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Clergy Books for the Preacher's Personal Library.Clergy books that help the Preacher develop in his personal relationship with the Lord are very important to him and his ministry. Our preaching library and our ministry library are good and help us preach and minister, but developing our relationship with the Lord is first and foremost in importance. If we do not walk with the Lord and seek His blessing and power, we will eventually stumble and even fail in the ministry. At the least it will just become a job and not a real ministry. We do this for Him, not for ourselves or for the paycheck. Our goal is to please Him first. E.M. Bounds said in his book, "The Preacher and Prayer," "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 -- men 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." Book Recommendations"Preacher and Prayer" by E. M. Bounds You will not be surprised that my first book recommendation for a preacher's personal library is E. M. Bounds book, "The Preacher and Prayer." However, you will probably not find that book by that title today. I have a 1911 copy of the book that still has that title. Today you will find it titled, "Power Through Prayer." I don't know why later publishers found it necessary to change the title, but maybe it had something to do with appealing to a greater audience than just preachers! I don't know for sure. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book. It is an excellent book on the preacher's personal walk with God, especially through prayer. Be warned, it is also very convicting and a must read for every preacher! I will make other book recommendations later.
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