I was honored to read and review a book by a fellow #LITle sister, Erica Willis. She recently published her first book, Believe Boldly to rave reviews. I am happy to report that it deserves them!

Written in a very informal, conversational tone, Erica strives to sit down and gently push her readers into a bigger, bolder, more intimate and impactful relationship with God. Based on her personal journey of faith and prayer, she simply relates how her walk has been with God, while challenging the reader to step up their own walk as well.

More than anything I appreciate her realness and rawness throughout the book. I personally have been in a long season of faith-waiting and prayer instruction. If you have followed many of my posts, you probably have seen a trend of prayer throughout these last 6 months. It started with our pastor’s church-wide call to prayer back in November and it has kept growing from there. I fell into reading an excellent book (which I will review at some point) by Jim Cymbalta of Brooklyn Tabernacle fame called Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. I then proceeded to one of my favorite books of all time, a yearly read for me, If You Will Ask by Oswald Chambers. I had literally just finished that book when I got the opportunity to read Believe Boldly. I’ll be honest, I usually am pretty hard on fellow authors. Maybe because I’m so critical of my own work. I naively thought that I would do a quick read, review, and be done with it.

God obviously had other plans.

In short, I’ve been getting up at 3am the last month and meeting with God because of how He moved me through this book.

Let me be clear here… I NEVER have been the kind of gal to get up early and do my quiet time. N.E.V.E.R. In fact, I’m still not. As I told Erica the other day, don’t be impressed with 3am… it’s literally my selfish way of getting some intimate prayer time in, in a Bethany-realistic way. I like my sleep WAY too much to even consider getting up any earlier than I already do. But… I figured if I can pray knowing I get to go back to sleep? Now we’re cooking with peanut oil! If this book somehow got me out of bed to spend some powerful time with God, He can do some awesome things with you as well.

This book goes beyond the simple, “let’s all love God and He loves us” faith. She hits some real, practical ways to step out in faith and let God meet that bone-deep longing we have for Him.

Erica, practical tips are my love-language sister!

Erica hits some harder topics for me. Some that the proverbial jury’s-been-out-on in my head for awhile. She broaches fasting, prayer-languages, dreaming prophetic dreams, visions, and supernatural healings… and all this from a non-Pentecostal! She often would write her own questions, skepticism, and down-right incredulity at some of these less-comfortable workings of the Holy Spirit and I often felt she had literally taken the thoughts right out of my head. My interest was peaked throughout because of this…

Erica doesn’t claim to know anything past what her own, personal experiences with God have been. She backs up her conversations (I would say arguments but that’s not really what the book is about… it’s not a ‘how-to’ book in that sense) with solid scripture. The whole book is like having a back and forth conversation with her, hashing out what all this ‘spiritual-stuff’ is. I really enjoyed it!

I’m not going to give anything else away, except to say, Believe Boldly will challenge you, ask those burning questions you have, and give some rock-solid thoughts on how to “unleash the supernatural” in your prayer-life with Christ. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

It met me right where God had me and greatly furthered my pursuit of Jesus… and that makes it 1000% worthwhile read!

Please feel free to follow Erica’s Blog! She has some amazing things to share!

Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.