Scotty Smith - Every Season Prayers: Gospel-Centered Prayers for the Whole of Life

Its an extremely rare book that you want to carry with you, that you always want to have within arms reach. This is one of those rare books. I literally could not put this book down and wanted to have a copy close to keep picking up. This book isnt made up of pagesits made of what your hearts ever wanted to say to God but couldnt find words for. Not only are Scotty Smiths prayers one of the best gifts to givethe gift of communion with Godthis book of cross-saturated prayers is a desperately needed gift to the church.

Ann Voskamp , New York Times bestselling author of One Thousand Gifts and The Greatest Gift

Scotty has been our pastor and one of our dearest friends for many years, and our journey through deepest valleys and over highest mountains has been lined with the prayers of Scotty Smith. Scotty has a most unique gift of teaching and encouraging even as he leads those he prays with and for into the very presence of God. We are so excited about this new collection of prayers, which give voice to our joy, pains, and longings, and especially to the gospel.

Steven Curtis Chapman , Grammy awardwinning recording artist; and Mary Beth Chapman , New York Times bestselling author of Choosing to See

A book of prayers isnt supposed to make one weep or laugh or feel loved, forgiven, and free. Books of prayers are almost always books of religious exercises whereby one feels more religious. Scotty Smith has walked where Ive walked, wept where Ive wept, rejoiced where Ive rejoiced, worshiped at the altar where Ive worshiped, and put words to my lifewords that stand up in those places and sing the Hallelujah Chorus. This book will be a devotional anchor for me for the rest of my life.

Steve Brown , broadcaster, founder of Key Life Network; author of How to Talk So People Will Listen

Once again Pastor Scotty Smith has blessed us with a fully orbed, kingdom-bent collection of gospel-centered prayers. Are there really any other? Scotty does not believe so. Thats what makes his writing so vital. Never has there been a time when people know so much about so little of importance. Into the fray comes the truly Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Scotty faithfully transcribes the heart of Christ and applies it to the whole of life by way of petition, lament, struggle, and celebration.

Charlie Peacock , professor, Lipscomb University; music producer (Switchfoot, The Civil Wars, Chris Cornell)

Scotty Smith is a wordsmith smitten by the Word. He lets Scripture form his tongue and shape his prayers to reflect both the depths of the heart and the language of God. These prayers are profound. They provoke me to sing and cryto know soothing and awakening. You will find yourself gaining greater access to your heart and simultaneously the heart of God.

Dan B. Allender , professor of counseling psychology and founding president, The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology

The hardest spiritual discipline for me is prayer. I love to lead, to teach, to strategize about how to bring the gospel to the whole world. It is hard to sit and wait on the Lord. It is difficult to have words to say to the Lord. Every Season Prayers makes prayer doable and beautiful. Scotty Smith is a person of prayer, and his work will help you be the same.

Darrin Patrick , lead pastor, The Journey, St. Louis; vice president, Acts 29

Every Season Prayers helps us connect the multifaceted grace of God with the complexities of our daily lives. We long for intimacy with God, but we hardly know what to say. As a wise and honest pastor, Scotty helps us, drawing upon his deep knowledge of the gospel and his deep awareness of human need. I wholeheartedly commend this book as an open door for us all into a deeper experience of prayer.

Ray Ortlund , senior pastor, Immanuel Church, Nashville

We are a weary, disabled people. Life beats us down. We forget God, relegating him to Sunday mornings and selected spiritual moments. Scotty Smiths prayers break God out of the box and bring him into our Cyber Mondays, cranky Tuesdays, selfish Wednesdays, weary Thursdays, Black Fridays, and lonely Saturdaysgiving us a weeklong taste of resurrection Sundays! Scottys prayers pry open the hidden corners of our lives and invite God in. Enjoy the feast!

Paul Miller , executive director, seeJesus

Scotty Smith has been a special friend and mentor since my earliest days in ministry. For nearly twenty years now, he has played the roles of professor, pastor, coach, comforter, counselor, big brother, and cheerleader in my life. Knowing Scotty in each of these ways has given me a unique, up-close access to a marvelous thread that weaves through every part of his lifeand that is his life of prayer. It makes such sense that Scotty would write another book on prayer, because Scotty himself is, perhaps more than anything else, a man of prayer. As you read through these pages, you will sense yourself being drawn nearer to the Father, because near to the Father is where Scotty lives his life. Be richly blessed by what is in these pages! I know that you will.

Scott Sauls , senior pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church, Nashville; author of Jesus Outside the Lines

Almost every day for the last four years, my wife and I have eagerly looked forward to receiving the gift of Scottys prayers by email. It is rare that a prayer is not waiting for us by 6:00 a.m., and so often it eloquently expresses our longings, pain, anxiety, and struggle with life. He then leads us to reminders of Gods grace, faithfulness, and love in a passage of Scripture that takes us into our own Bible study and prayer and steadies us and prepares us for the day. Often I will forward the prayer on to a family member, a friend, or a counseling client with a particular need. This new collection of wonderful model prayers teaches us how to speak to God with utter honesty and to allow ourselves to be transformed by marinating in and meditating on biblical truth. They are very helpfully divided into topical sections for particular needs and seasons of the year and of life.