My Top 5 Books on Prayer

I have never really considered myself a book reader. Yet reading is probably one of the most consistent things I do every single day. I would even say I spend more time reading books than I do engaging with photography in all its various forms. I do have a decent list of book reviews on my site though if you are interested.

In his essay “On Stories” (within the collection Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories), C.S. Lewis said, “I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” For some reason, that quote has stuck with me for years—probably because, at the time, I don’t think I had ever read a book more than once, other than the Bible. Until now.

There are countless books on prayer—a topic that has been explored for thousands of years. I started reading books specifically on prayer about ten years ago, and a few of them have been so helpful that I’m now on my second reading of many of them. This is by no means a full review of any of these books; I just wanted to share them here in case anyone wants to shortcut the research time in finding a good, theologically sound, book on prayer.

This is also not an exhaustive list—there are plenty of other excellent books out there, like The Necessity of Prayer by Bounds is a clear classic. In Philip Yancey’s book (below), the last chapter (Prayer Resources) and the appendix (Sources in Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?) are great starting points to finding many more books on the subject. In fact, this is my biggest resource on finding any good books on specific topics, just look at the references used in any book you have enjoyed.

So here are my top 5 (in no particular order) plus one bonus book for you.

1. Prayer by Yancey

**Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey**

Yancey explores the question that every skeptic and believer alike asks: “Does prayer really matter?” He combines personal stories, interviews, and historical examples to examine how prayer impacts our lives and the world around us. The book is thoughtful, accessible, and challenges common assumptions about prayer while offering practical encouragement to engage more deeply in a conversation with God. I think I've actually bought this book a few times, but at least once on Amazon about 10 years ago.

2. A Praying Life by Miller

**A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul E. Miller**

Miller’s book is both practical and honest about the struggles of maintaining a consistent prayer life in a busy, distracted world. He weaves personal stories, biblical insights, and hands-on techniques to help readers move beyond formulaic prayers and develop a genuine, ongoing relationship with God. It’s especially useful for those who feel overwhelmed or inconsistent in prayer.

Towards the end of the book he gives his practical methods of actively participating in prayer in the forms of prayer cards and prayer journaling. I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to methods just because I tend to take them to their extreme, so I use them to the point where they don't become the purpose and point but just a tool or aid. One of the best aids I found from this book was his Scriptures for Prayer Cards - Pocket Guide, which you can download as a PDF (I tried to find that pocket guide on his store again but can't figure out how I found it). You can find the book on Amazon or SeeJesus.net.

3. Prayer by Hallesby

**Prayer by O. Hallesby**

This one is brand new to me. Hallesby’s classic work is a theological yet accessible guide to understanding prayer. Written with depth and clarity, it addresses both the challenges and the blessings of prayer, emphasizing its transformative power in the believer’s life. Hallesby offers timeless wisdom that bridges doctrine and daily practice.

This work was originally written in 1931 and is still very relevant for today's world, but it was written almost 100 years ago now, so the language is dated but not as difficult to read as one might think. It has a translation date of 1994 so there was probably a lot of work done at that time. Hallesby understands the complexity, the mystery, and the simplicity of prayer. I got my copy on Amazon, and the printed date was 2025, I think the ink was still wet.

4. Prayer by Keller

**Prayer by Timothy Keller**

I read this book when it was released a long time ago. Keller approaches prayer with a balance of biblical insight and practical application. He explores why prayer is central to the Christian life and addresses common doubts and frustrations. The book is structured to help readers grow in confidence, understanding, and persistence in their prayer life.

There is a super detailed review of this book on Desiring God's website, Prayer, A Reader’s Guide to a Christian Classic. This is a little bit more challenging of a read for someone who isn't deep into theology, but it's still very readable. I picked up mine on Amazon more than 10 years ago.

5. Letters to Malcolm by Lewis

**Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer by C.S. Lewis**

This could be my first fiction read from Lewis. This book is a reflective collection of letters to a fictional character (Malcolm) where Lewis explores the joys, struggles, and paradoxes of prayer. He does this in his characteristic style and theological insight. It reads like a conversation with a trusted friend, offering profound reflections on topics such as intercessory prayer, doubts, and the relationship between prayer and daily life.

Somehow this was a recent find for me. I've read a bunch of Lewis' non-fiction (still trying to make it over to his non-fiction classics), but it doesn't really read like a fiction book at all. I'm in a slow read through it, but so far it's pretty typical Lewis-like writing; amazing, thought provoking, difficult, and rewarding. I also don't know why the publisher has to put out so many different versions and copies, but this is the one I got from Amazon, there are many others.

Bonus. The Valley of Vision

This is probably one of the single most important collections of prayers outside of scripture. It is not a book on "how to pray" but a book of prayers to pray. The Valley of Vision is technically a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. It was first edited and published by Arthur Bennett in 1975 in England. As it says in the introduction of this text

The book is not intended to be read as a prayer manual. The soul learns to pray by praying, for prayer is communion with a transcendent and immanent God... the prayers should therefore be used as aspiration units... for the individual's own prayer subjects.

The prayers themselves are mostly anonymous and come from the time period of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. They continued in use through the Charles Spurgeon time period (1834-1892), who was often seen as one of the last of the great Puritans. There are several sites around the internet which have the text or PDF of this book posted, but this is a book you need to hold in your hand while you read/pray. I have one in bonded leather that I got from Amazon for less than $20 USD, but the price varies a lot depending on inventory levels. For some reason there are copies on Amazon for over $100, but those are not from the publisher, right now it's selling for $24.20 as of this writing.

That's my Top 5 plus one! I'm currently reading or re-reading all of these books. Like Lewis said I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once. I get it, but he also didn't have the Internet to read as well.

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