Hearing God

Being close to God means communicating with him—telling him what is on our hearts in prayer and hearing, and understanding what he is saying to us. But how do we hear God's voice? How can we be sure that what we think we hear is not our own subconscious? What role does the Bible play? What if what God says to us is not clear?

The key, says bestselling author Dallas Willard, is to focus not so much on individual actions and decisions as on building our personal relationship with our Creator. In this beloved classic, you'll gain rich spiritual insight into how we can hear God's voice clearly and develop an intimate partnership with him in the work of his kingdom.

Hearing God is now available as part of the IVP Signature Collection, which features special editions of iconic books in celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of InterVarsity Press. A new companion Bible study guide with contributions from Jan Johnson is also available.



Dallas Willard (1935–2013) was a renowned teacher, an acclaimed writer, and one of our most brilliant Christian thinkers. His many books include The Divine Conspiracy (Christianity Today's Book of the Year in 1998), The Spirit of the Disciplines, and Renovation of the Heart.

Foreword by James Bryan Smith


A Word from the Author


Preface


1. A Paradox About Hearing God


Why do people say they hear God but so few can explain it?


2. Guidelines for Hearing from God


What are some common misunderstandings?


3. Never Alone


How is God with us?


4. Our Communicating Cosmos


Does God really talk to people?


5. The Still, Small Voice and Its Rivals


How has God spoken to people before?


6. The Word of God and the Rule of God


What part does God's Word have in everyday reality?


7. Redemption Through the Word of God


How does hearing God lead to character transformation?


8. Recognizing the Voice of God


How do we know we are hearing God and not our own voices?


9. A Life More Than Guidance


How do we learn to listen to God?


Epilogue: The Way of the Burning Heart


Appendix: Key Questions and Answers


Notes


Scripture Index

"I have loved this book since it was first published under its original title, In Search of Guidance (my old, marked-up copy is still a cherished possession), and then I fell in love with it again when it was brought out under its current title. There is no one more sane, more well-reasoned, more deeply spiritual and biblically grounded than Dallas Willard in his careful, nuanced treatment of how we can develop an intimate, conversational relationship with God—one that actually includes hearing from God for ourselves. Hearing God is truly a classic that stands tall in the crowded field of discernment literature!"



"This is simply the best book I've ever found on hearing God's voice. It does it all—with nuance, grace, intelligence, and spirit. Few things matter more to an apprentice of Jesus than learning to discern God's voice. Few books come close to being as helpful as this one."



"What Dallas Willard promises in this book is astounding. He believes that it is possible for normal human beings to live their lives in a continuous and transforming friendship with the Trinity. And as you read, you realize why he believes this. He is writing from lived experience. He is describing his personal, ongoing conversation, communion and consummation (or union) with God. But he lets you know, there is a catch. If you want to hear 'the flutes' it helps to be sitting in the front row, very close to the conductor."



"Hearing God is still the gold standard in learning to recognize God's voice in our everyday lives. It offers wise, thoughtful and grounded guidelines for discernment, while acknowledging that God still speaks to each of us today. Over the decades, I have not recommended another book on hearing God more."



"The best book on divine guidance I have ever read. I recommend it highly."



"Willard wonderfully encourages us to listen for God's voice, and then to respond and obey. This is a book of great encouragement and helpful insights into the arena of God's direction in our daily living." weniger anzeigen expand_less