Now as much as ever, people are desperate to hear the voice of God. They may be looking for direction, or confirmation, or maybe just assurance that God hasn’t forgotten about them. Whisper: How To Hear The Voice Of God by Mark Batterson addresses this desire. Batterson’s premise is that God speaks in many different ways, and we just need to attune our ears to his different “love languages.” The seven languages that Batterson identifies are Scripture (which he highlights as the most authoritative of the seven), Desires, Doors, Dreams, People, Promptings, and Pain. As Batterson explores each of these “languages,” what emerges is a warm, personal book that is both helpful and worshipful.
What is obvious from the very first page is that Batterson loves science and history. He is known as a very wide reader, and I once heard Batterson say in an interview that every “-ology” is ultimately “theology.” Scientific and historical vignettes are all throughout the book. While the vast majority of them are enlightening, I found this practice to be more tiresome in this book than in some of Batterson’s other books. At times, I found myself wondering if perhaps a story or two were merely padding. Batterson is an incredible writer—a skilled wordsmith, who is able to connect with his reader in a conversational way. However, he can be over-earnest and maudlin at times, and the over-abundance of emotional stories doesn’t help this, and may even serve to distract from his main points.
But now I’m being nit-picky. Overall, this is an outstanding book. As I read it, I found myself moved to worship on multiple occasions. If a book about hearing from God causes the reader to want to worship and pray, then the author has done his work well. My favorite moments of this book are when Batterson emphasizes that hearing from God is essential for our well-being, not just a spiritual perk. He goes so far as to say, “what we perceive to be relational or emotional or spiritual problems are, in fact, hearing problems.” This got me thinking, how often do I try to help people with their problems when what I really should do is help them reconnect with God on a conversational level?
I recommend this book for those who are seeking to hear from God, and I pray that Batterson’s words would remind them of the true nature of God—that he is a deeply relational God. After all, you have to be in close proximity if you are going to hear a whisper.
Please Note: This book was gifted as a part of the Blogging for Books Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work.