Here is my honest review after reading Stormie Omartian’s “The Power of A Praying Wife.”

A dear friend gave me this book with a heartfelt note as a wedding shower gift. For years I placed it on a shelf and would occasionally thumb to certain chapters I was interested in and I would put it back. Then one day I felt compelled to start from the beginning and go after it. Maybe I was worried about trials I knew my husband would soon face in his career or maybe I felt insecure myself as a wife and mother, but I felt COMPELLED. So it began.

The first chapter was the longest and the topic was “Pray for your husband’s wife.” It was the perfect way to set the tone for the rest of the book. I think it would be easy to tackle each chapter with either an attitude of “Yep, God, THAT IS MY HUSBAND’S PROBLEM RIGHT THERE; YEAH GOD LET’S PRAY ON THAT!” or “Oh what a sweet thing to pray about…” But when the first chapter calls for a good long look at self before praying for someone else, it is humbling (and GOOD). My study began with a quest to better my walk and right my heart before turning my attention towards praying for my husband. Then in each of the following chapters I recognized areas in which I needed to pray for myself along with my husband.

So for me it was a quest to bring US to God’s purposes rather than a mere “fix him!” That’s a good thing.

I found that reading this book, saying the suggested prayers, and reading corresponding scriptures was a spring board to help me crawl out of my own anxieties. Each morning I looked forward with anticipation “What area of our marriage and purpose will I pray about today? What scriptures will I get to renew my hope with today? Some days were full of hope, others growing pains, but every day I looked forward to getting in the word. I encouraged myself in the word daily and gave my prayer life a needed boost. I finished the book feeling empowered, encouraged, and ready to dive in to my next Biblical Quest.

One thing I found immensely helpful was the testimonies at the beginning of each chapter. Every chapter began with an example or testimony, led into some commentary on the topic and scriptural references, then closed with a sample prayer and some verses to study at the end. It was encouraging to read about other women and find that I could relate to so many of them. Then seeing how they applied the WORD in their every day lives and faithfully prayed, was truly an inspiration.

In conclusion I would say this book gives scriptures to apply and pray, and it gives examples of how to pray for certain situations (Because sometimes we are all at a loss for what to pray). The major bonus is that is so grounded in the word that it’s hard to come away from the book without being edified. I would recommend this book to anyone facing challenges in their marriage, or enjoying wedded bliss, or just simply needing a tool to boost your prayer and Bible Life. I’m enjoying the boost now!