Alvin Slaughter, a worship leader and music artist who first came to prominence as a vocalist for The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, brings a message of encouragement to the weary in Reinvent Your Life: How to Turn Your Life Around, Rediscover the Fire of Your Faith and Get Your Power Back (978-1-599-79608-6, $12.99), releasing April 6 from Charisma House, an imprint of Strang Book Group.

Slaughter has noticed a persistent discouragement in the body of Christ and relates lessons from his own struggles with fear, depression, financial failure and marital strife. Chapters include "Discovering Your Life's Passion," "Facing the Music," "Confronting Failure Myths," and "Next-Level Belief."

"When I experienced despair in life's journey, I felt paralyzed emotionally and spiritually to the point that, even though I sort of knew what I needed to do to make things better, I just didn't have the heart. I didn't have the faith, the fire in my soul to do anything about it," Slaughter writes in the book's introduction.

To combat his problems, Slaughter said he had to face his personal issues and embrace the truth of God's Word, which helped him and his wife "reinvent" their lives, a challenge he issues to those struggling with similar issues.

Slaughter points out that believers can receive power from God to help them through their problems, but they must also work hard to reshape their lives.

"Let God help you to reinvent your life," he writes. "You must take biblical steps to get refreshed, get focused, and let your mind be transformed. And keep at it. There is no substitute for perseverance in your walk with God."

To promote Reinvent Your Life, Slaughter is scheduled to appear on television programs such as TBN's Praise the Lord and It's Supernatural!, as well as radio interviews, book signings and speaking engagements. A digital media campaign will also be implemented, including podcasts, an online journal from the author and social media.

For more information, visit www.strangbookgroup.com. To order, call Strang Book Group at 800-283-8494.

A highly anticipated biography, Haggard's Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour chronicles her life after the fallout of her pastor-husband Ted's public moral failure. The story, already spotlighted through the couple's appearances on Oprah and in the documentary The Trials of Ted Haggard , arrives on the printed page with more room for her to elaborate.

Christian fiction pioneer Francine Rivers talks with Christian Retailing Assistant Editor about her newest book, Her Mother's Hope (Tyndale House Publishers), and the lasting legacy of her collection of best-selling books.

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Inspired in part by the confessions of Mother Teresa in which she wrote of feeling a loss of God's presence, author Gary R. Habermas turns his attention to a question he says is discussed by many Christians. Why is God Ignoring Me? (978-1-414-31688-8, $13.99), releasing next month from Tyndale House Publishers, centers on what it means to feel overlooked by God.

Habermas, a Liberty University professor and chair of the department of philosophy and theology, said: "Everywhere we turn, our world seems to be spinning out of control. ... It seems as if God has given up, turned His back, and closed Himself off from our pain."

Part of what makes God seem absent is the human tendency to focus on the negative and forget times of miraculous divine intervention, Habermas suggests.

"I believe that God does speak and intervene and that He actually does it with some frequency," he writes. "Unfortunately, we often miss it because we are not listening or looking in the right places."

The book begins with documented stories of healings, angel sightings and near-death experiences.

"Any discussion of God's silence would be incomplete without first entertaining the question of miracles and supernatural activities," he writes.

Habermas goes on to address the times when prayers to alleviate suffering seem to go unanswered and what lessons can be learned from periods of spiritual dryness. Sometimes, he writes, suffering serves a purpose, offering the experience of biblical figures in support. Focusing on Job, Habermas challenges readers to trust God.

"We know so much more than Job ever did, especially regarding the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ," Habermas says. "With such a foundation, we are more than justified to trust God with those matters with which we don't understand."

To order, call Tyndale at 800-323-9400 or visit www.tyndalebooksellers.com.

Megachurch leader encourages godly dependence rather than self-reliance

In Unmerited Favor, Joseph Prince, senior pastor of Singapore's New Creation Church and Bible teacher on the TV program Destined to Reign, wants believers to know that they are not limited by the constraints of their own abilities, but that they can rely on God's grace to put them at the right place and at the right time for life's opportunities.

"Many people don't realize that salvation is much more than being saved from hell for heaven," Prince told Christian Retailing. "In this book, I elaborate further on the definition of 'salvation'—soteria in Greek—which denotes an all-encompassing wholeness, completeness and success."

That success encompasses every aspect of life, not only as it relates to material possessions, but also wholeness in families, marriages and careers, Prince said.

"If we as parents desire to see our children succeed in life and enjoy lives that are meaningful and blessed, how much more does our loving Father in heaven want the same for His children?" he asked.

The title of the book refers to the fact that the whole life Jesus offers isn't something that can be earned. It is the very core of the gospel, the "new covenant," said Prince, adding: "There is nothing we can do to merit, deserve and earn God's favor today—it comes only by way of the cross alone."

Prince contrasts this unearned favor with "self-centered" favoritism.

"Unmerited favor is about being dependent on Jesus for your success, whereas favoritism is depending on your own efforts to become successful," he said. "Favoritism requires you to maneuver, manipulate and position yourself for success, and it results in all kinds of compromises."

Unmerited Favor will benefit from a significant media campaign that will include mentions on Prince's program, promotion on his Web site, a 30-day Christian radio blitz and print advertising.

For more information, visit www.strangbookgroup.com. To order, call Strang Book Group at 800-283-8494.