Prison to Praise

I was riveted for the entire book! Merlin Carrothers is an excellent author. I would recommend this book to anyone!

The book starts off slow but from chapters 5 and on, it is powerful! It is based on the Bible verses that say that in everything we must praise God.

This is a quick and easy read. It’s a great story and you can definitely see the hand of God’s in his life! I did struggle with his theology of thanking God FOR all things (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). He became a chaplain in the military and his practice of thanking God for challenges such as possible divorce, husband being an alcoholic, etc. was something I am not accustomed to hearing. Yet the testimonies he shared in the book are amazing and powerful!

Author leads you to understand that God will help you in all circumstances,,just keep praising him and watch what can happen.

This book is excellent. It helped me realize how much I have been trying to do things on my own as a Christian. I struggled a long time with everything from relationships, to a lack of a career and other things. I began a decline in my faith due to feeling like I was rejected by God. But when this book was recommended to me, I actually went out and bought it this time, mainly because I was currently at work at a Prison. I figured, perhaps it could be something I could recommend my inmates.Well, This ended up being a quick read, and led me to also buy power in praise by the same author. Both have helped me alter my view point toward God and my life Circumstances. God calls us to praise him in EVERYTHING, but many of us only praise for the good things, and then complain for all the bad, often rejecting God. There were many stories in the book of people who were struggling through one thing or another, but were convinced to at least try to praise God for the struggle. And then Shortly thereafter, once they started doing just that, God started to work in their lives.Honestly, when I read that over and over, that God worked so quickly time and time again, I doubted the legitimacy. But I gave it a shot. And now I am pleased to report, that after only a few weeks of trying to thank God for everything, He provided me with my first non dead end job and I start on Monday. This is my first job that actually uses what I went to school for, and I hardly had to do anything to get it.In fact, I didn't even know the exact position I was applying for when I went in for the interview. But one circumstance after another (even a few negative ones) all came together because I trusted in God to handle it and started thanking God for every circumstance no matter how stressful, painful, or annoying it may have been.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with any aspect of their lives.

I was in a cult when I first read this book 21 years ago. I was unhappy and felt very oppressed, victimized and never "good enough" . I figured I had nothing to lose so I tried it first on a nasty day when I had to stand out on a corner collecting money with a sore ankle . My praise was pretty sarcastic at first but as the day went on, I started noticing many subtle changes happening within me. I persisted and by the end of the day I felt a "joy unspeakable" I had never experienced before. This led me to further study as I wanted to understand how this was possible.The more I learned it became harder for me to accept that I was to thank God FOR everything. It seemed blasphemous and utterly irresponsible - especially to thank Him for ALL my own flaws and weaknesses! I knew better, it was on me, not God. But I just couldn't get around those scriptures Ephesians 5:20 and Romans 8:28. The hardest thing I h a e had to do was to thank God for everything about myself I didn't like. I did it in Faith and obedience to His Word. When I persisted in this something broke apart deep within me and a stronghold Satan had on me for years started crumbling. It is impossible to be t truly thankful to God if you don't believe He is GOOD (and fir you) and that He is Sovereign.. Praising God helped get me to that point and within a few years, I was able to get "free" enough ghost to leave our cult after 30 years. This practice, along with studying God's word, has brought me more joy and freedom than anything else I've done as a Christian. Merlin is the most Christ like man I have ever met, so I've also seen the fruit of this practice walked out.

Take your mind off of your problems and just PRAISE God. Carothers draws a link (like I have never heard anyone do) between praising God and trusting God. If you REALLY trust God, trust His nature, trust that He cares, trust that He is kind and good and loving, then you can actually PRAISE Him for all that is going wrong in your life, because your heartbreaks and struggles are only temporary, His love endures forever.Is He praiseworthy or not!? Is He sovereign or not!? Does He care or doesn't He? Sometimes there is NO GRAY AREA where God is concerned. God is worthy and deserving of our PRAISE in all of our turmoil, and in many cases we should be praising Him FOR our turmoil. We must trust that He is doing a work in us for the greater good of someone else and for the glory of His kingdom.Count it all joy my brothers when you face various trials. What a hard word in a harsh world, and yet, isn’t He always working in us to give us both the desire to please Him and the power to please Him, even when we're flat out broken?For the joy set before Him He endured His cross, shall we not also follow Him and endure our struggle? Can we believe that we also will overcome? And can we believe that He has placed a joyous future before us as well? Praising Him tells our soul that it’s okay to trust Him. So let us lay aside every encumbrance and sin which entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, let's not be weary and lose heart, but PRAISE Him, for He is truly trustworthy.

I thought this was a good book. Motivates you to want to praise God in all circumstances. However, I didn’t find it life changing like the other reviews. I liked it, and think it’s a good read.

I chose this rating because it's a powerful testimony of the power of praise and it's role in bringing us closer to our Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I remember decades ago being told by God to tell a lady in the church to praise God whenever she was suffering. It helped her, but if i had known what Merlin has shared in this book, I am sure that she would have been healed and free from pain within days.

This little book was loaned to me when I was 13 years old by an art teacher. Although a little book, it packs a liberating message. I would say that apart from the Word of God, Prison to Praise turned my life around and gave me healing and hope. The book could be summed up by 1 Thes ch 5 vs 16 to 18: rejoice ever more, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.Merlin Carothers story journeys through him being on the FBI's wanted list, to serving during WW 2 then how God called him to turn to him and then eventually to serve as an army chaplain in several conflicts. He learned the message of praise in trying circumstances and not from an arm chair. This is a powerful and encouraging story in my opinion.

Last week a friend mentioned that this book she had read was good and recommend it to a group of friends. Well I've read it and strange i'd been practicing praising God based on scriptures. This book bring this to life and show us that we are to focus on God at all time no matter what we face. I can testify this book will humble you and open your eyes to the truth if God's word and it power.

I had read this book many years ago as a young Christian and it was refreshing to re-read it. It's just as encouraging as it was then to keep praising even when situations seem impossible.

Merlin Carothers uses real life stories that demonstrate why Christians should believe that God is moving in their lives in all the things that happen to them, whether they appear to be good or bad at the surface level. He goes on to show that if we believe that God is with us and offer praise, even in adverse circumstances, that we will come to understand exactly why things have happened the way they have. Added to this, following the pattern of believing and offering praise and thanksgiving, he shows that people often experience real joy in their lives and healing both physically and psychologically. There are some fantastic stories in this book but they are NOT fantasy - they are indeed true.