Customer Reviews

Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Revised and Expanded

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby and Claude King (and now also Richard Blackaby) seems to be a book for which reviewers find no middle ground. Almost all of the reviewers give the book 5 stars (with one 4 star book) and one 1 star review. I find that the book has the potential to lead many to a deeper, more meaningful experience with God but also has the potential to lead many into false views of how God works with His people today.

On the positive side, the book can be profitable as a devotional book that leads people closer to the heart of God. Blackaby is on target when he teaches that God is always at work around us, that He pursues a love relationship with us, that He takes the initiative, that He invites us to join Him in His work, and that God speaks to His people. He's also right when he emphasizes that joining God requires major adjustments and obedience. Reminding people of these truths and teaching them to look for a personal encounter with God is a good thing. "Experiencing God" can help God and the Bible become more personal in the Christian' life.

This new, revised edition also has additional chapters on "Experiencing God as Couples," "Experiencing God in the Church," "Experiencing God in the Marketplace," and "Experiencing God in His Kingdom." These are helpful to the degree that they help Christians realize that God is present in every area of their lives.

However, I find that Blackaby's presentation of how we experience God is misleading in some ways. For the reasons I list below, I can only give the book 3 stars. Although Blackaby includes a number of ways that we may experience God (the Bible, Prayer, Circumstances, and the Church), his fundamental approach is an individualistic one. Such an approach, without proper checks and balances, can often go astray. This is especially true because Blackaby teaches that "God gives specific directions." While this may be true in some circumstances, it is not true in most cases for most people. This is a problem in two ways. First, I've experienced too many Christians who claim God told them specific things that were not true: what check was there on this false interpretation? I've seen the most lawless Christians claim that God speaks to them quite specifically about the smallest details of life while many of the godliest Christians I know make no such claims. There is too much emphasis on what amounts to individual, subjective experiences with God. Second, what happens when you pray and act faithfully, and yet God doesn't speak specifically or act miraculously? You end up either blaming God or yourself when neither is to blame. (Or, perhaps, you could realize that He may be working in other ways in your life.) In general, Blackaby presumes that God will be following some script that I find He often doesn't follow.

These errors proceed from a fundamental error in biblical interpretation: the belief that God will speak specifically to us the way He did through the patriarchs or other biblical figures. Again, this may be true at certain times, but this is nowhere taught in Scripture as the primary means God speaks to His people, or we would have seen it taught a lot more directly, for example, in very personal Paul's letters. I'm also wary of stories where God tells people to go out and do something they are unprepared to do, only to find that God miraculously delivers them. Do I believe that God can and does do such things? Absolutely! But I've seen too many Christians act presumptuously and foolishly in the name of God on this basis. Furthermore, I've seen too many Christians become addicted to God's miraculous deliverance in their lives when what He really wants is a day by day, moment by moment faithfulness - even when the miraculous isn't present.

Of course it's not necessary that such errors will proceed from reading "Experiencing God." But because of an overemphasis on and distortion of certain ways in which God deals with us, Christians who follow such an approach should also be aware of some of the ways that such an approach may, in time, lead them astray.

I absolutely loved reading every word in "Experiencing God". The examples of how a life of surrender to God's will can be used in such a powerful way was such an encouragement to me. I go back to this book every couple of months to be inspired and challenged as I want the Lord to use me for His glory in the world! You can't help being moved to draw closer to Jesus by Henry Blackaby's story. Mary Singer Wick, author of "My Heart's Desire: A Journey Toward Finding Extravagant Love".

Yes this is a hard-core Christian book, which, of course, I make no apologies for ;-) This book made me get on my needs and pray to God that I would never try to do anything for him again, that's right. You see when I got out of grad school I thought I was going to be this super missionary and save the world of everything, including poverty and hate. Needless say it made me realize that much of my attitude was based on pride and arrogance, not realizing that the only thing my creator wanted from me was intimate love and devotion...not my "skills & plans". I literally cried and prayed with my Savior after my brother in Christ, Blackably, helped me realize this. Needless to say it was a very illuminating and personal experience for me. And yes, from my personal love relationship with God, I do have a strong desire to be apart of His Kingdom on earth and share in its work - which sure beats trying to do things for Him that I think he wants. David H. Squires

The book and lesson plan has open my eyes tremendously. Things that hit me squarley in the face are the following: self-centered vs. God centered activities. Limiting the power of the Holy Spirit and the gifts God gave me. I had narrowed my scope by only doing activities pertaining to my gifts. Not realizing that the Holy Spirit will equipped you with the ever changing task that God has called you to do. Ex. I may be a teacher today and later on maybe exhorter in the next task. This book has helped me to get a good "UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO DO", not what I dream up to do. I know the Word of God but I'm still lacking understanding in some areas of my life walk. I learned that there is a difference with what is God's will for my life instead of God's will for the world. I can't do nothing on my own strength.

Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Revised and Expanded by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, and Claude King is great book about knowing Gods Will for our lives. It question of knowing God's Will that most Christian fight to answer and struggles with. I'm only half way through book and I think it is book every Christian needs to read. I love the stories in the book that make Blackaby approach more real. Blackaby uses a very Biblical approach, using the Bible to answering to how to know God's will. He explains there is no formal to find God's will only by true knowing God and listening to God can we know His will for our lives. Blackaby explain unless you have a active relationship with God, you can't understand God's Will for your life. One best parts of the book is deal with misconceptions of how to know God's will. Read this book, Read this book, Read this book.

Honestly I'd never heard of Blackaby before purchasing this recommended book. THe content is so riveting that I read it in it's entirety over a weekend. -- okay - maybe the laundry didn't get done. I am very, very busy for the Lord; so this book got may attention. Am I in relationship with God, or just busy FOR God? At the end of each chapter (nice short ones that allow reflection), the author presents a few thought questions - so in this way the content is interractive - not just as if passively hearing someone else's viewpoint. Blackaby forces the reader to interact with the content; just as he is encouraging the reader to interact with God. YOu cannot walk away as you came. I like too, his statement that as introspective persons (not a quote), we spend so much time trying to figure out who we are and how to know and do the will of God. What is healthy is knowing who God is - that will flow into knowing who we are. Concentrate on the God relationship rather than self knowledge. There is so much to say about this book. I wrote summary notes for each chapter so that I don't forget some of the concepts he shared. I don't ususally do that - so this is a keeper. I purchased my copy 2 weeks ago; have already purchased two more to share, and will reread mine.

This is a wonderful book that helps the reader understand how experiencing God is instrumental in our relationship with him. We need to not just know Him but we need to experience Him.

The book also helps the reader understand the difference between being person-centered and God-centered. Knowing the difference helps in understanding his will.

I would recommend the book to any individual that is wanting to experience God at a deeper level!

Experiencing God is a challenging book that calls us to not focus on self, but to redirect our perspective to that of God. It's all about His will, and not ours. I enjoyed parts of the book and believe his concept is an important one, but He is very redundant and discounted from His reader. I wanted more authentic life experiences that deal with how we miss the idea of experiencing God, while also showing us how to have clarity from the Holy Spirit. Overall, i believe it is a good read, but just be prepared to find yourself reading the same things over and over.

Did this workbook for the first time 10 years ago and have done it with small groups at least three times since then and the Revised and Expanded version is better than the first time I did it.

This book is so encouraging and put things into perspective! It is very uplifting and make you see light in new things! It inspired me to start a worship team lead by God and truly I am experiencing God and not just me, but the whole worship team! Blessed be God for giving a me an opportunity to share in His ministry! Amen!