The Great House of God

by Max Lucado

God's greatest desire is to be your dwelling place -- The home for your heart.
He doesn't want to be merely a weekend getaway. He has no interest in being a Sunday bungalow or even a summer cottage. He wants to be your mailing address, your point of reference, your home ... always. He wants you to live in the Great House of God.
Using the Lord's Prayer as a floor plan, Max Lucado takes you on a tour of the home God intended for you. Warm your heart by the fire in the living room. Nourish your spirit in the kitchen. Seek fellowship in the family room. Step into the hallway and find forgiveness.
It's the perfect home for you. After all, it was created with you in mind. There's only one home built just for your heart. No house more complete, no structure more solid:
The roof never leaks. The walls never crack. The foundation never trembles.
In God's house, you're home. So come into the house built just for you. Your Father is waiting.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Spirituality, Religion, Inspirational, Christian Non Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2001

About the author

With more than 150 million products in print and several NYT bestsellers, Max Lucado is America's bestselling inspirational author. He serves the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy. His most recent book published in August 2024 and is titled What Happens Next.

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Reviews

[Sunshine Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book by Max Lucado! "The Great House of God" is just that - a spiritual walkthrough of the timeless rooms and beautiful truths to God's house (the home for your heart). Lucado explains each section of the Lord's Prayer as being another room to God's House (i.e. "Our Father" as The Living Room or "they will be done" as The Study ). I liked Chapter 4: The Observatory. This room magnifies God's Creation, viewing God's workshop. On the pages, Lucado explains his first introduction to the Internet: "I thought a cursor was a person with foul language and a mouse was a rodent you trapped." Too funny! Chapter 8, The Furnace, talks about the importance of prayer from Heaven's viewpoint. In Chapter 9, Lucado explains the rules of The Kitchen: to trust the cook and to know that the one who provides the food is the one who prepares the meals. Chapter 13, The Walls, is very interesting as Lucado talks about the Devil and how the evil one can even work into God's plan. Lucado shares a Guide for The Lord's Prayer, adding in his insights and revelations to the lines. My book comes with a Study Guide. I highly recommend this book! So so so good!

[Abby Burrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall impression from just a general read through is that this is a pretty decent book that I'd like to read more slowly through at a later date. Lucado has a way with words, part of the reason I believe he is so popular, but I think he makes some good points. Not sorry I picked this one up at the library sale.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent look at the Lord's Prayer. The chapter about getting even really spoke to me, and inspired me to make some serious changes in my way of thinking.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband and our friend love this book. I think it depends on where we are in our spiritual walk. I think some days it might feed me and others, I'm left dry. Well laid out and good use of the Lord's prayer to walk us through God's house.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max beautifully explain in segments the power of The Lord's Prayer which encompasses more than I realized!

[Valeria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Lucado writes in a style that I can understand and to images he draws in this book I can easily relate to. Maybe anyone who has lived in a house that is called a home can. By sketching different rooms the parts of the Lords Prayer are explained and some often or less often questions asked are given answered to. For example: Why do we pray: "lead us not into temptation" when Bible teaches us that God doesn't tempt anyone. Or: "Give us today our daily bread" instead of more?
Interesting yet simple answers Max gives us in this short book.

[Gerri]

Excellent book...taking the Lord's prayer and breaking it down in segments. Max Lucado takes the reader on a journey of how we are to live daily in God's great house. You will be blessed!

[Jarm Boccio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to “My Heart, Christ’s Home,” Lucado takes us through the rooms of our heart, one by one, showing us how God meets us there in a unique way. This was my “Sunday reading” book, great for meditation and contemplation!

[Liza Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This practical and deeply moving dissection of the Lord's Prayer is a great reminder of our need for complete dependence on our Father in Heaven.

[Brooke Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The imagination of God's grace is presented beautifully and romantically by Lucado, via analysis of the "Our Father..." I had never imagined such beauty and such a visualization of the heart of God.
Read it three times.

[Sondang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, again, Max Lucado.
The Gerat House of God, of course is the best place for our heart to dwell :D

[Dayva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our mansions in heaven, room by room.

[Edb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book that takes the Lord's prayer as a blueprint for a house and walks through each phrase of the prayer as a different room/part of a house.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative and accessible look at the Lord's Prayer. I think that as I repeat this prayer in the future, I will be more fully engaged and appreciative of each line.

[Sarah Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book multiple times and it’s just such a great picture of the Gospel, the God of the Universe and how much he loves us.
I will continue to return to it every few years.

[Sarah Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did a Bible study on this one. Really great.

[Jeff McLain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review of The Great House of God by Max Lucado, published in 1997 by Thomas Nelson. In this book, Lucado uses the Lord’s Prayer as a framework to guide readers in surrendering every aspect of their lives, envisioning it through the metaphor of their life as a house. He intends for this book to serve as a blueprint for discovering peace, joy, and love in a deeper relationship with God.

Max Lucado, a widely admired Christian author and pastor, is known for his warm, descriptive, and easily understandable writing style. In The Great House of God, he employs his signature pastoral and encouraging tone to walk readers through the practical and detailed teachings found in the Lord’s Prayer. Each line of the prayer is presented as a different room in the house of our lives, where we learn to make God our true home.

While Lucado draws on the insights of other authors and his own practical ideas to illustrate the meaning behind each line of the Lord’s Prayer, he largely avoids delving into historical or theological analysis. Though those familiar with the theological background of the Lord’s Prayer may not find groundbreaking insights, they will still appreciate Lucado’s gentle challenge and his unique way of making complex concepts accessible.

Using the Lord's Prayer as a blueprint, Lucado invites readers to explore the spiritual house God has designed for them. Throughout The Great House of God, Max Lucado encourages readers to feel the warmth of God's love in the living room, find spiritual nourishment in the kitchen, experience the joy of community in the family room, and discover the gift of forgiveness as they walk through the hallway.

As a student in the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at Kairos University, I read The Great House of God by Max Lucado not for theological or historical contexts, but because it offers a uniquely practical perspective on the Lord's Prayer.

Max Lucado’s The Great House of God is organized into fifteen short chapters, each thoughtfully designed with ample white space for a pleasant reading experience. The chapters include explorations into: "A Home for Your Heart," "When Your Heart Needs a Father," "Where Trust Begins," "A Heavenly Affection," "Where Man Covers His Mouth," "Touching the King's Heart," "How God Reveals His Will," "Because Someone Prayed," "God's Abundance Table," "The Roof," "Grace Received," "Grace Given," "Learning to Live Together," "Satan," and "Relying on God's Power." Each chapter explores different aspects of the Lord’s Prayer, culminating in a comprehensive guide to creating a spiritual home in your heart.

As a read, The Great House of God by Max Lucado is a valuable resource for exploring the Lord's Prayer and its practical applications. Lucado’s metaphorical approach makes the prayer’s teachings accessible and relatable. I recommend using this book for personal reflection or group study to deepen your understanding of how the Lord’s Prayer can transform your spiritual life. However, the Lord’s Prayer is not a prayer for individuals but for the community. I think at face value Lucado’s book may privatize the prayer too much. We cannot do it alone, and I would suggest making this read a communal exploration.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 2 out of 5]

In groups of people who want to know about how to follow Jesus. Of course the Bible is one way. Many people who talk about Jesus and what he has done, they come together with to walk about Jesus and understand what the Bible says about Jesus.

The chapters have labels that sound differently than we find in many books. For example, there is “The Great House of God, The Living Room, The Foundation. Then there comes “The Observatory” and the “The Furnace.” A good one.

Many “buddies” who come to the church we are in have a time every week (almost ally week) at Tuesday 7 am to talk about Jesus.

The Great House of God would be good for us. The last chapter with Jesus comes out “A Home for Your Heart.

I’m telling that the guys who come together (on Tuesday mornings), we have something to read.

[Mikki Bunnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as I can remember, I have never not enjoyed Max Lucado books. I like his writing style, and his theology seems pretty love-centered. This book was really interesting to me because I never learned the Lord's prayer growing up, and it has always seemed suuuuuper dry; this book gave a great way of thinking about the Lord's prayer, and I'll actually use the information I found in this book. He did use one problematic analogy on p. 165, so my score isn't quite a full 5 stars, but it's close.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book takes the reader through the various parts of the Lord’s Prayer giving examples of how to pray during each part of the prayer as well as fleshing out characteristics of God which can be found in each line or even word of the prayer. The simple writing style, vocabulary, and content left much to be added to this book.

[L8blmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Lucado's writing style and this book was no exception. Based on the Lord's Prayer, the imagery used to take you to a different room in God's House for every line was very effective. I won't think of the Lord's Prayer the same way again; it has taken on new life and I'm thankful to have it fresh in my mind.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a lot of good stories that went with scripture that I could use for Sunday School for children. Such as Psalm 37:23-goes with a story that we hold onto God’s hand because we might stumble on the ice but will not fall. We place our small hand in his large one and say, “Abba, keep me from evil”

[Ron Jaeger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read using the Lord’s Prayer as a map for visiting God’s house. Each room reveals a unique aspect of His love and care for us, His children. As we abide in His love and journey through each room we grow in understanding of His perfect love, Has agape love for us. What joy He brings because of who He is who loves us! Well done Max!

[Glenda Light · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Max Lucado's artistry and crafting of words. There was much in this book to encourage as he walked us through the Lord's Prayer as a walk through the rooms of a home. It is a light and easy read. I was looking for a resource for a study of the Lord's Prayer, and this book provided some insights but was not the in depth material I was hoping for.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Bible Study comparing the Lord’s Prayer to God’s great house. Went along well with some other books I am reading right now as we prepare to head into the Lenten season. If you have not read, I suggest you do.

[Christy collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book by Max Lucado! I love how he breaks down the Lord’s Prayer into simple terms we can all understand. How we walk through each room and find God’s desire for our lives. I could picture myself in the house of the Lord with lots of light, love and a warm welcome.

[Nicole Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I've only read a small part so far)
I'm loving this book, though I'm reading it extremely slowly because there's just so much good stuff to savour. Often I only manage a page or even only a paragraph.

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful and simple way to study The Lord's Prayer. This book has helped me answer some questions my six year old has had about prayer and God.

[Sophie]

I ended up picking up other books and packing this one away. I plan to come back and finish it at some point.