15 best books on prayer for Christians in 2026
Prayer is the heartbeat of the Christian life — our direct line to a loving Father. As we step into 2026, many of us are seeking fresh ways to deepen that intimacy with God, especially amid the noise and hurry of daily life. If you've ever felt your prayers growing routine or wondered how to experience more of God's presence, you're not alone. That's why I've curated this list of the 15 best books on prayer for Christians in 2026.
This collection of Christian books on prayer includes enduring classics that have guided believers for decades alongside insightful contemporary works that speak directly to today's challenges. Whether you're just starting your prayer journey or longing for renewed passion, these books will inspire you, equip you, and draw you closer to Jesus.
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Deepen your relationship with God in 2026 with the 15 best books on prayer for Christians.
Top 15 best books on prayer for Christians
1. ‘A Praying Life’ by Paul E. Miller
Many Christians struggle with prayer, feeling it is hard or inconsistent amid busy lives, leading to fear, anxiety, joylessness, or spiritual lethargy. "A Praying Life" by Paul Miller demonstrates how prayer is not a duty, but a desperate need for an intimate relationship with a loving Heavenly Father.
Miller emphasizes coming to God like a child — helpless, honest, and dependent — which frees believers from cynicism or self-reliance. It’s updated and expanded, including new chapters on prayers of lament and further guidance for using prayer cards.
After teaching in inner-city schools and serving with his father, Jack Miller, in ministry, he earned an MDiv. He began creating interactive Bible studies and seminars on prayer and discipleship.
Prayer can be a struggle when it becomes rote or feels distant, leading to spiritual dryness or a sense of duty without delight. "Prayer" by Timothy Keller answers these objections to prayer by showing how it can be a conversation with God.
Keller emphasizes balancing reverence for God's holiness with the closeness enabled by Jesus, freeing believers from superficial "chatting" or mechanical routines. Drawing richly from Scripture and great Christian teachers like Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, Keller explores the traditional forms of prayer — adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication — as concrete practices.
The book provides biblical guidance, model prayers from history, and practical steps to make prayer more personal, powerful, and consistent, even amid grief, loss, or daily challenges. It’s written by a bestselling author who’s also written apologetics books.
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Through clear examples, especially from the Psalms, “Praying the Bible” explains how to pray through any passage of Scripture. Donald S. Whitney’s approach can help you turn familiar texts into fresh, personal petitions that align with God's will.
The book provides an easy-to-grasp method — simply reading a portion of the Bible and talking to God about whatever comes to mind from the text — to make prayer more engaging, God-centered, and consistent, even in busy or dry seasons.
Whitney is a professor of biblical spirituality at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, where he also serves in pastoral ministry roles.
"The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson shows you how to stop making timid requests of God and start praying boldly by drawing metaphorical circles around dreams, problems, and fears until God breaks through.
Batterson emphasizes dreaming big, praying hard, and thinking long, freeing believers from small-minded faith or quick surrender. Using the story of Honi the circle maker, a 1st-century Jewish sage who drew a circle in the sand and prayed boldly for rain during a drought, along with modern examples and his own experiences pastoring in Washington, D.C.
This book helped me see how to seek God with seemingly impossible goals and pray with audacious confidence. Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., a multisite church recognized for its innovative outreach, including owning coffeehouses and theaters that fund kingdom causes.
First published in 1885, “With Christ in the School of Prayer” is a classic book on prayer. Andrew Murray shares how prayer is the highest and holiest work — a ministry of intercession where believers partner with Christ to bring down heavenly blessings on the world.
Through 31 lessons drawn from Jesus' teachings and examples, Murray teaches readers how to pray in spirit and truth, persevere boldly, and embrace a life of unceasing prayer. The book provides scriptural insights, model prayers, and encouragement to view prayer as the root of all Christian work and power.
Andrew Murray (1828–1917) was a South African pastor, teacher, missionary, statesman, and prolific writer who authored 240 books and tracts. Born in South Africa to a Dutch Reformed missionary family, he studied in Scotland and the Netherlands before returning to serve in various capacities.
In "Fervent,” Priscilla Shirer describes prayer not as casual wishes, but as a targeted weapon — serious, specific, and strategic — to strike back against the enemy's personalized schemes.
Inspired by her role in the film “War Room,” each chapter exposes the enemy's tactics in areas like passion, focus, identity, family, past regrets, fears, and more, then provides space to craft personalized prayer strategies on tear-out pages for ongoing use. The book offers a hands-on guide to practical praying that renews passion, refocuses identity, defeats temptation, and uproots bitterness.
Readers find “Fervent” transformative — igniting a warrior mindset in prayer that counters attacks, restores joy, and draws them closer to Jesus. Priscilla Shirer is a Bible teacher, conference speaker, and author of Bible studies. She holds a Master's degree in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary.
If you’ve ever found yourself neglecting prayer in the midst of daily demands, "Power Through Prayer" by E.M. Bounds will help you see prayer as an essential source of power even on the busiest and most stressful days.
In short, provocative chapters, Bounds calls preachers and all Christians to prioritize prayer. Originally published under the title “Preacher and Prayer” in 1907, this book has become a classic. E.M. Bounds (1835–1913) was an American attorney turned clergyman in the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
"A Simple Way to Pray" by Martin Luther is another prayer classic. Written in 1535, it teaches how to have a heartfelt, structured conversation with God by using familiar texts like the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles' Creed.
Written as a personal letter to his barber, Luther shares his own prayer habits, demonstrating how to meditate on each phrase slowly, letting the Holy Spirit prompt personal responses. The book provides a practical framework that emphasizes four elements of prayer: instruction, thanksgiving, confession, and petition.
Martin Luther (1483–1546) was a German monk, theologian, and professor whose bold stand against church abuses with his 95 Theses, sparking the Protestant Reformation in 1517.
Stormie Omartian wrote “The Power of a Praying …” series to show Christians that prayer doesn’t have to be vague or occasional. Instead, God invites us into a partnership of intercession.
Readers often find this collection transformative, equipping them with ready-to-pray words that reduce anxiety, build faith, and foster closer walks with Jesus. Her books are tailored to specific roles we take on, such as “The Power of a Praying Wife,” “The Power of a Praying Parent,” and “The Power of a Praying Grandparent.”
Omartian overcame a traumatic childhood marked by abuse. She found healing and purpose in Jesus, which fuels her transparent writing. She’s married to Grammy-winning producer Michael Omartian since 1973 and has two adult children.
One of the most powerful studies I’ve done on prayer was a line-by-line examination of the Lord’s Prayer, which R.C. Sproul tackles with his book, “The Prayer of the Lord.” I found myself praying the “Our Father” not as a memorized prayer but as a deeply meaningful and relevant prayer.
That’s because Sproul unpacks each phrase — from "Our Father in heaven" to "deliver us from evil" — shedding light on topics like God’s will, daily provision, and forgiveness. The book includes a helpful question-and-answer section.
R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was a renowned theologian, pastor, and author who taught at various seminaries and wrote over one hundred books, including classics like "The Holiness of God." Sproul drew from a lifetime of studying Scripture to make deep theology accessible. "The Prayer of the Lord" reflects his gift for explaining profound truths in a simple and accessible way.
“Experiencing God” was a transformational book, and one that took time to fully digest and apply. It showed me how to seek God through prayer as part of a daily roadmap. The authors share how God’s will is not hidden from us, but rather, is readily available if week out an intimate and active relationship with God.
“Experiencing God” is a modern class, and has been updated and expanded with new chapters and stories. The realization that God is active and involved in my daily life — and has left divine fingerprints for me to find — was a foundational truth that influenced by my own, “Faith Storytellers: Unleash the Power of Your Story.”
Henry T. Blackaby (1935–2024) was a Canadian-born pastor and author, and originally coauthored "Experiencing God" in 1990 with Claude V. King. They later involved Blackaby’s son, Richard, in revisions.
“Prayer: How to Have a Conversation with God" by Rosalind Rinker describes how prayer is simply a dialogue between two people who love each other — a simple, honest, back-and-forth conversation that fosters intimacy and spiritual togetherness between you and God.
Rinker emphasizes conversational prayer, especially in group settings, freeing believers from stiffness and encouraging short, relevant prayers. That’s based on Matthew 18:20 (NIV): “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Considered a modern classic, it was No. 1 in Christianity Today’s "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals.”
Drawing from her personal journey and missionary experiences, Rinker shares how this approach revolutionized her own prayer life, making it natural, joyful, and effective both alone and together. The book provides practical keys to overcome barriers, increase meaning, and experience God's presence vividly.
"Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools” by Tyler Staton emphasizes coming to God just as you are, expressing doubts and disappointments openly while embracing prayerful silence, persistence, confession, and more. Based on biblical teaching and historic Christian practices, Staton invites readers to understand and embrace prayer's wonder in everyday life.
As author, pastor, and national director of the 24-7 Prayer movement, Staton’s pdiscover prayer's beauty, mystery, and value shines through the pages.
“Too Busy Not to Pray” by Bill Hybels encourages Christians to stop viewing prayer as “to do” and instead as an essential connection for clarity, energy, and guidance — which we can receive directly from God.
With practical insights from his own life leading a growing church, Hybels covers hearing God's voice, praying with persistence, and overcoming common hindrances like fatigue or doubt. The book provides straightforward tools to make prayer sustainable and transformative, even in particularly hectic times.
Considered a modern classic, “Too Busy Not to Pray” will encourage you to seek time for honest convesrations with God. Bill Hybels is the founding and former senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, one of America's most influential megachurches known for innovative outreach and seeker-sensitive ministry.
"Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?" by Philip Yancey describes prayer as a mysterious partnership with God, and an honest conversation that embraces and even enourages questions, pain, and wonder.
Yancey emphasizes viewing prayer as relationship over transaction. He tackles tough issues like unanswered prayer, dissappoinmnet, God's silence, and the role of human will. The book provides encouragement to keep praying authentically, discovering prayer's deeper purpose in transforming the person praying.
Philip Yancey is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including classics like "What's So Amazing About Grace?" and "The Jesus I Never Knew.” He’s best known for his graceful handling of doubt, suffering, and faith.
Looking for other Christian book recommendations? Check out our central hub for Christian book recommendations. You might find our following book guides helpful.
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Mackenzie Ryan Walters is the author of “Faith Storytellers: Unleash the Power of Your Story,” which shares Christian testimonies and stories, as well as curated lists about Christian books, gifts, and more. A national award-winning education journalist who’s covered a presidential campaign and been inside NASA, Mackenzie now edits the Faith Storytellers website and is passionate about lifting up and sharing the story God is writing in the world.
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