I am not a seer; I can count on one finger the amount of times I have seen a vision. On a occasion I have dreamed dreams I believe are from God but I usually do not remember my dreams. I've been saved for about 4 years and the past two years I have been in a quiet season with the Lord where I have not heard his voice audibly through my thoughts as I once did. Thus, I was excited to review "Seeing the Voice of God" by Laura Harris Smith. Its a book of 11 chapters dedicated to helping believers tune into the voice of God via dreams and visions. I found the book very well written and informative. Laura classifies the various kinds of dreams one can have and even provides a mini-dream interpretation dictionary. Moreover, she dedicates a couple of chapters to visions and provides classification of them based upon the original Hebrew and Greek meaning. In addition, the book is highly practical and Laura helps her readers dream, not only by providing spiritual advice but also showing them the natural process behind it.
"Sleep is the mattress of dreams", she says and thus provides a well researched chapter on the sleep cycle and helpful tips on how to improve sleep and dream recall. I really enjoyed this chapter because it was a wonderful blend of scientific and biblical truth. Too often science is presented only from a secular point of view but I love reading scientific and academic information from a Christian perspective. God is the source of all truth and should be recognized for it.
The last third of the book centered on hearing God's voice clearly, discerning what we have heard or seen, and Laura's struggle with epilepsy and "the deaf and dumb spirit". The section on "20/20 hearing" and discernment felt a bit too condensed and I wished it had been longer but I really enjoyed reading her testimony. Spiritual Warfare is real and I loved getting insight into this spirit that I know little about but am beginning to recognize at work in parts of my own and family's life. After reading this chapter I feel better equipped to war in general and against this spirit.
Overall this was a good introduction into dreams, visions and the supernatural. I liked how invested Laura seemed in her readers and the shepherdess in her comes through in her tone and thorough explanations. If one is new to the charismatic or is not very comfortable with it, this is a very safe book to explore the supernatural workings of God. Laura wants to move the reader away from the "mystical" i.e impractical and overly mysterious, into the practical, i.e the knowable and experience-able gifts of God. This book has encouraged me to continue seeking spiritual sight from God, and I believe he will use this book to help me do so in the future. I highly recommend it.
*** I received a free copy of this book from Chosen a division of Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.
Overall this was a good introduction into dreams, visions and the supernatural. I liked how invested Laura seemed in her readers and the shepherdess in her comes through in her tone and thorough explanations. If one is new to the charismatic or is not very comfortable with it, this is a very safe book to explore the supernatural workings of God. Laura wants to move the reader away from the "mystical" i.e impractical and overly mysterious, into the practical, i.e the knowable and experience-able gifts of God. This book has encouraged me to continue seeking spiritual sight from God, and I believe he will use this book to help me do so in the future. I highly recommend it.
*** I received a free copy of this book from Chosen a division of Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.
