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NEW UPDATED EDITION
Do you long for depth and authenticity in your relationship with God? Do you want purpose and daily direction but can’t seem to find the right prayer to receive it? When the Soul Listens will guide you away from formulas and step-by-step prayer plans toward contemplative prayer, “the lifestyle that allows you to experience God’s presence,” writes author Jan Johnson. Learn to find rest and guidance in God, opening yourself to God’s presence and direction through this practical approach.
If you are disillusioned, experiencing spiritual dryness, or simply looking for the next step in your spiritual growth, When the Soul Listens offers a clear path to a fulfilling connection with God. IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL VERSION? YES
After 20 years of teaching about the contemplative life and contemplative prayer, I was asked to enlarge and expand one of my favorite books, When the Soul Listens. Why? I’ve spent 20 years listening to my students as well as my directees in my work as a spiritual director. So much is more clear to me now. I’ve experienced God in Scripture and prayer more extensively as I’ve put into practice what Dallas Willard wrote in Hearing God. In fact, I would say this is my hands-on version on HG with practical ideas of how to do this.
What’s new?
- Living an interactive life with God—moving from a mechanical approach to a relational approach
- Life with God as an adventure, not just using God as a problem solver
- Details about the “committee that lives in your head” and how that trips us up
- Praying requests in a contemplative, conversational way
- Simple exercises at the end of each chapter to experiment with practices
- Questions for discussion so this can be done more easily in a group
These pages offer a gentle and engaging doorway to an intimate and transformative life with God. For those stuck in a dry, lifeless, impersonal prayer practice, this book is a must read! –Nathan Foster, Director of Community Life, Renovaré, and author of The Making of an Ordinary Saint
Can spiritual direction really happen in a book? Probably not, but once again Jan Johnson’s warm and honest wisdom illuminates the hidden, often shadowy parts of the interior world and guides us toward truth, love, and service. If you’re ready to take that journey, When the Soul Listens is a practical guide to help you better understand yourself and God’s purposes in your life. –Mindy Caliguire, Founder of Soul Care and author of Stir: Spiritual Transformation in Relationships
When the Soul Listens is one of those rare books that created in me a deep longing for God. With every turn of the page, I desired more of God’s presence. But Jan Johnson did not leave me to navigate this desire alone. She proved a faithful and trustworthy guide in helping me learn how to open space in my soul to listen for God’s transformative, loving voice, and out of that listening to bring God’s love and goodness into our world.–Kellye Fabian, Director of Discipleship Resources and Experiences, The Practice at Willow Creek Community Church
Click Here for Guidelines for Group Discussion
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword by James Bryan Smith
Introduction: A Different Kind of Life with God
- When Prayer Stops “Working”
- The Contemplative Way Of Prayer
- Cultivating A Listening Heart
- Interacting with God in Scripture
- Variations in Meditation and Contemplation
- Focused, Alert & Attentive
- Asking God Questions
- The Contemplative Request
- What Usually Happens in Contemplative Prayer
- Snares: Hearing God with Clarity
- God Loves Us, Values Us and Empowers Us
- God Goes with Us to our Dark Places
- God Leads, Challenges, and Confronts Us
- Contemplation and Action
- A Contemplative Lifestyle
Conclusion: What Difference Does This Make? Read an excerpt Audio Download
