Not what I was expecting, but I know someone else can enjoy the book more than me.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this free eARC.

Unfortunately, I don’t feel this book fully delivers on what the title promises. While it is presented as a “10-week study,” it reads much more like a devotional or reflection guide with space for personal prayer rather than an in-depth study on prayer.

The structure is consistent and clear — each section includes something to read, a short Bible passage, reflection questions, application, and space to write your own prayer. I did appreciate this layout, and there were meaningful snippets throughout. However, the content itself felt more like fill-in-the-blank reflections than a true Bible study that explores prayer in depth.

I also found that much of the book is framed around motherhood, which made it difficult for me to relate. Readers who are mothers may connect more strongly with the examples and tone, but for me this limited its usefulness.

Overall, if you’re looking for a gentle devotional focused on personal reflection and prayer journaling, this book may be a good fit. However, if you’re hoping for a more substantial or structured study on prayer, this likely won’t meet those expectations. Had I known this going in, I probably would have chosen a different resource.

Closer to God: A 10‑Week Study on Prayer — Book Review
Emily Wickham

Overview of the Book
Closer to God is a warm, Scripture‑rich, and deeply practical 10‑week study designed to help readers cultivate a more intimate relationship with God through prayer. Emily Wickham approaches prayer not as a technique to master but as the lifeblood of Christian discipleship — as essential and natural as breathing. Through nine biblical prayers and a carefully structured rhythm of reflection, Scripture, storytelling, and application, she guides readers into a deeper experience of God’s presence, character, and love.

Key Themes and Insights
Wickham organises the study into three movements that reflect the breadth of biblical prayer:

Prayer as Relationship — exploring how prayer draws us into closeness with God, shapes our identity, and anchors us in His love.

Prayer as Worship — learning to praise God with honesty, reverence, and joy, even in seasons of uncertainty.

Prayer as Ministry — discovering how prayer equips us to intercede for others, serve with compassion, and participate in God’s work.

Each chapter includes:

a personal story or meditation,

a prayer,

a Scripture passage,

reflection prompts,

and application questions.

This structure makes the study ideal for both individual devotion and group discussion.

Strengths of the Book
Biblical depth — Wickham’s teaching is rooted in Scripture, offering rich insight without overwhelming the reader.

Gentle, invitational tone — she writes like a trusted friend who loves God deeply and wants others to experience that same closeness.

Practical guidance — the questions and reflections help readers move from theory to lived experience.

Emotional honesty — Wickham acknowledges unanswered prayers, doubts, and struggles, making the study relatable and safe.

Versatility — suitable for new believers, seasoned Christians, and small groups seeking a structured journey into prayer.

Potential Limitations or Tensions
Readers looking for academic or theological analysis may find the devotional format lighter than expected.

Those wanting a fast‑paced study may find the 10‑week structure intentionally slow and reflective.

The focus on personal prayer may leave some readers wanting more content on corporate or liturgical prayer traditions.

These are natural boundaries of a study designed to be pastoral, accessible, and deeply personal.

Who This Book Is For
Individuals longing for a deeper prayer life

Women’s Bible study groups

New believers learning to pray

Christians wrestling with discouragement or unanswered prayer

Anyone seeking a structured, Scripture‑centred devotional journey

Pastoral Reflection
Emily Wickham’s study feels like an invitation to sit on a quiet porch with a wise, gentle mentor who loves Jesus and loves His Word. Her reflections are tender without being sentimental, honest without being heavy, and deeply rooted in Scripture. She reminds readers that prayer is not performance but relationship — a daily returning to the God who sees, knows, and loves us. This study has the potential to soften hearts, strengthen faith, and restore joy in the simple, sacred act of talking with God.

Memorable Takeaway
A beautifully crafted study that draws readers into the heart of God, reminding them that prayer is not a duty to fulfil but a relationship to enjoy.

This was a nice, thorough devotional. Small enough portions to easily do daily. The reflective questions were outstanding. Highly recommend.

I was blessed with an ARC. Thank you NetGalley and Our Daily Bread Publishing. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

This was a personal and insightful 10-week devotional with strong themes of the hope and faithfulness of God. The study also focused on having a true relationship with God and seeking to know Him as He knows us. The author was humble and shared inspiring stories of her own insecurities and how she continues to develop her relationship with the Lord.

I enjoyed the setup of the devotional, which was personal stories interwoven with biblical insight and scripture. The devotions were short and the perfect length to start or finish your day. Despite their brevity, the devotions were meaningful and thought provoking. However, the last week of devotions was a bit repetitive and didn’t provide much new insight aside from what was already discussed in the previous nine weeks. Furthermore, I would’ve preferred the “practice prayer” Bible verses to be quoted in the book rather than having to jump around in the Bible and search for them, though it was a good refresher of where each book is found in the Bible.

Overall, this was a hopeful, faith-filled devotional, and I highly recommend it to anyone pursuing a deeper relationship with God and understanding of his character.

Emily has done a lot of research. She obviously loves the Lord and has written a book to encourage us all to draw nearer to Him. This is an excellent tool for giving structure to your devotions if you are as distractable as I am. Praise God He desires our fellowship. Her scripture choices, her devotional, reflections, and her personal reflective questions all focus your mind on your prayer life, and your relationship to God. I found this very helpful in my spiritual journey.

A wonderful and inspirational book. Short devotions that are great for personal reflection. Scripture, life experiences, questions to consider, and more, make this a special book that is great to give as a gift and to use for drawing closer to God. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required.

This is a good book for people wanting to know more about the topic of prayer. Each chapter is divided into several brief sections, including a story from the author, a prayer, a biblical application, and an invitation to draft your own prayer. It is a nice introduction for women who want to grow their prayer lives.

While this book appears to be a day-by-day 10-week daily devotional, it is a rich and deep study of the biblical foundations of prayer – Relationship, Worship and Ministry. With a deeper weekly focus on Hope, Faith, Peace, Joy, Intercession and Leadership.

Each day beings with a short story from the author’s life experiences and a brief prayer. Which is followed by a scripture reading and a pause for meditation along with two questions for the reader to consider and use to write out their own prayer for the day.

This book is more than a “how-to” prayer guide, it is a hands on discovery into a deeper prayer life

Disclosure: I received this book free via NetGalley. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.

Faith is about your personal relationship to God and one of the ways to grow that relationship is through prayer. I love how this devotional focuses on growing relationship with God by growing your prayer life.

Overall, I really liked this devotional and the heart behind it. It clearly invites you into a deeper, more intentional prayer life and I appreciated the consistent encouragement to slow down and connect with God daily.

That said, the structure felt a bit choppy at times. The flow didn’t always feel seamless, which occasionally pulled me out of the rhythm of the devotional.

One thing I really wished for was more guidance on the prayer-writing aspect. Each day ends with the opportunity to write your own prayer, which is such a meaningful idea—but I found myself wanting more of a “how-to” or deeper direction on how to approach that. I was excited to grow in that area and it felt like a bit of a missed opportunity not to dig further into it.

Even with that, I still found value in this devo. It’s a solid option for anyone looking to build consistency in their time with God and it definitely left me thinking more intentionally about my own prayer life.

ARC review - big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Closer to God: A 10-Week Study on Prayer
by Emily Wickham
“Prayer, like the air we breathe, is necessary and life-giving. Just as we must inhale and exhale in order to live, we must pray as a means to grow closer to God.” —Emily Wickham

Even when you desire to grow closer to God, distractions inevitably get in the way, day after day. But seasoned Bible teacher Emily Wickham wants you to experience the power of prayer as a foundational aspect of your relationship with God.

By studying nine biblical prayers, you will observe the people who prayed, their specific situations, and how these examples of prayer can help you know God better and have a flourishing relationship with Him.

Organized in three essential sections—Prayer Is Relationship, Prayer Is Worship, and Prayer Is Ministry—this book will encourage you to connect with God more intimately, praise Him more powerfully, and minister to others more effectively.

Each chapter includes a story or meditation, a prayer, a Scripture passage, reflections, and application questions covering themes like hope, peace, and love that are ideal for individual or group study. Be inspired to talk with God—and grow closer to Him!
A good study book.
The book is easy to read and understand.
I recommend this book.
Closer to God A 10-Week Study on Prayer by Emily Wickham is a 5-star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Emily Wickham.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are my own.

Closer to God is a 60-day study on personal prayer by Emily Wickham. It breaks up the study into in 5 days of study per week for 10 weeks. This is great so that there is time to absorb the thoughts and then practice them, After each day’s reading there is more scripture to study and process as to what prayer means. I especially like that the book is scriptural based including the prayers that are the focus during the study then the extra reading after each day. Included is an application to practice writing out a prayer. Very well organized in a way that is effective but easy to follow.

Besides each week’s division there is also three main sections looking at prayer as relational, Worship and ministry. The order works well since first I looked at myself, then worshiping God before looking at prayer is ministry. A wonderful book for a new person in the faith, yet still beneficial for someone who is more mature in their faith too. I am reading Closer to God for my personal study but would enjoy this as a small group where we could discuss the study at the end of each week.