Prayer and Purpose

Introduction Dave Earley claims, “[T]o lead effectively by influencing others for God, Christian leaders must pray. If leaders want to lead well, they must pray well.” [1] In one way or another, nearly everyone is a leader, whether in their profession, at home, or a place where they volunteer. It is nearly impossible to find someone who does not lead in some capacity, so if prayer is indeed the secret of effective and persuasive leadership, then Earley’s book cannot be ignored. The following review of Earley’s book Prayer: The Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders, is an attempt to summarize and critique the book, with a particular focus on whether or not Earley wins the case for his thesis: “’Prayer influences men by influencing God to influence them.’” [2] Additionally, insight is offered into possible personal applications of Earley’s book. Summary Earley begins his book with an invocation, hoping to draw in readers with his stirring questions, whetting their appe...

Abstract The Great Commission to Worship addresses two commands given to Christians, the Great Commission (Mt 28:18–20) and the Great Commandment (Dt 6:4–6; Mt 22:36–40). The authors open the book by discussing common misconceptions of evangelism. They make it clear that evangelism is not optional, [1] nor is it a spiritual gift. [2] A total of twelve misconceptions are hashed out before they tackle twelve common misconceptions of worship. According to the authors, worship is often thought of as synonymous with fellowship [3] and praise music. [4] After revealing and refuting the common misconceptions of evangelism and worship, the authors point to some biblical models as guides for what evangelism and worship are. From the second chapter on, the authors get down to the business of presenting practical guidelines for living an obedient life for Christ that consists of both worshipping Him and adhering to His command to make disciples. They parse out the different aspects ...

Share Jesus without Fear by William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd William Fay opens Share Jesus without Fear in a startling manner. He offers his audience a look into his life before he knew Jesus, including involvement with racketeering, mob ties, and owning “one of the larger houses of prostitution in the United States.” [1] After this startling introduction leading into a brief recount of his conversion, he gets on with providing insights into sharing the gospel with others. Fay relates to his audience his thoughts concerning those who say, “I live a good Christian life, but never share my faith.” Of these people, he says, “But the problem is, if you aren’t sharing your faith, you are not living a good Christian life.” [2] Fay offers that many people do not share the gospel because they are afraid. Therefore, he offers not only a way to share the gospel, but advises readers that they cannot fail, and thus, have no reason to fear. Success or failure does not depend upon whe...