charityjohnson's review against another edition
3.0
Not Willard's best book-but it's hard to go wrong. Willard is a profound thinker and he's always worth a re-read. I probably should have given him 4 stars, at least, for this...but his other books are better. Give a read to this one--and don't let my 3 stars dissuade you. (Only my preferred books get 5!)
kecb12's review against another edition
3.0
This was a hard rating for me. I think that what Willard has to say is very important for Christians to understand. The points he makes about how to be in constant communication with God are thought-provoking and deep. From a material standpoint, this is a 4 star at least. However…it’s a 3 star for me because of the style of writing. This book was extremely dense and not written in a way that felt easily readable, or even manageably readable. I consider myself a strong reader with an interest in theology and philosophy, and this was difficult for me. I can’t imagine what this would be like for someone who genuinely wanted to learn but wasn’t able to sustain attention or follow what Willard was saying because of the way this book was written. It’s a shame, because, despite some disagreement with a few ideas in this book, I would say that it has a lot of great thoughts about a crucial topic for those who walk with Jesus.
ldegough's review against another edition
5.0
This book was really helpful! I highly recommend it.
- Lacie
- Lacie
booknerd_therapist's review against another edition
5.0
I positively adore this book. It is written in a simple, plain style that anyone can read and understand, but it is best read slowly, as a topic of this magnitude is no small undertaking. The author takes on some controversial topics but deals with them in a gentle and logical manner; for example, the misconception that a life guided by God is easy or risk-free, or that divine guidance means were are singled out to be special. He plainly says that anyone can develop a conversational with God, and that God will never try to trick us into doing the wrong thing. What I found most important in reading this book was the chapter in which the author leads us to examine our motives in wanting to speak to God. He warns against trying to "use" God so that we can exalt ourselves to a place of spiritual authority; approaching God with fear and insisting that he direct every aspect of our lives so that we can feel "safe;" and treating God as a kind of "cosmic butler" that should be at our beck and call to clean up our messes. Instead, the author gently leads the reader into wanting to live in freedom as one of God's children, and then shows us how we can do it. I highly recommend this book to any Christian who is serious about hearing God.
rein_77's review against another edition
5.0
It took me months and months to read, think and work through these pages. And I think I have barely scratched the surface. It has greatly developed the way I think about spiritual direction and how God communicates with us. It has inspired me to become the kind of person that not only hears God's voice with clarity but lives in daily conversation with him, and beyond that, to experience ever-increasing union with Jesus.
"The best book on divine guidance I have ever read. I recommend it highly." - Richard Foster
"The best book on divine guidance I have ever read. I recommend it highly." - Richard Foster
darrylb's review against another edition
1.0
Appalling
Working from a worldview influenced by Platonic dualism, Willard elevates human experience to the level of scripture and changes the Christian life to a life of saving conversation whereby we are saved from loneliness.
Working from a worldview influenced by Platonic dualism, Willard elevates human experience to the level of scripture and changes the Christian life to a life of saving conversation whereby we are saved from loneliness.
lisagray68's review against another edition
5.0
If you already know Dallas Willard, I don't need to tell you how amazing he is. But if you don't know him, think modern day C.S. Lewis type intelligence. Dallas is so profound in his writings about God that I often have to stop and re-read just to get a handle on what he is saying. This book is about how to have a "conversational" relationship with God, including why we know God WANTS to have this kind of relationship with us, and what to do if we're not hearing from Him. Just amazing. I'm on a quest to read every word Dallas Willard has ever written.
annavdmout's review against another edition
4.0
A very useful book that gives you practical and theoretical guidelines for hearing God's voice using a lot of references to Biblical passages and other scholars' works.