I don’t say this lightly:
Outside of the Bible itself, no book has impacted my walk with Christ more than E.M. Bounds on Prayer.
I’ve read dozens of books on prayer over the years. Some were helpful. A few were memorable. But this book — this weathered, dog-eared classic written by a 19th-century pastor most people today have never heard of — wrecked me in the best possible way.
It taught me something I thought I already knew:
Prayer isn’t an optional part of the Christian life. Prayer is the Christian life.
The Day It All Hit Me
I first encountered E.M. Bounds on Prayer during a season when my prayers felt mechanical. Dry. Lifeless.
Oh, I still prayed — before meals, at church, when someone was sick.
But deep down, I knew something was missing.
There was a hollowness in my prayers, a going-through-the-motions kind of faith.
Then a friend handed me this book with a simple challenge:
“Don’t just read it. Let it read you.”
I didn’t know it then, but my prayer life — and my relationship with God — was about to be turned upside down.
What Makes E.M. Bounds on Prayer Different
Bounds doesn’t give you a 5-step method.
He doesn’t offer “prayer hacks” or motivational slogans.
He simply opens the Scriptures and shows — over and over again — that every move of God in history was preceded by mighty prayer.
He writes things like:
“God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. They outlive the lives of those who uttered them.”
Reading those words, I realized:
My prayers had been too small. Too safe. Too sporadic.
I wasn’t wrestling with God like Jacob.
I wasn’t pleading like Hannah.
I wasn’t interceding like Moses.
I was tossing up half-hearted wishes when God was inviting me to storm the throne of grace with boldness.
How It Changed Me
I started reading a chapter each morning during my devotions.
Slowly — almost imperceptibly at first — things began to change.
- I stopped rushing. Prayer wasn’t a line item on my to-do list anymore. It became the anchor of my mornings.
- I prayed Scripture. I filled my prayers with God’s words instead of just my own.
- I started expecting God to move. Not presumptively — but with childlike faith that He actually hears and answers.
- I developed a burden for others. Real prayer always leads you to the needs of others, not just yourself.
There were mornings when I would close the book and fall to my knees weeping — not out of guilt, but out of a fresh sense of God’s nearness.
I saw God answer prayers I had long ago given up on.
I saw Him change hearts, heal relationships, open doors.
Most of all, I saw Him change me.
Why You Need This Book
If you feel like your prayers are hitting the ceiling…
If you hunger for a deeper connection with God but don’t know how to get there…
If you secretly wonder whether prayer “really works”…
You need this book.
Bounds reminds us that prayer isn’t primarily about getting things from God — it’s about getting God Himself.
“What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”
In an age obsessed with techniques, strategies, and shortcuts, Bounds’ call to simple, Spirit-empowered prayer feels like a thunderclap.
A Few Practical Notes
The edition I read was a beautiful hardcover — classic, sturdy, the kind of book that feels like it belongs next to your Bible.
The language, though written over a hundred years ago, is surprisingly accessible. Bounds writes with clarity, urgency, and a piercing conviction that refuses to let you stay comfortable.
I would recommend keeping a pen handy. Nearly every page demands to be underlined, pondered, and prayed through.
If I could, I would personally hand a copy of this book to every Christian I know.
That’s how deeply I believe in its message.
You can get a copy here — and I pray you do.
Final Thought: If You Only Own Two Books…
If someone asked me what two books every Christian home should have, my answer would be simple:
- The Holy Bible
- E.M. Bounds on Prayer
Because if we’re not a praying people, we’re not a powerful people.
And if we’re not a praying people, we’re not a Christ-like people.
This book won’t just teach you how to pray.
It will drive you to your knees — and lift you to your feet in faith.
Don’t just read it.
Let it read you.
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Good evening sir please I am in need of this book for my prayer life is dry