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Cries of The Heart: Bringing God Near When He Feels So Far
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In this profound message from one of the great thinkers of our generation, Zacharias explores the inner feeling of futility that can overwhelm a human heart and helps us to see a reason for our suffering, be comforted in loneliness, and experience an abiding faith in our daily lives. Cries of the Heart is a book that both inspires and reassures…a search that uncovers our h
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Paperback, 242 pages
Published
October 26th 2002
by Thomas Nelson
(first published 1998)
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This book was first recommended to me by one of my spiritual mentors, at a turbulent time when my entire world came crumbling down. A time when I began to wrestle with God with serious questions day and night, and night and day. The Bible before me would be wet with my tears in my attempt to unearth answers.
I began this book, with the hope that all my queries would be answered 'specifically'. In fact it did. This book led me to the discovery of God's own heart - not mine!! All the while, I had b ...more
I began this book, with the hope that all my queries would be answered 'specifically'. In fact it did. This book led me to the discovery of God's own heart - not mine!! All the while, I had b ...more

I wanted to love this book, really, and judging from the many favorable reviews of it many people do love it. However I found myself lost and bogged down by long chapters that frequently read like a dissertation. Personally I think the author could have made each of his points more succinctly in fewer pages. That being said, this book is not without merit and worth reading for anyone seeking God in the various trials and joys in life.

Because both my heart and my mind say YES in response to whatever Zacharias has written or presented orally since I first heard him in the late 1980’s, I have eagerly read his books. I agree wholeheartedly with Max Lucado, who wrote the forward to this volume: “What others do with the golf club or operas or chemistry, Ravi does with Christian thought. He presents lucid answers to tough questions and makes the problems look simple.”
In this book he addresses the emptiness and ennui that can often ...more
In this book he addresses the emptiness and ennui that can often ...more

Did not like this nearly as much as Jesus Among Other Gods. In fact, the only reason I read it is because a friend handed it to me. It was too abstract for me at this time in my life - it appeals more to feelers than thinkers. Once I made it to the second half of the book it became much more intesting and coherent and I was able to finish that part in less than a week. The first half took over 2 months for me to wade through.
Ravi Zacharias is an extremely intelligent man; I just prefer different ...more
Ravi Zacharias is an extremely intelligent man; I just prefer different ...more

A very, very good book. It's deep--I actually read it through twice in a row, because I knew I didn't get much out of it the first time. My favorite of the Ravi Zacharias ones I've read so far.
3rd reading: fall 2011 ...more
3rd reading: fall 2011 ...more

Ravi Zacharias can make irrefutable arguments but do so with such compassion that he doesn't offend. His biblical understanding and his brilliant logic make this book both an amazing Bible study as well as study in reasoning.
He tells of an interesting interchange between Malcolm Muggeridge and Mother Theresa, before his conversion. He wrote to her saying that he had no interest in church or in the Christian faith because of all the duplicity he had seen there. Mother Theresa responded, "Your pr ...more
He tells of an interesting interchange between Malcolm Muggeridge and Mother Theresa, before his conversion. He wrote to her saying that he had no interest in church or in the Christian faith because of all the duplicity he had seen there. Mother Theresa responded, "Your pr ...more

This is a good book. I'm consistently fascinated by the mind of Ravi Zacharias. I was particularly intrigued with his take on the Christian church's loss of reverence for God. He shared a story about how in the Hindi language the words for Mom and Dad are Mata and Pita but you would never call your Mom or Dad just Mata or Pita because it doesn't reflect the respect that they deserve. In Hindi you add the suffix -jee to those names to reflect that respect (so those become Matajee and Pitajee). He
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This book navigates you through your own tragedies or teaches you how best to support someone going through tragedies you can't even begin to imagine. Overall, the insight given here can prepare you for pain or help you heal afterwards. But if you don't expect life to be painful, well, maybe you should read more Shakespeare...
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Talbot Course: Personal Foundations of Ministry
Although I LOVE Ravi Zacharias' work, he's more of an apologist than a "counselor". A Must READ from Zacharias is "CAN MAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD?" ...more
Although I LOVE Ravi Zacharias' work, he's more of an apologist than a "counselor". A Must READ from Zacharias is "CAN MAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD?" ...more

This is the best book I've read to date.
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I'm reading this again... it's really good.. very deep. =) but i get some of it. =P
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He can just see things the Way God does and explain them in such a brilliant way!!! You don't finish a book like this you read it again and again it is so encouraging!
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If He be God, and died for me,
No sacrifice too great can be
For me, a mortal man, to make--
I'll do it all for Jesus' sake. ...more
No sacrifice too great can be
For me, a mortal man, to make--
I'll do it all for Jesus' sake. ...more

Like true Ravi fashion, the title had very little to do with the contents of his book. Someone should really notify his publisher.
Overall, Ravi is a very skilled writer; his talent best shown through his ability to communicate complex theological ideas in a couple of concise paragraphs. However, I often find his lack of organization frustrating. He often transitions to another subject without warning and sometimes with little explanation of how the first topic related (if at all) to the second. ...more
Overall, Ravi is a very skilled writer; his talent best shown through his ability to communicate complex theological ideas in a couple of concise paragraphs. However, I often find his lack of organization frustrating. He often transitions to another subject without warning and sometimes with little explanation of how the first topic related (if at all) to the second. ...more

Cries of the heart
RZ exposes the limited ability of the sensual to meet our utmost spiritual need. When the church focuses on feelings rather than God’s law or will expressed in his word she stumbles on and becomes ineffective in a world that needs to find meaning and direction. As a believer my heart cries or struggles to integrate God’s express will or Law and Grace and reading this book helps me see how I must pay attention or obey everything God has commanded in faith. It seems to me that b ...more
RZ exposes the limited ability of the sensual to meet our utmost spiritual need. When the church focuses on feelings rather than God’s law or will expressed in his word she stumbles on and becomes ineffective in a world that needs to find meaning and direction. As a believer my heart cries or struggles to integrate God’s express will or Law and Grace and reading this book helps me see how I must pay attention or obey everything God has commanded in faith. It seems to me that b ...more

An insightful book by Ravi Zachariah that gives meaning to spiritual afflictions of the heart. He bases his explanations from a Biblical perspective.
He comes closer to explaining why evil and suffering exist in the world. In reading this, I feel that my bond with God is stronger than it ever has been and it has totally deepened my faith.
This book is not a quick read. It must be read slowly and digested before proceeding on. That said, it is well worth the time to read it. You won’t think of yo ...more
He comes closer to explaining why evil and suffering exist in the world. In reading this, I feel that my bond with God is stronger than it ever has been and it has totally deepened my faith.
This book is not a quick read. It must be read slowly and digested before proceeding on. That said, it is well worth the time to read it. You won’t think of yo ...more

Ravi Zacharias attempts to explain why our hearts are so restless by arguing that we try to fill our hearts with things other than what it was designed for, so we always come up short. If we are spiritual entities designed by a creator in relationship, then our hearts will only ever find meaning and peace with that creator. In this, Ravi speaks to both the secular and theistic audience to find this still small voice which insists on getting us to find our way home.

I could not get through this. I have read many of Zacharias' books and find them thoughtful and insightful. This particular book just seemed to be stream-of-consciousness and I didn't see it addressing the issues that the cover claimed it did. Perhaps further in... I just didn't make it that far.
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Ravi Zacharias was a speaker and an author of over 25 books. He fully believed the truth of Jesus Christ can endure the toughest critiques and spent nearly 50 years addressing life’s great existential questions of origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. He was founder and chairman of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (www.rzim.org), headquartered in Atlanta with sixteen offices worldwide. He
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