BOOK REVIEW: "When You Need A Miracle: How to Ask God for the Impossible" by Linda Evans Shepherd

About The Book :

Hurting people want a God who is big enough to rescue them from heartache and circumstances beyond imagination. But even if they believe that such a God exists, they may have no idea how to approach him, much less how to ask him for the impossible.



In this powerful book, Linda Evans Shepherd shows readers how to reach out to God and ask for a miracle. She shows how God's miracles may not come packaged in the ways we would expect, but they do come in ways that will transform our lives. This book will be a comfort to those who struggle with faith yet still dare to believe that God cares. Through solid biblical teaching and real-life stories of answered prayer, Shepherd walks with readers on a journey to renewed hope and the assurance that God still works miracles.





About the Author :

Linda Evans Shepherd, author of When You Don’t Know What to Pray, How to Talk to God About Anything (Revell 2010) and co-author  of The Potluck Club and The Potluck Catering Club (Revell 2005 - 2010) novel series, is an speaker and media personality regularly appearing as a host of Denver Celebration, a Daystar TV show. She is also the co-owner of WebTV4Women, an internet TV station where she hosts The Miracle Channel as well as her shows Be A Miracle, Cooking Up Wonders, The Women's Ministry Moment and True Miracles. She's the, founder and leader of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and President of the non-profit ministry Right to the Heart. She’s authored almost 30 books including co-authoring the bestselling Share Jesus Without Fear. She's married to Paul and has two children. 




My Review :

I have to confess to being a bit skeptical when I thumbed through this book and saw what I considered to be "canned" prayers. Please don't misunderstand me. I believe the most important thing about our prayers is the attitude of our heart--whether the prayers are rote, memorized, or nothing but heartfelt sobs--but I was concerned this book would be one in which the reader is spoon-fed.



I'm happy to report that as I dug deeper and deeper into this book, I found the opposite to be true. Rather than being served spoonfuls of religious food, I found myself rejoicing and praying all the more as I turned each page.



The author, through use of meaningful and gripping words, drove home each point, causing me to move closer to the Father as I prayed myself through each chapter. Here's a sample from the chapter on intercessory prayer:

I sometimes wonder who Heaven considers to be today's "who's who" of the faithful. Would the list include the pastor who leads a church of twenty thousand, the evangelist who led a million people to Christ this year, or the young girl in a far land who risked her very life to share the gospel with her neighbors?

 I'm sure these are the kinds of people God would pick for such a prestigious list. However, I'm thinking we've forgotten someone who's very dear to God's heart. She's easy to miss. When you do see her, you might see her frail body, though God sees a mighty prayer warrior standing in the gap for others. You might see a drab face lined with wrinkles, though God sees the beauty of vibrant prayers of faith that push back the darkness over ministries and loved ones. You might see feeble knees, though God sees lovely knees that have worn a carpet bare through hours in prayer.

It may very well be that these faithful prayer warriors, the ones who have sacrificed their time to pray through great battles on behalf of others, are those whom God would most likely recognize as modern heroes of the faith.

I'm delighted I had the opportunity and privilege to read this book, one I intend to keep for many years to come for the purpose of gleaning guidance and good.



DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinion. I received this book from Revell Publishers.