaway is limited to U.S. Residents only, please.

Please Note: I was provided a free copy of this book from the publisher to provide my honest opinion.