When Jesus Answers

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When Jesus Answers: Returning to the healing mercies of God’s presence by Loren Loving

When Jesus Answers: Returning to the Healing Mercies of God's Presence by Loren LovingStars: ****

Boyle & Dalton (2018)
Christian Living
256 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: When Jesus answers, we have hope. In a world filled with anger, and hearts bound by despair, our hope is found as we listen to the intimate, healing voice of God. His voice alone is the essential secret to peace and contentment, to freedom from all fears. When Jesus Answers will open your heart to hear God speak His words of truth and love, enabling you to truly live the life you were created to live–within the intimate embrace of His presence.

With an engaging collection of personal testimony, Biblical scripture, allegory and powerful songs of hope, Loren Loving clears the path back to our faithful and most gracious Heavenly Father. We all need the great news of a Messiah who heals our brokenness and sets us free from our bondage. In Him alone we find healing, transformation, and the refuge of eternal peace and love.

When Jesus Answers

It took me longer than usual to get through this book but it wasn’t because it was boring. It was actually quite interesting. It took me longer because there is a LOT of text within it’s page count and also, you really need to read slowly and pay attention to what the author is saying.

The book is like a mixture of a few things: a book on listening to Jesus and hearing his voice, Christian music and how/when to use it and stories from the author’s life including miraculous faith healings and missionary work.

About Listening to Jesus

The author tells how as she grew up she learned that Christ was her saviour and that made her a brand new creation but she never heard that she was created for an intimate relationship with Jesus so she never understood the feelings part of being a Christian.

She didn’t now how to listen to Jesus, how to really HEAR him. Throughout the book she shares what she has learned in this regard. She teaches you how to listen for Jesus and how to know if you heard him. I found all this information very helpful. I talk to Jesus all the time but I struggle with hearing him. I wish I had marked down some passages to share with you but lets just say it’s not a one off teaching, she talks about it thoroughly and throughout the whole book. You will feel confident in not just talking but listening for Jesus’s voice when you are done the book.

About Christian Music

“Please know that the journey you are on must include music. You  will miss the point, purpose, and effectiveness of this book if you do not also follow its musical path.” – pg 12

All throughout the book Loren mentions specific songs which you can find on YouTube and encourages you to stop reading and call up YouTube and listen. I have to be honest and say for the most part I didn’t do that but I do plan to go back and listen to all the recommendations and consider what she said about them.

I think it would have been better if I was reading it as an ebook and there were links I could click directly to YouTube. I would have been more likely to listen to them at the right times then. I also think she should make a YouTube playlist or two or three so we can take in all the great songs in groups based on their topic.

I didn’t count the songs but I’d have to say she recommend way over 100, maybe even over 200. Songs about God’s love, about God’s names, about waiting on Jesus, God’s Glory and so much more. I’ve never seen any other book but such an emphasis on music and I agree with Loren that music is such an integral part of life and worship.

“Note that God Himself ‘inhabits’ the praises of His people. That is why when we worship Him in song, we most powerfully sense HIs Presence. Hence, His music will open the closed doors of our hearts, doors that prose can only knock upon, so we can enter into his deepest place of His heart.” – pg 12

About Her Life + the Journey

She shares many wonderful and heart breaking stories in the book and I found them both interesting and full of life lessons. I especially enjoyed the talk of her missionary work near the end of the book. Also in the middle of the book is a bunch of chapters that will take you on a journey of sorts.

“The Journey Few Have Taken is an allegorical and music-directed pilgrimage that contains eight short journeys filled with songs, Scriptures, and prayers. The journey is the story about a boy, still just a child inwardly, whose heart has been broken. The child is desperate to find his way home – to a place that is truly safe, where he always feels welcome, wanted and deeply loved. Although the child’s journey was at times long and hard, the home he found was more wonderful than he could have ever imagined or even dreamed.” – pg 66

It’s a set of 8 journeys, each with songs to listen to, a prayer, part of the story, a song to sing, meditations on scripture, a life principle and questions to help you seek truth. It’s a beautiful journey.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves music, feels far from Jesus, can’t tell when Jesus is talking to him/her or if it’s just their internal voice or likes Christian memoirs (its reads like one sometimes). You can feel the passion Loren Loving has for Jesus and for her work when you read the book.

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About Kathleen

I've been a nonfiction lover for as long as I can remember. I love children's nonfiction as well and love to share my knowledge and the books I gained them from, with the world. I wish more people would give nonfiction a chance.