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One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land

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The Egyptians in Exodus 1 were intent on enslaving the Israelites, wearing them down so that God’s chosen people would become disillusioned and not live up to their destiny. Of the original two million Israelites who received God’s invitation to enter the Promised Land, only two actually entered it! Similarly, modern day Christians often hear and understand the promises of God each Sunday morning at church but then rarely choose to experience them in everyday life. In One in a Million , Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer invites us to change that pattern for good, living beyond our circumstances and expecting to see God move in miraculous ways day after day. Without a doubt, we can find and follow God’s purpose for our journey. We can make it to the Promised Land!

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

242 people are currently reading
2639 people want to read

About the author

Priscilla Shirer

82 books2,495 followers
Priscilla Shirer is a wife and a mom first. But put a Bible in her hand and a message in her heart and you’ll see why thousands flock to her conferences and dive into her Bible study series’ and books each year.

A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Priscilla holds a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies and considers it a privilege to serve believers from every denomination and culture by helping them to know the truths of Scripture intellectually and encouraging them to experience these truths practically by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In addition to Priscilla’s participation in many church and para-church conferences across the globe each year, Going Beyond Ministries hosts AWAKEN – an outreach event in their hometown designed to encourage and mobilize women locally. This free gathering brings together thousands of women from different denominations and backgrounds several times a year in an effort to stir revival.

Going Beyond Ministries also equips believers through books and Bible study resources. Priscilla has authored over a dozen video driven studies for women and teens on a myriad of Biblical characters and topics including Jonah, Gideon, the Exodus, discerning God’s voice, The Armor of God.

Her books include Discerning the Voice of God, God is Able, and two New York Times Bestsellers – The Resolution for Women and Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer, which was named the 2016 Christian Book of the Year. Her latest offering is a 365-day devotional called Awaken: 90 Days with the God Who Speaks. In 2016, Priscilla ventured into the world of children’s publishing with The Prince Warriors, a fiction 4-book series and accompanying 365-day devotional (Unseen) designed to equip tween boys and girls for victory in spiritual warfare.

Priscilla has been married to Jerry for 20 years. Between studying and writing, she spends most of her time cleaning up after (and trying to satisfy the appetites of) their three growing boys – Jackson, Jerry Jr. and Jude.

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5 stars
931 (57%)
4 stars
481 (29%)
3 stars
166 (10%)
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37 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
Profile Image for Ibelisse Sánchez.
6 reviews13 followers
October 21, 2010
Has something that you needed but did not ask for drop into your lap unexpectedly? This happened to me with Priscilla Shirer’s new book, One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land. It is without a doubt one of those books that touches your inner fibers so profoundly that you will consider it a landmark in your spiritual journey. The kind that gives you goose bumps when you are reading it because you think it was written especially for you.

Shirer uses the biblical narrative of Exodus 1 to teach us that abundant life can be achieved in our daily living. Experiencing God’s power in our lives every day and not just on Sundays is the crux of this book. The author invites us on a spiritual journey paralleling the Israelites own physical journey out of Egypt, through the wilderness and stationed at the threshold of the Promised Land. That is where the decision is made to become that one-in-a-million who enters the land.

The Promised Land is the place where we experience the fullness of what God has to offer us no matter what the cost to getting there is. It is an invitation to step into our inheritance and live the destiny God has ordained for us. It is also a call that requires courage and patience, as we leave our past behind and wait in the wilderness while trusting in God’s sustenance. It will require determination to enter into a life of power, joy and peace.

Shirer’s writing style is conversational yet clever and full of spiritual gems. The book is a perfect balance of expository teaching and personal anecdotes that bring bible truths to life. It is a must-read if what you truly desire and seek is to be one of the few who will not settle for less than a deeper and more intimate relationship with God.
Profile Image for Larisha.
673 reviews4 followers
March 4, 2011
Do you want to be challenged to move out of your comfort zone and into deeper intimacy with God? Then this book is for you.

The Egyptians in Exodus 1 were intent on enslaving the Israelites, wearing them down so that God’s chosen people would become disillusioned and not live up to their destiny. Of the original two million Israelites who received God’s invitation to enter the Promised Land, only two actually entered it!

The title, One in a Million, refers to the fact that out of approximately two million Israelites only two - Joshua and Caleb - made it to the Promised Land. Priscilla uses the Israelites' journey from Egypt to Canaan to explain what intimacy with God requires of us. Part Bible study and part spiritual memoir, the book seamlessly interweaves Scripture and personal application.

The Promised Land is the place where we experience the fullness of what God has to offer us no matter what the cost to getting there is.
Profile Image for Lungile.
19 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2017
I am making it through

It's time to be courageous and stand boldly on God's word and promises for your life. Although a tough beginning, the more I got into the book the more encouraged I became.
Profile Image for Tara Davis.
48 reviews2 followers
May 1, 2019
Fantastic bible study! Very encouraging. I love Priscilla’s energy and the way she connects her stories to the point of the study.
Profile Image for Bess.
108 reviews32 followers
January 24, 2020
I did this study several years ago and I saw a lot wrong with it. I thought the problem was with me. I tried to give Priscilla Shirer another few chances several years later and it was worse every time i did. Today I see that her teaching is false and potentially dangerous. Anyone considering dong her studies, please do not proceed with doing so without a lot of prayer and discernement. She takes Scripture out of context, is repetitive, and puts the focus on too much of her "personal ideas" rather than God's Word. (should always be a big red flag) These are a few reasons, and reason enough, especially than latter reason. I believe Priscilla became well known largely because of her father being the well-known Tony Evans. However, it is important to remember than well-known is not always the same as "eed to be known".
Profile Image for Christi.
24 reviews4 followers
June 1, 2013
If you're in a difficult or dry season of your life, this is a must read. I did what I never do and picked a book by its cover, and it was obviously God leading me to it. God used this book so much in my life and it has been the biggest encouragement in this season of life!!
Profile Image for Charisse Tyson.
Author 2 books7 followers
October 13, 2013
Priscilla did a great job of encouraging Christians to come up higher and enjoy a Christ filled life despite any adversities the devil throws our way to rob us of our joy and peace. If you'd like to step into the best God has to offer this book will be encouraging to you.
Profile Image for Skyeler.
48 reviews2 followers
June 11, 2021
Priscilla Shirer writes some of my favorite devotion books. Overall it wasn't my favorite of hers, but I still loved it, and found it to be a very encouraging devotional to follow through.
8 reviews
February 7, 2012
Priscilla is a very talented and relateable writer. She gave me fresh perspective on the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and challenged me to move out of my personal 'egypts' into my promised land. This is one of the most balance and real books that I have read on what it looks like to live in the promised land with lots of practical application. Priscilla makes scripture come alive!
Profile Image for Faith.
135 reviews6 followers
September 20, 2010
.. like my pastor says "if you cannot say amen, say ouch".

The content of this book is dynamic, matches up with the Word, and is an exhortation to move deeper into a relationship with God.
4 reviews
June 21, 2016
This book was life-changing. I recommend it for anyone who is disappointed in the season of life they are in, and wants a different perspective on being in the wilderness...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Heather Racey.
166 reviews3 followers
December 29, 2023
Of the two million original Israelites delivered from Egypt given the promise of the land of Canaan, only two entered in. That’s one in a million. They were the only ones who walked into actualized promise, believing that God would do what He said He would do. Why?

Priscilla Shirer draws out the implications of the Exodus events and applies them to modern life. She begins with lavish intimacy, experiencing God, seeing with our two eyes in our own head crazy, impossible things that only God can do. From there, so many things went wrong. Shirer walks through the wilderness as a model for how to experience God’s promises, not just be His child. There is a difference. Not until the final chapters did she look to Joshua and Caleb, those positive examples to follow.

Following God is hard. God asks us to believe crazy hard things, and so often, He asks us to do crazy hard things. Shirer covers a variety of circumstances over the course of several chapters. I was thankful she did this because asking God to relieve you of the irritation of daily monotony is very different than asking God to relieve you of the pain of a lost child, to bring that husband back, or to make the diagnosis disappear.

The thrust of her content, however, was in the choices we make in the wilderness. This tied in very closely, I found, to the book by Jennie Allen on choices that I read last month. We can choose to complain, back-bite, disobey and wander. Or we can choose to set up camp in the wilderness at the base of God’s mountain. Drive those pegs deep. By making choices in the wilderness that demonstrate trust in God such as relinquishing control or guarding our mouths from complaining, we actually begin to experience some relief from certain types of pain in the waiting.

This was a timely and encouraging read.
Profile Image for Anita Sellers.
45 reviews
October 1, 2019
I would recommend this book. I give it six out of five stars.

The explanation on the back cover of the paperback book says it all.

When you meet someone who lives, eats, and breathes Christian faith, you want what they've got more than anything-their seamless intimacy with God, their prayer power, their spiritual stamina, their passionate sense of expectation, the kind that doesn't shrink into despair at the first sign of setback.

But how badly do you want it? Enough to toss anything from your life that keeps you from being 100% His? Enough to allow God's spirit to bring radical spiritual change that might just scare you right out of your comfort zone? Enough to wait on God long and hard and invite whatever He requires to get you ready for what' next?

When approximately two million adult pilgrims of ancient Israel left behind their slavery in Egypt, wandering in the wilderness for an entire generation, only two made it safely to the Promised Land. That's One in a Million who were brave enough to put abundant life to work no matter where they were, no matter how easy it became just to blend in and be average.

And the next one in a million could be you-the minute you decide you've had your fill of halfway faith, the moment you realize that a week is a long time to put off what God has promised you can put on: the deep, daily experience of His ever-abiding presence.
12 reviews
July 11, 2021
It was an enjoyable book. I really enjoyed reading it as part of a book study with co-workers. It's not my style of Bible Study though. Yet it's quality for those who like the style it takes. Not actually expositing the point of the Biblical texts she mentions, the author instead uses them to encourage positive practical behavior in a person's life today. It's more about inspiring people toward a way of life, than digging into what the Bible is actually trying to say in the story. She uses the travels of the Israelites from the Exodus to the entry of the Promised Land as a tool for inspiring people to live differently and seek a deep relationship with God and their own personal "promised land." Using the Biblical story as a sort of metaphor for the type of living she's proposing. It is an interesting read, and you will get some nuggets from it. I gave it 3 stars as liking it instead of 4 as liking it a lot, or 5 for really loving it because of my personal taste. I prefer to read Biblical text for what it has been written to convey, but I can also appreciate the value of this book in general and what the author is trying to say, and so would not rate it with a 2 or 1 which shows a dislike.
Profile Image for Shelbi.
825 reviews5 followers
May 18, 2020
We all have seasons in our life where we are wandering in the desert waiting to enter God's promised land. Sometimes these seasons of waiting feel never-ending, and other times it's just a quick journey. No matter your circumstances, Priscilla Shirer's One in a Million reminds us of God's promises and God's goodness. He is always preparing a way for us even when we can't see our future. He is always providing for us in the desert. He is always guiding and directing our every step, if only we just listen. For every "but," "what if...," and "how" I had while reading, Priscilla magically seemed to have the answer ready and waiting for me not long after. The desert is hard, but the desert is also powerful and purposeful in each of our lives. Our job is to be the one in a million resting and trusting in God's promises.
159 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2017
I read this book over a long period of time, thinking about all the nuggets of wisdom throughout. Each time I picked it up, so many had happened in my life that the application of the principles Priscilla discusses seemed to speak into the very experiences I was having. This is definitely a MUST-READ no matter where you are in your life but it is especially relevant if you are going through or considering any type of transition. She uses the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land to illustrate the journey we take in our faith with God. It is a book to read with a pencil or highlighter and post-its. I simply recopied certain sections into my journal. No matter where you are in your journey, it will speak to you.
1 review
April 5, 2022
Priscilla is amazing!

This book has opened up my mind to so much. Growing up in church and committed to being a full time mom, student, and minister, I now see that I am on my to promised land living. And now, with a little work and determination in following the last chapters order of movements or actions, I feel confident I’ll be there in no time. Again, I have never gone wrong in reading Priscilla’s material or listening and watching her. I encourage you all to dig in deep and hold on tight bc the journey is just begun!

Thank you Priscilla for your obedience and dedication to the lord. With a whole heart I speak blessings and encouragement abundantly and I am fervently praying for you, your family, and ministry! God bless you sis .
Profile Image for Polly.
56 reviews37 followers
December 5, 2017
I read this along with our Bible study group as a bookclub-style discussion rather than as a weekly study. We loved it and unanimously agreed when we finished we felt the urge to go through it again with Bibles open and pens ready to take notes. One in a Million refers to being two of the original two-million Israelites who entered the Promised Land 40 years after the Exodus. Priscilla draws unique and creative insights that make relevant correlations to our modern lives. As a writer, Priscilla doesn't waste words. Her text is rich and meaty and her observations are thought-provoking and captivating.
56 reviews1 follower
March 9, 2020
We (Seeds of Truth Book Club) loved the book. Although, we were aware of the history of Moses leading the Israelites from Egypt. Rereading the chapters in Exodus and the book One in a Million led to new revelations, resulting in self reflections of how we hinder our progress to our promised destiny. I like that Priscilla Shirer gives plenty of Bible scriptures, and shares her own journey through the wilderness. My biggest take aways; 1. as believers we are to yield to the wilderness, instead of fight it, 2. even in the wilderness the presence of God is with us, 3. time in the wilderness is not always a punishment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
16 reviews
January 27, 2022
My review: read this book. Seriously, this book will change everything. If you're feeling stuck, going through a new season in life, starting a new dream, or stepping out into the world of adulting . . . this book is for you.
Priscilla brings a refreshing, relatable writing style, entertaining stories, the encouragement of scripture and a clearly articulated breakdown of just what it means to live in the Promised Land.
56 reviews2 followers
July 10, 2022
I enjoyed most of this and would like to do the study. I love Priscilla and her passion. Knowledge, and boldness. The last chapter, I felt she took some liberties by expressing opinions that missed a bigger point. For example, was Caleb a better leader than Moses? Perhaps but the more important piece, to me, is that God used both leaders at the right time to serve very important purposes. We aren't poor leaders if we question our calling and pray for wisdom and wonder if we are equipped.
Profile Image for Cassandra Johnson.
133 reviews1 follower
January 4, 2019
I am One In A Million

This book was life changing for me. I no longer want to be in an oasis of complacency. I want to experience God and His presence and His promise. I just want to trust him in every situation. Priscilla has a way of explaining God’s word that even children understand and relate. Our small group really enjoyed reading this book.
Profile Image for Sarah Rose.
39 reviews
July 2, 2019
Priscilla Shirer books are always a good bet when you are looking for something to read that will challenge you and help your faith to grow, and this one was no exception. One in a Million provides fresh insights into the Exodus and lessons from it that can be applied to daily life today. I enjoyed the author's Biblical knowledge and felt encouraged by this work.
Profile Image for Becky Schommer.
83 reviews
April 18, 2023
With each new chapter Priscilla Shirer delivers a fresh revelation on an old familiar story. I read this book as part of doing the full Bible study (videos and workbook) but the book alone offers all the rich insight. (The workbook helps with reflection and application.) Highly recommend this book for personal or group study.
Profile Image for Melissa Widener.
533 reviews8 followers
July 16, 2025
One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer
4.7⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 0/5
Cursing: none
Format/Source: audio from Hoopla
Genres/Tropes: Christian, non-fiction, inspirational
Audience: Everyone
Setting: 2005-now
Characters: Priscilla and her family and friends; Bible characters
👍 short chapters, inspirational, using Old Testament as current ex., no cursing, ideas
👎 none
Profile Image for Nancy Holte.
514 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2017
What it takes to be one in a million. This book is based on the story in Exodus of Joshua and Caleb who were the only two jews-out of the two million that escaped slavery in Egypt-to enter the Promised Land.
Profile Image for Michele  Rios Petrelli.
266 reviews10 followers
May 8, 2018
Reminders are always good :) on the path through the wilderness the obstacles you encounter along the way and the reminder that God is always with you. You just need to trust in God with all your heart.
Profile Image for Michelle.
772 reviews30 followers
April 18, 2019
I enjoyed this audiobook enough that I went and requested a print copy from the local library so I can get some quotes from it that I wanted to remember. :) Worth a listen (or read). If you are wanting to experience God more in your everyday life, this book may help.
Profile Image for Crystal Lawrence Dow.
89 reviews1 follower
August 13, 2019
A Must Read! As with every Priscilla Shirer study I have done, I learned so much and went so much deeper in my faith. I love when Bible stories you have heard over and over show you so many new things about God and our relationship with Him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews

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