PRAY TO WIN (God Wants You To Succeed)

Greetings O Ye Winners.

Before we begin...let me just say that I realize that there are people who think that Christians are and should be poor losers. Their spirituality is linked to their poverty which they equate with their humility...and anyone who implies that God wants you to WIN and SUCCEED is tantamount to the anti-Christ...and they have their guns loaded with scriptural ammunition to shoot down this heresy.

Of course compared to 3rd world countries...they ARE winning and succeeding...and as of yet...have not sold everything they have and given it to the poor. They like to complain from the comfort of their American dream home and type things out on their computers...as they sip a cool iced tea in their climate controlled rooms...and consider this the spartan lifestyle.

NOTE: I realize there are extreme abuses of money...and overlooking of the poor...but this book is not about the attitude of the abusers...who ascribe to the root of all evil (which is not money...but the love of money). This book is about PRAYER. With that said...here is a RECOMMENDED RUMINATOR READING. In 2011...there is a lot of talk about WINNING (good and negative). The most recent negative is the actor Charlie Sheen...who was released from his T.V. show Two and A Half Men...due to his destructive lifestyle and strange tirades against the creator/producer of that show. The spotlight was on Charlie...as he released twitters with many..."sheenisms." These "sheenisms" became fodder for the media...and he would usually end with a defiant statment about his progress...by saying "WINNING." This is not the "winning" that Pat Boone is talking about...it is more about winning...by...losing.

Pat Boone is one of my favorite singers, movie star, and author. As a singer he has sold 45 million albums and recorded 38 top 40 hits...along with being an early rock pioneer in the since (for good or bad) homoginized black music (Ain't That A Shame, Tutti Frutti, etc.) He made this type of music accessible to the world. He was a musical contemporary to Elvis Presley (they were friends). As a movie star he was in 12 movies (along with having his own T.V. show in the 50's/60's). As an author...he has written over 25 published books. In the early 70's... Pat funded Randy Stonehill and Larry Norman's first albums (without Pat Boone...no Jesus Music)and then founded Lamb and Lion Records for contemporary Christian artists...including himself. Pretty good for a local boy from Donelson Tennessee...a direct descendent of Daniel Boone and cousin to Richard Boone and Randy Boone.

Pat's singing and writing were influential in my spiritual walk as I was encouraged by his Christian albums (Songs From The Inner Court is one of Pat's best)...and his books (A New Song, Dr. Baalam's Talking Mule, A Miracle A Day Keeps The devil Away, etc.) Today's review is on one of those overlooked jewels...PRAY TO WIN (God Wants You To SUCCEED).

On the surface it looks like this is another one of those motivational, positive thinking, get rich quick books...BUT...it is not. Oh it is motivational...it is positive...and encourages you to not think negatively...but it is a book about SUPERNATURAL COMMUNICATION with the Creator of the universe.

As a Speech-Language Pathologist (who is writing my own book about Speaking and Hearing The Words of God from the perspective of a Speech-Language Pathologist)...I was intriqued and delighted to read the first chapter of PRAY TO WIN...entitled LANGUAGE WITHOUT LIMITS: An Introduction to Prayer Probes. This is in Part I called...HOW TO START A SUPERNATURAL CONVERSATION.

The book jacket describes the contents of the book:

--The nine prerequisites for effective prayer
--How to distinguish His true answers from false messages
--The key to meaningful reading of the Scriptures
--How to discover His will for you
--The power of group prayer
--His two special communication codes
--How to become an effective participant in His answer to your prayer

I love Pat's style of writing...because it draws you in...and you feel as if he is talking to you. It is very down to earth...not overly theologized...but nitty gritty. It is filled with humor and stories of first hand accounts of answered prayer...and reported accounts of answered prayer from people know personally to Pat...some famous...some infamous...some not so famous.

When you finish reading PRAY TO WIN...I believe you will be motivated to PRAY.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do...and your plans will succeed." (Pro-Verbs 16:3)

"The Lord delights in the way of the man whose steps He has made firm...though he stumble, he will not fall. For the Lord upholds him with His hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They're always generous and lend freely, thier children will be blessed." (Psalm 37:23-26)

" But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

These are the three verses that ends PRAY TO WIN (God Wants You To Succeed). I would like to add one more about prosperity and success.

"This book of the Law (the Word) shall not depart from your mouth (where you are speaking) but you shall meditate (ruminate/chew on it) day and night (all the time)...for then (cause and effect of speaking and meditating on the Word) you will make (as you do what you meditate) your way prosperous (overflow) and then you will have good success (accomplishement)." (Joshua 1:8)

True Biblical prosperity and success to me means (1) prosperity=enough to meet your needs and an overflow to help meet the needs of others (2) success=accomplishing the purposes of God in your life. Of course we have to learn "the secret" found in Philippians 4:10-19 as God supplies all your needs and strengthens you.

If you combine PRAY TO WIN...with Ed Coles book NEVER QUIT (see the Recommended Ruminator Reading review on Ed's book)...you have a one-two punch to knock the devil out.

I give this book five hooves up...along with a big Moooooooooooooooo.

Love and Winning Kisses
Rodney "Succeeding" Boyd