A while back, my pastor, Dr. Greg Mathis gave me a book called The Hour that Changes the World.  It was written by Dick Eastman and is a practical approach to assisting your prayer life.  I’m glad Dr. Mathis gave me the book and especially glad I’ve taken the time to read it.

Prayer is on of the weakest areas of my devotional life.  I’ve read a number of books on prayer over the years, but this has been one of the most helpful for me.  Eastman addresses prayer with a practical framework that has helped me with structuring my prayer time.

He divides his hour of prayer into twelve five minute blocks with the following segments: praise, waiting, confession, Scripture praying, watching, intercession, petition, thanksgiving, singing, meditation, listening, and praise.  Eastman’s structure is not helpful because of its rigidness, but because of its practical flow from one element to the other.  I personally appreciate how these elements have helped me focus my prayer time while allowing for a sense of conversation and fluidity as well.

If you are looking for a challenging, accessible, and practical resource for your devotional life, then The Hour that Changes the World might be for you.  Eastman quotes freely from some of the classic prayer authors of the past, and his book builds on the influence of such prayer giants like Andrew Murray and E.M. Bounds.  I would definitely recommend this book as a tool to challenge and build your prayer life.