Praying with a Thankful Heart

A Life Devoted to Prayer with Thanksgiving

In his first book, Extreme Gratitude, Rick lays a foundation of learning a level of faith that trusts God in the good and the bad of life to the point of being thankful that God will use all things to mold us into the image of Christ and bring glory to Himself. It's an extreme level of gratitude expressed through "giving thanks for all things" (Ephesians 5:20). In Praying with a Thankful Heart, Rick builds on the foundational principles of faith and thankfulness to show that prayer is hearing from and talking with God. God's Eternal Family has existed since before the foundations of the earth. Jesus spoke of the fellowship and love He shared with the Father before the world was created. Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede for us before the Father. We may not understand how it works, but there is an eternal conversation taking place, and we can tap into it, at least to a degree, if we pursue knowing God and hearing His thoughts.

Rick's personal journey facing COVID, especially the time he spent on a ventilator, serves as a reminder of how fragile life can be. Yet, it is through our extreme weaknesses that we truly learn just how extreme God's presence, love, and faithfulness really are. Praying with a Thankful Heart is a book on prayer, but much more than that, it is a real-life, scripture-based devotional on living in the real world and the kingdom of God at the same time. Rick has given us a genuine testimony of what it means to trust in the One who is absolutely trustworthy.

Dr. David White, The Gathering Church, Moravian Falls, NC

Rick Carr is a survivor. Although he never used tobacco, he had throat cancer in 2009. It was caught early and was treatable. He's been cancer-free ever since. In late December of 2020, Rick contracted Covid-19. By January 10, 2021, his O2 levels dropped dangerously low. He was hospitalized and put on a ventilator for eight days. The doctors gave his wife no hope that he would recover. She replied, "That's OK because my hope is not in you; it's in the Lord!" She got the word out, and before long, many friends, acquaintances, and total strangers were praying for him. Rick survived the ventilator, an additional three weeks in ICU, and three months of rehab before going home. He's been called a walking miracle by friends and medical personnel.

Rick writes from the perspective of a normal, everyday follower of Christ. He has learned from life through successes and failures, good times and bad times, good health, and life-threatening illness. Facing these things with faith in a loving Father in heaven, Bible study, and prayer, he has learned to embrace all things-the good and the bad-and give thanks, knowing God will accomplish His good pleasure!

Published by Burkhart Books, Bedford, TX
www.BurkhartBooks.com