What do you think?
Rate this book
Hearing Heart
In this autobiography, Hurnard recounts how God's transforming power replaced her despair and fearfulness with his joy, testifying that anyone can experience personal communion with the Lord.
124 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1973
2 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Hurnard
56 books259 followersHanna Hurnard was a twentieth century Christian author, best known for her allegory Hinds' Feet on High Places.
Hurnard was born in 1905 in Colchester, England to Quaker parents. She graduated from Ridgelands Bible College of Great Britain in 1926. In 1932 she became an independent missionary, moving to Haifa, Israel. Her work in Israel lasted 50 years, although she would later maintain a home in England as well.
Hurnard's early writings (especially Hinds' Feet on High Places and the sequel Mountain of Spices) were embraced by the mainstream Christian community, but later on in her life she seems to have departed from orthodoxy.
Hurnard was born in 1905 in Colchester, England to Quaker parents. She graduated from Ridgelands Bible College of Great Britain in 1926. In 1932 she became an independent missionary, moving to Haifa, Israel. Her work in Israel lasted 50 years, although she would later maintain a home in England as well.
Hurnard's early writings (especially Hinds' Feet on High Places and the sequel Mountain of Spices) were embraced by the mainstream Christian community, but later on in her life she seems to have departed from orthodoxy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 4, 2021
Absolutely life changing. I relate to Hannah Hurnard so much. It truly is amazing what the Lord can do with you when you are willing to give Him your fears. Plus, the main theme of this book is recommending the importance of daily personal revelation - what she calls "The Morning Watch" - in which you bring your questions and problems and hurts to the Lord in prayer and meditation and writing and receive His direct counsel. I have been doing this for almost year now and it is the best habit I have ever implemented. It is the foundation of all my miraculous physical, mental and emotional healing. I am amazed at the power that has flooded into my life since beginning this. I haven't missed doing this first thing in the morning since beginning in Feb 2020 - not because I am such a diligent person, far from it, I've always struggled immensely with daily habits - but because the blessings have been so immediate and so immense that I get so excited and motivated to access more of them. Not that it isn't hard work but I have begun looking forward to this time I have with just me and my Lord because I feel burdens lifted and questions answered and peace in my heart rather than the hellish anxiety and darkness that likes to reside there when I am on my own.
May 6, 2019
Hearing Heart is a short, albeit powerful, testament to God's faithfulness and care for those who seek him. Hannah Hurnard (who goes on to write the popular, heart-stirring "Hinds Feet on High Places") records her journey to faith and her development of a "hearing heart" (from 1 Kings 3:9) through prayer, dependency on God, and obedience to his call.
The take-aways for me were:
1. Setting time aside for prayer and bible reading in the morning (which she calls either "Quiet Time", or "The Morning Watch") is absolutely essential. Her position on this aligns with Elisabeth Elliot - namely that it is not only important to spend uninterrupted time with the Lord, but specifically that it be IN THE MORNING, first thing. Hurnard spent a lot of that time journaling her thoughts, questions, fears, failures, and faith-building experiences - which turned out to be really helpful for the rest of us, who are able to benefit from all she recorded.
2. Part of developing the "hearing heart" is learning to act somewhat blindly on God's first instruction, and then look for confirmation. As she points out, the worry that what we are being prompted to do is just our imagination is the best safeguard because it keeps us "very dependent and earnestly desirous of further assurance from the Lord" (86).
The only reason I don't 5-star this one is that it could have been longer - an autobiography spanning the whole length of her life and missions work instead of just a small slice of it.
It's a pity some of Hurnard's other writings are out of print because she is clear, concise, and full of wisdom. Love.
The take-aways for me were:
1. Setting time aside for prayer and bible reading in the morning (which she calls either "Quiet Time", or "The Morning Watch") is absolutely essential. Her position on this aligns with Elisabeth Elliot - namely that it is not only important to spend uninterrupted time with the Lord, but specifically that it be IN THE MORNING, first thing. Hurnard spent a lot of that time journaling her thoughts, questions, fears, failures, and faith-building experiences - which turned out to be really helpful for the rest of us, who are able to benefit from all she recorded.
2. Part of developing the "hearing heart" is learning to act somewhat blindly on God's first instruction, and then look for confirmation. As she points out, the worry that what we are being prompted to do is just our imagination is the best safeguard because it keeps us "very dependent and earnestly desirous of further assurance from the Lord" (86).
The only reason I don't 5-star this one is that it could have been longer - an autobiography spanning the whole length of her life and missions work instead of just a small slice of it.
It's a pity some of Hurnard's other writings are out of print because she is clear, concise, and full of wisdom. Love.
January 13, 2024
I love more and more reading testimonies of Christians that preceded me who are used by God. Amongst other things, Hannah was a missionary to the Jewish people before the state of Israel was formed in the 1940s and then shortly thereafter. I appreciate her conversion story and the things that God called her to do which seemed nonsensical or outrageous to others. God worked those things out sovereignly and clearly for his glory. Prayer for her wasn’t a production, an event, or by any means rote and boring; it was literally receiving instructions from her Boss and Lord on a daily basis A big takeaway for me is the Quaker influence of personal, intimate relationship with God; I’m seeking more of that these days.
September 27, 2019
In this auto-biography the author shows how hearing the Lord means obeying Him.
June 8, 2020
Fascinating account of how God worked in her life. However it is very dated and I was put off by the archaic language choice and composition. If you can get past that, it is a fairly good read.
January 27, 2020
Autobiography of Hannah from her days as a bored unbeliever that doubted God was real, through her encounter with God and how she overcame struggles by His strength. Well-written and amazing to hear how God brought her from a person who stuttered to a speaker, writer.
She tells if her training as an evangelist and then her call to Palestine just before Israel became a nation. She learned early on that a hearing heart meant following God as a child. Depending on Him to provide, guide, teach and make a way. Hannah tells if her dreams, struggles to obey and conversations with God and other believers as she served God as a British evangelist in Palestine.
She tells if her training as an evangelist and then her call to Palestine just before Israel became a nation. She learned early on that a hearing heart meant following God as a child. Depending on Him to provide, guide, teach and make a way. Hannah tells if her dreams, struggles to obey and conversations with God and other believers as she served God as a British evangelist in Palestine.
July 17, 2016
This book gave me a picture of Hannah's walk with Jesus, and how she listened to Him, and learned to hear His Voice. It was very insightful and full of the miracles that God did in her life. I highly recommend it. It's also a short read.
Read
May 29, 2009Hearing Heart by Hannah Hurnard (1975)
July 13, 2012
I love her books. They are dated in their style but I love them! If you don't like just the same old, read some of her work....
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews