Best Books on Prayer & Fasting
Prayer is the believer's ongoing communion with God through Christ, offered in dependence on the Spirit and resting on God's promises rather than on technique. Fasting is a voluntary, temporary setting aside of food that accompanies earnest prayer, expressing hunger for God and humility before him. Reformed teaching treats both as means of grace, not as ways to manipulate God.
Start Here
basic
A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World
Top pickPaul E. Miller · 2017
A warm, practical guide that helps distracted, busy people actually pray.
Praying the Bible
Donald S. Whitney · 2015
A simple method for turning Scripture itself into fresh, unstale prayer.
A Hunger for God: Desiring God through Fasting and Prayer
John Piper · 1997
An accessible case for fasting as a means of deeper hunger for Christ.
With Christ in the School of Prayer
Andrew Murray · 1885
A devotional classic of thirty-one lessons drawn from Christ's own teaching on prayer.
God's Chosen Fast: A Spiritual and Practical Guide to Fasting
Arthur Wallis · 1968
The standard biblical primer explaining what fasting is and why it matters.
Go Deeper
intermediate
Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation
Top pickD.A. Carson · 2015
Studies Paul's own prayers to reshape how believers pray for others.
The Hidden Life of Prayer
David MacIntyre · 1913
A Scottish classic on the private, unseen prayer life behind public ministry.
A Method for Prayer
Matthew Henry · 1710
Structures prayer around Scripture's own language, edited for modern readers.
The Lord's Prayer
Thomas Watson · 1960
A Puritan exposition working through each petition with pastoral depth.
Prayer (I Will Pray with the Spirit)
John Bunyan · 1965
Bunyan on praying with true understanding and approaching God's throne of grace.
For Study
advanced
Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God
Top pickTimothy Keller · 2014
Integrates historical theology of prayer from Augustine to Calvin with practice.
The Devoted Life: An Invitation to the Puritan Classics
Kelly M. Kapic and Randall C. Gleason (eds.) · 2004
Scholarly essays introducing Puritan writers whose spirituality centered on prayer.
Piety: The Heartbeat of Reformed Theology
Joel R. Beeke · 2015
A concise academic case that Reformed doctrine is meant to produce prayerful piety.
Communion with God
John Owen · 1991
Owen's classic on fellowship with Father, Son, and Spirit as the ground of prayer.
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
Donald S. Whitney · 1991
The definitive modern treatment placing prayer and fasting among the disciplines.
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A tiered reading guide of the best books on Prayer & Fasting.