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How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People
Nothing could possibly matter more than learning to discern the authentic voice of God, but few things in life are more susceptible to delusion and deception. When life falls apart and we need God's comfort; in moments of cultural turmoil when we need God's clarity; facing formidable decisions when we need God's guidance; desiring a deeper faith when we need God to say something, anything, to turn the monologue we call prayer into a genuine conversation. Having addressed God's silence in God on Mute, and then How to Pray in his previous bestseller, Pete Greig is back to bring wisdom and guidance to one of the most pressing and perplexing aspects of universal Christian experience - How to Hear God. Exploring the story of Christ's playful, poignant conversation on the road to Emmaus, Pete draws deeply from the insights of a wide range of Christian traditions. He weaves together the evangelical emphasis upon hearing God in the Bible, and the charismatic commitment to hearing God in the prophetic, with the contemplative understanding of God's 'still, small voice' within.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
711 people are currently reading
4777 people want to read
About the author
Pete Greig
33 books368 followersPete Greig is the bewildered founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement which has spread into more than half the nations on earth.
He is also the Senior Pastor of Emmaus Rd, Guildford, Ambassador for the NGO Tearfund, and an Associate Tutor at St Mellitus Theological College, London.
His latest book, ‘How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People’ is a companion volume to The Prayer Course (www.prayercourse.org), which has been downloaded more than a million times. His previous title, ‘Dirty Glory’, was UK Christian Book of the year in 2017.
He preaches and teaches around the world and co-hosts two British festivals: Wildfires and the Big Church Day Out which attracts 30,000 people each year.
Pete’s passions include T.S. Eliot, Portsmouth F.C. and ‘Little Mo’, a 1964 Morris Minor convertible which he has lovingly restored by hand.
He is also the Senior Pastor of Emmaus Rd, Guildford, Ambassador for the NGO Tearfund, and an Associate Tutor at St Mellitus Theological College, London.
His latest book, ‘How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People’ is a companion volume to The Prayer Course (www.prayercourse.org), which has been downloaded more than a million times. His previous title, ‘Dirty Glory’, was UK Christian Book of the year in 2017.
He preaches and teaches around the world and co-hosts two British festivals: Wildfires and the Big Church Day Out which attracts 30,000 people each year.
Pete’s passions include T.S. Eliot, Portsmouth F.C. and ‘Little Mo’, a 1964 Morris Minor convertible which he has lovingly restored by hand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
February 16, 2024
Normally when a book leaves me with more questions than answers, I get frustrated and leave a 2-star review, but this book is different. Pete Greig provides a great foundation with this book for one’s journey on understanding how God speaks to us.
Greig focuses on the story of Jesus appearing to a couple on the road to Emmaus found in Luke, and uses it as a guiding passage to take the reader on a journey through hearing God in Scripture, prayer, prophecy and (controversially) His “whisper”. Greig breaks up the chapters with stories of faithful men and women who have lived a life sensitive to hearing and obeying God. He writes in a relatable manner that is easy to read, yet thought-provoking. On my wishlist for this book is depth - this is not an indictment on the content of the book, but rather recognition that a lot of ideas are touched on (out of necessity). Unfortunately, a 200-something page book cannot possibly address everything related to hearing God at appropriate length.
I have more questions now than I had going into this on the theology, philosophy and spiritual practices behind how God speaks, but they are well-informed questions that Pete Greig has helped form.
…
“The ultimate way in which God communicates in this story is not through the Bible (as some evangelicals might have it), nor through the breaking of bread (as sacramentalists might say), nor is it through “hearts burning within” (as contemplatives might think), but rather it is through Jesus Christ himself.”
“To truly encounter Jesus is to be knocked sideways, astonished, overwhelmed. Mild interest means you have not yet met him.”
Greig focuses on the story of Jesus appearing to a couple on the road to Emmaus found in Luke, and uses it as a guiding passage to take the reader on a journey through hearing God in Scripture, prayer, prophecy and (controversially) His “whisper”. Greig breaks up the chapters with stories of faithful men and women who have lived a life sensitive to hearing and obeying God. He writes in a relatable manner that is easy to read, yet thought-provoking. On my wishlist for this book is depth - this is not an indictment on the content of the book, but rather recognition that a lot of ideas are touched on (out of necessity). Unfortunately, a 200-something page book cannot possibly address everything related to hearing God at appropriate length.
I have more questions now than I had going into this on the theology, philosophy and spiritual practices behind how God speaks, but they are well-informed questions that Pete Greig has helped form.
…
“The ultimate way in which God communicates in this story is not through the Bible (as some evangelicals might have it), nor through the breaking of bread (as sacramentalists might say), nor is it through “hearts burning within” (as contemplatives might think), but rather it is through Jesus Christ himself.”
“To truly encounter Jesus is to be knocked sideways, astonished, overwhelmed. Mild interest means you have not yet met him.”
June 11, 2023
Audiobook (narrated by author) & ebook
I am so thankful that my church introduced me to Pete Greig and specifically to this book. God spoke to me through it time and time again. It is simple, yet profound. I will never read about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and see them the same way again.
I’m also glad that I bought both the ebook and audio. I loved listening to the author’s British narration, but I needed the ebook because there was so much I wanted to highlight and return to and ponder. Highly recommended.
Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Enjoyed/loved it. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.
I am so thankful that my church introduced me to Pete Greig and specifically to this book. God spoke to me through it time and time again. It is simple, yet profound. I will never read about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and see them the same way again.
I’m also glad that I bought both the ebook and audio. I loved listening to the author’s British narration, but I needed the ebook because there was so much I wanted to highlight and return to and ponder. Highly recommended.
Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Enjoyed/loved it. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.
April 20, 2022
this book! john mark comer says that this book is the best book he has read on the most important thing you will ever do. what a claim! right he is, this book walks through all the way the Lord speaks to His followers today. through Jesus, the bible, prophecy, dreams, culture, and so so much more. how cool is it we have a relational God who speaks to us through so many avenues! this book absolutely rocks.
March 11, 2023
In his book, Grieg does a great job of de-mystifying many areas of “hearing God” that feel either inaccessible (at best) or heretical (at worst) in todays main stream Christianity. Grieg is faithful to Scripture and passes every point made through a Biblical lens. While I would not say this is a comprehensive exploration on the topic, it delivers exactly what the title suggests: a simple guide. I really loved this book, and I left feeling encouraged, challenged, and empowered to hear God all around me — and to say “yes” to Him in response.
September 25, 2022
This has been a super helpful complementary resource as my church has been talking about knowing God’s voice. It really is “a simple guide for normal people.” Very easy to understand and really helped me make sense of the different categories in which God speaks to us.
One of my main takeaways is this: if I were stranded on a deserted island and all I had was a Bible, that really would be sufficient. However, there are so many other ways that God can speak to us, and I want to grow in my desire for those. I don’t want to miss out on all the creative ways God talks to me.
“In many ways, this is the aim of this whole book: that we become so familiar with the word of God in its most obvious forms—in Scripture, in prophecy, in dreams, and in soul friendships—that we are enabled to hear God speak in all the earth through people and things that are not in any way consciously Christian.”
I was also just really blessed by how Greig really pulled all of these different categories from one story, the road to Emmaus.
One of my main takeaways is this: if I were stranded on a deserted island and all I had was a Bible, that really would be sufficient. However, there are so many other ways that God can speak to us, and I want to grow in my desire for those. I don’t want to miss out on all the creative ways God talks to me.
“In many ways, this is the aim of this whole book: that we become so familiar with the word of God in its most obvious forms—in Scripture, in prophecy, in dreams, and in soul friendships—that we are enabled to hear God speak in all the earth through people and things that are not in any way consciously Christian.”
I was also just really blessed by how Greig really pulled all of these different categories from one story, the road to Emmaus.
July 16, 2024
I don’t think I could have read this book without having heard Pete Greig speak beforehand. his writing style is very much like his conversational speech, and that probably would have bothered me had I not heard his voice in my head while reading 😆
but as far as prayer resources go, I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about hearing the voice of God. the practices and explanations were so helpful to me!
but as far as prayer resources go, I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about hearing the voice of God. the practices and explanations were so helpful to me!
May 11, 2024
I’m simply at a loss for words for how encouraging/eye opening this was!! highly recommend!
August 16, 2024
Lovedddd this. It is a slower paced book, but he reminds you to read it slowly, similarly to allowing slowness in your time with God. I enjoyed the videos posted online by him about Lectio Devina as well. This book was a further reminder of my need to be still with God and has opened eyes and ears to the way God is always trying to speak to me - through others, nature, His word and my imagination to visualize what is happening in scripture, and dreams. This book is full of encouraging stories of how others have experienced God in miraculous ways.
May 16, 2025
Very practical & thought provoking. Highly recommend.
March 24, 2023
good supplemental read! still would choose to read Tozer and Augustine over this. But very applicable and tangible teachings.
March 17, 2024
4.5 out of 5.
Over the last few years, I’ve unofficially made a commitment to have devotional books in my reading rotation. God often uses them to breathe fresh life into my faith when it otherwise might grow stale, and I believe He certainly used this book to do just that.
Roadmap: Greig takes the reader through the various ways one can hear from God: through the Word (Jesus), the Bible, Prayer, Prophecy, His whisper, Dreams, Community, Culture, and Creation. (As you can tell, he writes from a charismatic reading of Scripture).
What I appreciated:
Greig is careful. He emphasizes that the foundation and filter for hearing God in various arenas is the Bible. He says this: “When it comes to hearing God, the Bible is the language of his heart. Nothing he says in any other way or in any other context will ever override, undermine, or contradict what he has said in Scripture.” This is a regular theme throughout this book.
What challenged me:
A lot haha. He spoke about a lot of categories that I was previously unfamiliar with (dreams & prophetic being the most unfamiliar to me). I thoroughly enjoyed learning about both, and I’m eager to see how I am able to use what I’ve learned to impact my walk with Jesus.
My biggest takeaway:
So much. But I would say that the lesson most fresh on my mind was what seemed to be the overall message of the book: You can connect with God not just in your morning quiet time, but also throughout the day. We can “hear his voice” (i.e. experience his presence & goodness through the common graces of) in culture, community, and in the “little solitudes of the day” when we choose to sit with Jesus instead of pull out our phones.
To put it another way: This book made me yearn for more of Jesus in more of my day.
Over the last few years, I’ve unofficially made a commitment to have devotional books in my reading rotation. God often uses them to breathe fresh life into my faith when it otherwise might grow stale, and I believe He certainly used this book to do just that.
Roadmap: Greig takes the reader through the various ways one can hear from God: through the Word (Jesus), the Bible, Prayer, Prophecy, His whisper, Dreams, Community, Culture, and Creation. (As you can tell, he writes from a charismatic reading of Scripture).
What I appreciated:
Greig is careful. He emphasizes that the foundation and filter for hearing God in various arenas is the Bible. He says this: “When it comes to hearing God, the Bible is the language of his heart. Nothing he says in any other way or in any other context will ever override, undermine, or contradict what he has said in Scripture.” This is a regular theme throughout this book.
What challenged me:
A lot haha. He spoke about a lot of categories that I was previously unfamiliar with (dreams & prophetic being the most unfamiliar to me). I thoroughly enjoyed learning about both, and I’m eager to see how I am able to use what I’ve learned to impact my walk with Jesus.
My biggest takeaway:
So much. But I would say that the lesson most fresh on my mind was what seemed to be the overall message of the book: You can connect with God not just in your morning quiet time, but also throughout the day. We can “hear his voice” (i.e. experience his presence & goodness through the common graces of) in culture, community, and in the “little solitudes of the day” when we choose to sit with Jesus instead of pull out our phones.
To put it another way: This book made me yearn for more of Jesus in more of my day.
December 30, 2022
Surprisingly concise, deeply rational, and reverent to mysticism. I generally cringe at most modern writing on things like hearing God, or prayer. This book was a breath of fresh air on the topic and the author was especially good at keep the book moving. Every chapter was connected but not repetitive, and I found myself learning new things constantly. This book deserves every ounce of my 5 star rating, and I would recommend it to everyone.
June 5, 2022
Rich in theology, yet simple in delivery. I want to read this again in community to discuss/practice the listening exercises he lays out here.
September 4, 2023
Wonderful book. Pete Greig does an amazing job tackling a broad subject and navigating both scripture and life experience. I imagine I will pick this up time and time again.
February 3, 2024
Listened first as audio book. To re-read. So many great points to digest/pause/reflect and incorporate. Indirectly, the importance of slowing down and basking in/with God's presence/love/grace in order to hear from Him.
February 22, 2024
This is a book I will come back to annually for my entire life. It was my second time through, and it has expanded my mind and the way I listen to God on a daily basis. I am grateful for this book!
November 15, 2022
I've struggled with the silence of God for a long time now. This was an awesome book to read, recommended by my church, to dive into what it looks like to hear from God. A normal bloke like me haha. Biggest takeaway, is realizing I have been hearing from God much of my life! Or at least He is speaking at all times - even if I don't think I hear. It is a voice I don't trust, I explain away, overthink, or drown out in busyness. God speaks much more subtle and in different ways than I have previously expected or hoped. My bar was set way too high. This book did a good job opening my thoughts to different ways God speaks
May 13, 2023
Oh man, loved this book! Stretched my thinking and understanding on a lot of things. Highly recommend!!
August 27, 2022
I spent the better part of the last few years saying, “I just wish God would speak to me.” In honesty, I picked this book up as a last resort, ready to say, “Welp…I gave it a shot. God just doesn’t talk to me like he did the people in the Bible, especially pious folks, or those particularly eccentric charismatic friends.”
Greig’s book really challenged me. It flipped the script and made me recognize how often God has and does speak into my everyday life through his Word, conscience, community, creation, prophetic words of others, and even my dreams.
I’ve “heard God” more in the past few weeks implementing some of Greig’s basic advice, and I’m thankful for a renewed definition of discipleship: listen and follow, giving an everyday yes to Jesus.
Greig’s book really challenged me. It flipped the script and made me recognize how often God has and does speak into my everyday life through his Word, conscience, community, creation, prophetic words of others, and even my dreams.
I’ve “heard God” more in the past few weeks implementing some of Greig’s basic advice, and I’m thankful for a renewed definition of discipleship: listen and follow, giving an everyday yes to Jesus.
November 22, 2024
a great book on the many ways in which God speaks to us, and how we can discern Him. also, i started this a year ago?!
November 29, 2022
This is the best teaching on hearing God that I've ever read or heard!
Pete Greig explains in a simple but deep sense what it really is to hear the living God speak today. I'm amazed by how humble and down-to-earth he is. There's really no sense of him telling us how it's done, but an invite to explore it with him.
I like how he doesn't stop at hearing God physically and 'in your heart'/'the silent whisper' but he paints the whole picture with a thorough exploration of how God speaks in the bible to how He speaks through our concsience to Him speaking through other people all the way to how He speaks through the 'unholy' culture.
Learning to hear God really is one of the most important skills we can learn in our discipleship. It's not for the people on the stage or the spiritual elite, it's for normal people following Christ. Pete Greig has excelled in creating a 'Simple guide for normal people' on how to hear God. I would recommend this to anyone, normal or not, who wants to deepen their discipleship in their everyday life.
Pete Greig explains in a simple but deep sense what it really is to hear the living God speak today. I'm amazed by how humble and down-to-earth he is. There's really no sense of him telling us how it's done, but an invite to explore it with him.
I like how he doesn't stop at hearing God physically and 'in your heart'/'the silent whisper' but he paints the whole picture with a thorough exploration of how God speaks in the bible to how He speaks through our concsience to Him speaking through other people all the way to how He speaks through the 'unholy' culture.
Learning to hear God really is one of the most important skills we can learn in our discipleship. It's not for the people on the stage or the spiritual elite, it's for normal people following Christ. Pete Greig has excelled in creating a 'Simple guide for normal people' on how to hear God. I would recommend this to anyone, normal or not, who wants to deepen their discipleship in their everyday life.
August 28, 2025
Pete Grieg has become one of my new favorite authors, and this book, once again, made me think in a whole new way. Some things make my heart shout amen because I’ve experienced enough to know it’s true, and it burned a desire to keep going deeper with God. Other things are new, unexperienced, and never thought about…I’m learning that walking with curious caution is a part of growing too. I’m not personally convinced everyone is supposed to hear God in the same ways, and backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, pain points, giftings and church traditions will likely play into how God speaks to us. This is a wonderful book in exploring the various ways He does communicate throughout scripture and history, and will give you a desire for deeper intimacy with the One who wants to walk with you through every moment of every day.
October 23, 2023
Slightly Disappointed
I had hoped that the author would plow some new ground in the area of hearing God. Much of what is written I have heard in other contexts by other teachers. Some of the ideas presented have not worn well. For instance, the logos vs. rhema, the intellectual word vs. the revelatory word, distinction has proven to be false. The Greek words, logos and rhema, are used interchangeably in the New Testament. Thus, the head knowledge vs. heart knowledge, distinction does not hold to be true. The author fails to tackle the many failures believers have made when being guided by impressions. The guilt that many believers feel when they don’t sense God’s voice at every turn is not addressed. I would recommend Dallas Willard’s Hearing God as the best book on this subject especially for young believers.
I had hoped that the author would plow some new ground in the area of hearing God. Much of what is written I have heard in other contexts by other teachers. Some of the ideas presented have not worn well. For instance, the logos vs. rhema, the intellectual word vs. the revelatory word, distinction has proven to be false. The Greek words, logos and rhema, are used interchangeably in the New Testament. Thus, the head knowledge vs. heart knowledge, distinction does not hold to be true. The author fails to tackle the many failures believers have made when being guided by impressions. The guilt that many believers feel when they don’t sense God’s voice at every turn is not addressed. I would recommend Dallas Willard’s Hearing God as the best book on this subject especially for young believers.
Read
January 27, 2024This is definitely the best Christian non-fiction book I have read. The scripture, insights, personal stories, spiritual anecdotes, history, testimonies and the overarching dissection of the couple on the road to Emmaus, created an engaging, weighted and multifaceted perspective on how to hear God throughout our life.
'In many ways, this is the aim of this whole book: that we become so familiar with the word of God in its most obvious forms - in Scripture, in prophecy, in dreams and in soul friendships - that we are enabled to hear God speak in all earth through people and things that are not in any way consciously Christian.'
'In many ways, this is the aim of this whole book: that we become so familiar with the word of God in its most obvious forms - in Scripture, in prophecy, in dreams and in soul friendships - that we are enabled to hear God speak in all earth through people and things that are not in any way consciously Christian.'
January 1, 2023
This book takes a topic, listening for God's voice in the everyday, that is difficult for many modern-day, logically-minded people to think about and discuss, and it handles the topic with grace and practicality. I, for one, now feel like I have some useful tools to help me in listening for the voice of God in my life, both in ways I have before considered and other ways that have before seemed strange or out-of-reach. Highly recommend for all believers.
August 17, 2024
leaving this book more confused on the topic that when I began. Not sure that’s Pete’s fault so much as me and God are working on some things at the moment. I don’t think I agree with everything Pete says, but sorting that out with God. I did really enjoy his approach to Scripture reading with a simple act of listening to how my soul responds to God’s word and what stands out to me. As added the breath into my quiet time that Pete details in the book.
December 12, 2022
I would recommend this book to everyone, truly. Maybe it's the particular season of my life that made it so moving, but I think this book is both beautifully ordinary and transformational. Pete Greig addresses the daunting subject of hearing God with real life wisdom, humor, and a tenderness mirroring that of Jesus.
I loved this book, I am going to read it again.
I loved this book, I am going to read it again.
January 23, 2023
Practical and beautiful
I have always appreciated Pete’s way of saying things. He breaks things down into simple steps so as to be able to actually put things into practice, yet he does it by engaging our imagination and wonder. A book I will be coming back to, I’m sure.
I have always appreciated Pete’s way of saying things. He breaks things down into simple steps so as to be able to actually put things into practice, yet he does it by engaging our imagination and wonder. A book I will be coming back to, I’m sure.
March 16, 2023
John Mark Comer says it best: The best book I have read on the most important thing you will ever do.
This book will change your life and give you an insatiable desire to want to hear God speak.
I just want to listen and follow Jesus. This one I’ll re-read again and again.
This book will change your life and give you an insatiable desire to want to hear God speak.
I just want to listen and follow Jesus. This one I’ll re-read again and again.
December 28, 2023
Only took me 10 months to finish. Not sure why but it just felt right to pick up this book every once in a while, read something profound, and then tuck it away until I felt compelled to pick it up again. It was good - so good and I love ending my year with its goodness!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews