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Hope for the Troubled Heart: Finding God in the Midst of Pain
What hopeless situation troubles your heart? The death of a loved one? The memories of childhood abuse? The diagnosis of terminal illness? The strain of financial failure? A stormy marriage? A body wracked by pain? A lonely sense of emptiness? Into your hopeless situation comes beloved evangelist Billy Graham bearing God's gift of hope, one of the strongest "medicines" known to humanity, an amazing resource that "can cure nearly everything."
Filled with unforgettable stories of real-life people and irrefutable lessons of biblical wisdom, Hope for the Troubled Heart inspires and encourages you with God's healing and strengthening truths. It shows you how to cope when your heart is breaking, how to pray through your pain, how to avoid the dark pit of resentment and bitterness, and how to be a comforter to others who hurt. You'll be reminded that "before we can grasp any meaning from suffering we must rest in God's unfailing love." And you'll find the "joy to be discovered in the midst of suffering."
Here you'll learn how hope helps troubled hearts find peace.
Filled with unforgettable stories of real-life people and irrefutable lessons of biblical wisdom, Hope for the Troubled Heart inspires and encourages you with God's healing and strengthening truths. It shows you how to cope when your heart is breaking, how to pray through your pain, how to avoid the dark pit of resentment and bitterness, and how to be a comforter to others who hurt. You'll be reminded that "before we can grasp any meaning from suffering we must rest in God's unfailing love." And you'll find the "joy to be discovered in the midst of suffering."
Here you'll learn how hope helps troubled hearts find peace.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1990
84 people are currently reading
451 people want to read
About the author
Billy Graham
648 books580 followersBilly Graham was an American evangelical Christian evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister. Graham is best known for his evangelistic missions or “Crusades.” He believed God knew no borders or nationalities. Throughout his career, Graham preached to millions around the world. He met and prayed with every U. S. president from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama.
Graham authored 34 books, including his memoir, Just As I Am. In 1983, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. In 1996, Graham and his wife, Ruth, received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can bestow on a private citizen.
Graham married Wheaton College classmate Ruth Bell Graham in 1943. They had five children ( Ruth Graham, Gigi Graham Tchividjian, Anne Graham Lotz, Nelson, & Franklin Graham) and made their home in the mountains of North Carolina. They were married for 64 years before Ruth’s death in 2007. Graham died from natural causes on February 21, 2018, at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, at the age of 99.
Graham authored 34 books, including his memoir, Just As I Am. In 1983, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. In 1996, Graham and his wife, Ruth, received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can bestow on a private citizen.
Graham married Wheaton College classmate Ruth Bell Graham in 1943. They had five children ( Ruth Graham, Gigi Graham Tchividjian, Anne Graham Lotz, Nelson, & Franklin Graham) and made their home in the mountains of North Carolina. They were married for 64 years before Ruth’s death in 2007. Graham died from natural causes on February 21, 2018, at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, at the age of 99.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 15, 2012
We all will be touched with pain. but when we know the Savior, there us hope.
July 27, 2020
No matter what you are facing today - there is hope. Billy Graham goes through the scriptures to help you in times of stress, loneliness, illness, depression and more.
May 14, 2021
Such an inspiring and encouraging book with all different types of people who have suffered, my hope for anyone who reads this book is to read the passages he recites, they are so applicable even in this day-to-day crazy life!!
May 26, 2023
This book was one that definitely got 3.5-stars but didn't quite get 4, but the main reason for that was how challenging it was to get through. I'm not saying that a 5-star read for me is something that I can just breeze through, but it's something that's more up-to-date, connects with me in a more heartfelt way than just through generics, and something that really guides me through what I'm going through and points me towards where I want to go. That's not to say that this book didn't do any of that, though!
Hope for the Troubled Heart is a book written a decent while ago, which causes it to lose that kind of ability to connect with a younger audience. While I did enjoy it, it was clearly geared towards parents and not children, which is a shame because I believe it could've been well-suited for all audiences had Graham thought about teens perhaps reading it.
Something else that I struggled with was how generic some of the examples were. When I read a book, I want to be really sucked in by the stories, I want to feel the characters and connect with them, even if they're only used as examples. That's something that just didn't happen in this book.
While this book DOES try to guide you back to God or guide you to God for the first time, it does so in a rather convoluted way. It's full of stories and side scenes where he unpacks smaller details of what he's talking about. It's not a straight path, but instead, it's one that twists and turns. There's backtracking and sidetracking, both of which make it hard to keep in touch with his main points.
Overall, I DID enjoy this book and I would recommend it, but it wouldn't be my first recommendation unless someone was specifically looking for a Christian book about hope, per se. But those are my thoughts, so let me know if you agree or disagree!
Hope for the Troubled Heart is a book written a decent while ago, which causes it to lose that kind of ability to connect with a younger audience. While I did enjoy it, it was clearly geared towards parents and not children, which is a shame because I believe it could've been well-suited for all audiences had Graham thought about teens perhaps reading it.
Something else that I struggled with was how generic some of the examples were. When I read a book, I want to be really sucked in by the stories, I want to feel the characters and connect with them, even if they're only used as examples. That's something that just didn't happen in this book.
While this book DOES try to guide you back to God or guide you to God for the first time, it does so in a rather convoluted way. It's full of stories and side scenes where he unpacks smaller details of what he's talking about. It's not a straight path, but instead, it's one that twists and turns. There's backtracking and sidetracking, both of which make it hard to keep in touch with his main points.
Overall, I DID enjoy this book and I would recommend it, but it wouldn't be my first recommendation unless someone was specifically looking for a Christian book about hope, per se. But those are my thoughts, so let me know if you agree or disagree!
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June 1, 2019So...why on earth would I read a Billy Graham book?
First, it cost me .99 cents.
Second, I always liked Billy Graham. His was a gentle, kind voice for decades in our public sphere (even as he shared the same pathological fear and hatred of gay people that so many in this Christian tradition still struggle with. I am mindful of that fatal flaw in his thinking, and in his being. He was wrong about all of that).
Thirds, tens of millions of people in America, and hundreds of millions of people around the world, were influenced by Graham's Christian preaching. You don't have to agree with a word he said: the man had tremendous influence over humanity, including several Presidents of the United States.
Fourth, Graham's Christianity is basic: love, suffering, the lessons of the cross, forgiveness, community, healing. This is not the prosperity gospel.
And fifth, his son, Franklin, is a douche-bag.
So I read half of this and understand why people continue to love him, and to find his message comforting. I would like to build a time machine and bring the 40 year old Billy Graham into our present day, then let him loose on one Donald Trump. That would be worth seeing.
RIP, Rev. Graham.
First, it cost me .99 cents.
Second, I always liked Billy Graham. His was a gentle, kind voice for decades in our public sphere (even as he shared the same pathological fear and hatred of gay people that so many in this Christian tradition still struggle with. I am mindful of that fatal flaw in his thinking, and in his being. He was wrong about all of that).
Thirds, tens of millions of people in America, and hundreds of millions of people around the world, were influenced by Graham's Christian preaching. You don't have to agree with a word he said: the man had tremendous influence over humanity, including several Presidents of the United States.
Fourth, Graham's Christianity is basic: love, suffering, the lessons of the cross, forgiveness, community, healing. This is not the prosperity gospel.
And fifth, his son, Franklin, is a douche-bag.
So I read half of this and understand why people continue to love him, and to find his message comforting. I would like to build a time machine and bring the 40 year old Billy Graham into our present day, then let him loose on one Donald Trump. That would be worth seeing.
RIP, Rev. Graham.
February 5, 2024
Gosh, I desperately needed this book. One of the worst things you can be without is hope—without hope, it’s impossible to have faith or love.
This book by Dr. Graham really helped me to remember that hope comes from God. Honestly, thank God for his ministry. Dr. Graham uses so many Scriptures that are very timely in their application. I aspire to have that level of spiritual understanding.
Despite the pains of life, I can look forward to God’s faithful love on earth and the ultimate promise of Heaven as my hope. :’)
This book by Dr. Graham really helped me to remember that hope comes from God. Honestly, thank God for his ministry. Dr. Graham uses so many Scriptures that are very timely in their application. I aspire to have that level of spiritual understanding.
Despite the pains of life, I can look forward to God’s faithful love on earth and the ultimate promise of Heaven as my hope. :’)
November 12, 2017
Excellent Resource
Really finding that Billy Graham books help me with relevant issues of morality and staying strong in the face of an increasingly violent and hate filled world. Chapters on why such atrocities such as children being abused and tragic deaths of our children were comforting as well as a revealing look at what death really is in the mind of a Christian were so helpful to me. Great reading to complement daily bible reading. Five stars.
Really finding that Billy Graham books help me with relevant issues of morality and staying strong in the face of an increasingly violent and hate filled world. Chapters on why such atrocities such as children being abused and tragic deaths of our children were comforting as well as a revealing look at what death really is in the mind of a Christian were so helpful to me. Great reading to complement daily bible reading. Five stars.
April 18, 2023
Some of my favorite quotes:
“You can never speak a fine word too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
“All that troubles us is only for a moment . All that pleases is is only for a moment.”
“God doesn’t demand that we pray in King James English, or even with eloquence. Every feeble, stumbling prayer uttered by a believer is heard by God.”
“A cry, a sigh, a Help! Are all prayers according to the Psalms.”
“Today, after all, is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.”
“You can never speak a fine word too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
“All that troubles us is only for a moment . All that pleases is is only for a moment.”
“God doesn’t demand that we pray in King James English, or even with eloquence. Every feeble, stumbling prayer uttered by a believer is heard by God.”
“A cry, a sigh, a Help! Are all prayers according to the Psalms.”
“Today, after all, is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.”
February 11, 2021
The title says it all. It renews hope for the person going through difficult times. It refocuses the reader back to God, His attributes and the hope that is found in them. I would highly reccomend this book.
May 7, 2022
One of the classic of Billy Graham's works. The book was about anthropology, but more on theology of suffering. Its not an in depth study of suffering but more on the solutions for pain and suffering.
November 29, 2022
picked this book because it was written by the legend himself. it is a very honest book, offers the hope of the gospel to any soul trapped in depression. very simple & comforting book for me at the time.
December 15, 2023
This was actually a great book. There was not really much flow to the book and it was mostly combined to the chapters being about certain topics. There were a lot of stories about every day people in different situations and how they persevered and the Lord sustained them.
May 23, 2018
This book spoke directly to my heart.
October 14, 2023
Billy Graham always provides good insights for living.
August 26, 2015
This, for me, was another fantastic book by Billy Graham. I read this one a few years back during a real struggle in my life. I was bitter, full of resentment and truly felt like I would never be able to overcome the hurt in my heart or forgive. This book helped in so many ways. There didn't seem to be any situation that was off limits in the book. I found it really spoke to me and my heart. I cherish this book even now. It's one of the few I don't loan out to friends, but will recommend and purchase this for them during those hard times. I'm unsure why this book was rated so low. If you are hurting and feel lost I would definitely recommend this book to you.
August 26, 2015
I read this book a few years ago during a particularly difficult time in my life. I enjoyed it so very much. I found it to be so comforting and gave me so much hope to heal. It was exactly what I needed. I have since loaned my copy out to several friends during times of trouble in their lives. I find Billy Graham's writing/message of God to be that of love and understanding not a God we should fear, which is how many of us grew up to believe. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone struggling with a situation, relationship or just life.
May 21, 2016
Another great read and a book which has sat on my bookshelf for many years, if not decades. The last several books, this one no less, have been pointing me toward a renewed mindset of spiritual and heavenly attitudes. I must not think this world is all I have. Eternity awaits me as this world is merely the vestibule to get me there. I'm simply passing through. A quick read, but a worthwhile investment.
Want to read
January 3, 2009Sounds like a very inspirational book by the one and only Billy Graham, servant of God. I can't wait to read this!
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March 22, 2012Love this book!
July 12, 2019
I love the way Billy Graham preaches. It's just very straight forward and truthful.
April 2, 2016
This is a wonerfully uplifting book to remind you of God's promises and His faithfulness in all suffering! It encouraged me to walk closer with him and to remember that Heaven is my home.
Read
March 27, 2014Our hard cover copy has a white cover
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2014
An excellent perspective by Dr. Graham, with citing from many relevant sources.
November 25, 2011
excited for Heaven!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews