Leaving Ordinary {Review}

Last month, I was contacted about reading and reviewing several books about personal growth and Christian life before their official release. One particular title was Leaving Ordinary: Encounter God through Extraordinary Prayer by Donna Gaines. In this book, the author uses the story of the tabernacle as a model to teach us how to interact with God through prayer.

Your ordinary daily practice of prayer can become an extraordinary encounter with the living Lord.

Personally, I wasn’t familiar with the tabernacle or it’s various parts and their meaning. But with Donna’s chapter by chapter breakdown of each part along with the Scripture base to support her explanation, my eyes have been opened! The other blessing in this book is her guidance and help in having a stronger, deeper prayer life.

Sometimes I struggle with the “words” of prayer. Jesus knows my heart and soul, and I understand He gets what I’m saying. But it can be frustrating, especially when I need to pray out loud in front of others, whether my child or spouse, or even in our ladies’ group. In the book, Leaving Ordinary, Donna suggests several things to help grow stronger in our “praying skills” if you will. Scripture, who to mimic/practice, even just listening to those we hear praying around us that speaks to our hearts and souls. As basic as it sounds, I never had given it much thought.

I enjoyed this book that it taught me about an important but often overlooked piece of the Bible; but more importantly, it led to a more beautiful and confident, even meaningful prayer life with my Lord, Jesus Christ. I would most definitely recommend this book as a small group study; if nothing else, becoming a stronger praying woman would be easier to do in a group setting.

Here is the summary of the book from inScribed:

The deepest longing of the human heart is to know and be known by God.  God longs for an intimate relationship with us as well.  But how do we develop that kind of relationship with a holy God? It is one thing to long for such a relationship, but quite another to experience intimacy with Him. In Leaving Ordinary, Donna Gaines shares from her personal experience how prayer can become the channel that links the believer’s heart to the heart of God.

God gave the pattern of the tabernacle to the Israelites. It was a temporary and portable dwelling for His glory. Through it God taught them how to approach and worship Him before He led them to their reward—the promised land. Using the tabernacle and its articles as a guide, Donna teaches readers how to interact with God in that secret place of true intimacy that leads to worship. Your ordinary daily practice of prayer can become an extraordinary encounter with the living Lord. Leaving Ordinary is essential reading for anyone who desires to enter into and experience the reality of God’s presence.

Can’t wait to read this book for yourself? Go to Amazon to order your copy!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”