Travis Cottrell

I know that this is no way to begin a review, but I can't hold it back: these are two beautiful little books!

In The Power of an Ordinary Prayer, Grammy and Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter Michael W. Smith invites readers to "enter into the heart of prayer and discover how the joy of God's transformation can truly change your world." He begins by introducing readers to the value of praying blessings over those we love and then spends the rest of the book dissecting a specific prayer that he prays into six distinct blessings. Each chapter begins with a snippet from the prayer followed by scripture, quotes, and stories that delve further into the blessing. Throughout each chapter readers are encouraged to stop and reflect as well.

In He Knows Your Name: Surprised by God When You Least Expect It, Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter Travis Cottrell reminds readers that God is the hope, strength, and deliverance that each of us needs so desperately every day. He encourages us to surrender ourselves fully to God and in so doing experience His presence like never before. He does this through quotations and stories from scripture, from his own life, and from others. Each chapter begins with a scripture and ends with quotes, a prayer, and questions for reflection and application.

Each of these beautiful books would make a wonderful gift for any Christian or, for that matter, anyone else. Each would also be an excellent choice as a personal devotional. Buy them today - you won't regret it and the truth found within them just might change your life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these books free from Worthy Publishing as part of a book blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing these things in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.… (more)

Having spent most of his life serving as Beth Moore’s travelling worship leader, Travis Cottrell shares his passion for worshipping the Lord in his debut book, “Surprised by Worship”. While Cottrell’s love for music weaves itself throughout this wonderful little book, he focuses on how he has learned how to walk worshipfully through all of life’s surprises: “the happy ones, the anticipated ones, and even the unwanted ones.” And he recounts the many surprise blessings he’s received when his heart has been unexpectedly drawn into adoration and awe of Jesus’ work in his life.

Cottrell vividly describes the connection between our body, mind, and spirit in experiencing intimacy with God. “Receiving what you’ve longed for is the very definition of joy! The mind feeds the heart, and from the heart―the emotions―our joy bubbles up.” He continues with a brief study of Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians against chaos in church (I Cor. 14), but acknowledges that it is biblical for “the body to get involved as well”, whether through dancing or our raising hands. He wisely concludes that “emotions are suspect only when we rely on them alone.”

Carrying an attitude of worship in uncertainty and waiting on the Lord in the midst of the unknown, Cottrell also emphasizes, would be impossible were it not for the trustworthiness and faithfulness of God. This alone “merits our worship..[and] surrender. In every situation.” He poignantly describes the deeply personal comfort he received as he praised God for his mother’s life during and following her funeral several years ago. Looking at the disciples’ grief after Jesus’ execution and their surprising dinner guest who later revealed Himself as the resurrected Christ (Luke 24), he portrays their “wild joy” based on their understanding “of the Resurrection, and the presence of Jesus”. Like the disciples, this is where our joy and hope lie…we were made for eternity!

“The Wide, Wide World of Worship” was a particularly engaging chapter in which this musician confesses his early prejudice against other expressions and experiences of worship. Cottrell describes, with self-effacing humor, the paradigm shift he experienced after a stint in the Holy Land with a group of Christians whose ministries were in the arts, including “dancers, writers, actors, painters, a sculptor, and even a figure skater.” I loved the lesson he eventually learned: “The tapestry of [God’s] people is multicolored and vastly rich―well beyond my own experience or expressions. Not everyone is going to worship like I do―nor should they.”

“Surprised by Worship” will challenge your old ideas about what it means to worship and add depth to your expressions of praise to the God who loves you so dearly. Beth Moore sums it up so beautifully in her introduction, “Travis will show you in this book…[that God] loves to give the unexpected. He loves to add surprise upon surprise to those who love Him.”… (more)