The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage - Review

The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage

By: Stormie Omartian

Published: January 1st 2009 by Harvest House Publishers

252 pages

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--Stormie Omartian's bestselling books on prayer and marriage have touched millions of readers in a life-changing way. "The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage" helps husbands or wives pray to protect their relationship from 14 serious problems that can lead to unsatisfying marriages or even divorce. For those who are already struggling in these areas, this book will help them find healing and restoration.

Readers will learn how to pray about everything fromcommunication breakdown to struggles with finances and raising childrenmisplaced priorities to anger, unforgiveness, and sexual frustrationpornography and infidelity to depression and addictions

No stranger to struggles in her 34 years of marriage, Stormie looks at these topics and more in the straightforward, hopeful manner readers have come to trust. As always, readers will find Bible verses and personal prayers they can use as powerful resources to help their marriages last a lifetime.

Previously published as "Praying Through the Deeper Issues of Marriage"

First off, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm a Stormie Omartian fan. I've read several of her Power of a Praying... books and I plan to continue to read more. She's helped me tremendously on my journey to a better prayer life.

I sought out The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage when my husband and I hit a bump in the road in our own marriage (what marriage doesn't have those?) and despite having The Power of a Praying Wife, I felt like I needed something different--something more. And so I ended up getting The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage. As with the other Power of a Praying... books that I've read, I took this one slow in order to maximize information retention. And there came a point where our marriage felt more stable and secure and I didn't feel the urgent need to press on in the book like I once did, so I put it down for a spell.

The wonderful part about this book is that you and your marriage don't need to be struggling in order for you to benefit from this book. Ms. Omartian's books usually follow the pattern of a different topic per chapter. Within the chapter, she discusses the topic at length and provides a sample prayer and scripture (Promises from God) on the subject. But The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage went another step. She included three prayers at the end of each chapter. The first prayer was always a Prayer of Protection. This prayer is designed to protect you, your spouse, and your marriage from experiencing this particular problem to begin with. Or if you both struggle with the issue, it helps to cover you both in this area. Next was a Prayer for Breakthrough in Me. This obviously covers if you are the partner struggling with the topic of the chapter. And finally, she included a Prayer for Breakthrough in My Spouse designed to cover your spouse should he/she be the one struggling with the chapter topic.

Because each chapter included the three different prayers at the end, I felt each topic discussed was covered in every way possible. Most of the time, I found that even if I didn't think we as a couple or I individually was struggling with a particular chapter topic, once I read and prayed the prayers she included, I realized that I needed improvement more than I originally thought.

As I always feel led to include in my review of any Christian book, Stormie Omartian's books do not contain the standard. They do contain Scripture and I have learned much from her. But I find that there are some things she says that I don't 100% agree with. And so while I do recommend anyone and everyone I can to read her books, we must always compare what man says against what God says. The Source for truth is and always will be the Bible--God's Word.

One I thing I know for certain, you can't pray for your marriage and not see improvement in yourself, your spouse, and/or your marriage. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage gets 4.5 Stars from me. Have you read this book? What did you think? Let me know!