3. Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds

"Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still."

This is a classic, but I am not sure I had ever read through the whole book. WOW! 

He is specifically targeting preachers and how prayer needs to be a priority when preparing sermons, but it applies to all believers. I ate it up.  Perfect to go with my emphasis in prayer this year. :)

Favorite Quote: 

The true ministry is God-touched, God-enabled, and God-made. The Spirit of God is on the preacher in anointing power, the fruit of the Spirit is in his heart, the Spirit of God has vitalized the man and the word; his preaching gives life, gives life as the spring gives life; gives life as the resurrection gives life; gives ardent life as the summer gives ardent life; gives fruitful life as the autumn gives fruitful life. The life-giving preacher is a man of God, whose heart is ever athirst for God, whose soul is ever following hard after God, whose eye is single to God, and in whom by the power of God's Spirit the flesh and the world have been crucified and his ministry is like the generous flood of a life-giving river. 

More quotes: 

"Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. 

"What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use -- mean of prayer, men mighty in prayer." 

"The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men -- men of prayer." 

"The man, the whole man, lies behind the sermon. Preaching is not the performance of an hour. It is the outflow of a life." 

"The preaching man is to be the praying man. Prayer is the preacher's mightiest weapon. An almighty force in itself, it gives life and force to all."

"The real sermon is made in the closet. The man--God's man--is made in the closet. His life and his profoundest convictions were born in secret communion with God."

"Prayer makes the man; prayer makes the preacher; prayer makes the pastor."

"The pride of learning is against the dependent humility of prayer."

"Every preacher who does not make prayer a mighty factor in his own life and ministry is weak as a factor in God's work and is powerless to project God's cause in this world."