Book Review- 'How to Hear God'
Book by Pete Greig, reviewed by Roger Hoyle
The subtitle of the book is ‘A simple guide for normal people,’ and the front cover has a comment by John Mark Comer: ‘The best book I have ever read on the most important thing you will ever do.’ On the back cover we read, ‘This is a book to make faith come alive by turning prayer into a real, conversational relationship with the God who speaks - more than you know.’ In a way, there’s no need to write any more in this review!
Throughout the book, we are delving into the lovely story of the walk to Emmaus as recorded in Luke chapter 24. Pete Greig quotes another theologian, who describes the story as ‘a wonderful, unique, spell-binding tale’ and ‘a model for a great deal of what being a Christian, from that day to this, is all about.’ One powerful thing about this book is that the author is so honest about his own failing to hear God’s voice: he reckons to have been suffering from fundamental problems with the very notion of God speaking to him either supernaturally or in any consistently conversational way. And then, in a couple of hundred pages of humorous wisdom, he draws us into his discovery that God does actually speak, in Jesus, in the Bible, in prayer, in prophecy; we hear God’s whisper in dreams and in creation.
‘Toilet-cleaning blues’ and ‘Finding your Eli’ and ‘Happy Eater’ are just three examples of many intriguing sub-headings scattered through the chapters giving stories of how the very practical advice has worked out in the author’s life and in the life of people who have been part of his 24/7 prayer experience.
The last chapter of this exciting, life-changing book urges us to ‘Listen and follow Jesus… say ‘yes’ to his Word in the Bible… But it also means saying ‘yes’ to his whisper day by day in more particular and personal ways… learning to discern that still, small voice telling me to turn left at the end of the street, listen to my kids, wear the blue T-shirt, put £57 in the offering, sort out my attitude, take a day off, call my mother, share my faith, shut my mouth, pay attention to a certain word in the sermon, pause and pray.’ And when we have read the book and responded to it, we shall say, like those two disciples who walked to Emmaus and invited Jesus into their home, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked?’
About the Author
Roger Hoyle worships at All Saints Totley. He has been a lay preacher for over 60 years, and he is part of the Prayer Ministry Team for Sheffield West Filling Station.