A seemingly perfect family looks to fix their problems with the help of Miss Clara, an older, wiser woman. Prayer is the answer.
Rated PG for thematic elements throughout

Very inspirational ( )

The Kendrick brothers and the Sherwood Pictures films have had incredible impacts on Christians and non-Christians alike. Providing hope and encouragement to thousands, they once again presented a powerful message through their latest film War Room. However, this isn't a movie review, but a book review. Hundreds of books have movies made about them, but several (if not all) of the Sherwood movies have books written after the movies. This is one of them. I read the Courageous book after viewing the movie, and while I was unsure of what I would think, I was amazingly surprised. I had no hesitations about reading War Room after seeing the movie,

While this book centers around Tony and Elizabeth's marriage and family, I especially loved following Miss Clara's story. In the movie, she's mainly the mentor for Elizabeth and indeed that is her position for most of the story. However, a book is able to take the time to enter into each person's thoughts while a movie cannot. Living in Miss Clara's past and hearing her thoughts left me thinking that I got to know her by sitting where Elizabeth sat. Maybe even drinking some of that lukewarm coffee. ;)

Some of the lines I could tell were taken directly from the movie, and I appreciated how the book stayed true to the movie, only adding in extra scenes, thoughts, and dialogue. One of the other things I appreciated about this book is the added scenes regarding Elizabeth's struggle to trust her husband. While she didn't know what was going on in his life all the time (and that didn't automatically change once he repented and surrendered to God), she knew she needed to trust him in order to effectively produce lasting change in his life. You see Elizabeth learn to respond, pray, and interact in solid, biblical manner once she has repented of her own faults. See, in relational difficulties, it won't help to recognize another person's faults--we all know other people have faults. It's only when Elizabeth decides to change her own life and become a prayer warrior that she saw others around her change.

Tony and Danielle's relationship is also detailed more in the book. Danielle wants her father's affection, but senses that he has no time for her, causing her to draw back from him (and his angry outbursts also push her away). Her development throughout the story is precious, and her comments are just as funny as in the movie. Each time I read one of her lines I could hear her voice in my head.

So yes, definitely read the book. It will fill in all the little spaces that a movie cannot. Worth a read.
And maybe a thought or two. ;) ( )

Powerful and thought provoking. Excellent read! ( )

Title: War Room: Prayer is A Powerful Weapon
Author: Chris Fabry
Pages: 424
Year: 2015
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
My rating is 5 stars.
Unlike some people, I didn’t go and see the movie mainly because I love reading a book. I feel as though I gain more from a novel than a movie. While it isn’t a strict rule for me to read the book prior to seeing the movie adaptation, with War Room I sensed a special tale. Therefore, I would want to add ca copy of the book to my home library to read again or pass down to the next generation.
What I liked most about the book was there wasn’t a pattern or prescribed way to pray shown in the book. What was revealed was how an elderly woman learned the hard way in her youth that prayer is something very special, holy even, which shows through our daily living without effort on our part. I liked how the book showed that the Lord loves to hear from His children and He alone gets all the glory. He loves to transform us more into the image of His Son, which requires us to know how much we cannot do in our efforts.
I believe another strong thread is how God wants to strengthen family units through prayer so that the real enemy, the devil, doesn’t get to split us up. Another beautiful aspect was how the daughter of one family in the book noticed the change in her mother and wanted to learn to pray and journal. The journaling was special and it is a conversation which is only between the writer and God.
Plus there is having the ability to remember how God has answered previous prayers when prayers are answered. In the journal, there wasn’t just a request being made but Scriptures being written out that reminded the prayer warrior of Who God is and who we are as well. Sometimes it is easy to think we carry a responsibility that God alone is to carry, and He wants to do more than we can ever ask or think about when we pray.
Honestly, I had some hesitancy in approaching the book, wondering if there was a formula inside or if I would walk away feeling convicted or chastened. I really came away more hopeful, with the remembrance that we are to train the next generation and some ideas to incorporate in my own walk with the Lord. As I read, I realized the devil was whispering doubts in my heart and I was a fool to listen and believe him. Now, I am free to embark once again on the journey God has for me. I really hope and pray that you will join me in 2016 however God leads you to walk with Him. Remember our focus is to please Him and Him alone not anyone else. So what do you say? Shall we embark together?
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.” ( )