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I Heard God Laugh: A Practical Guide to Life's Essential Daily Habit
Is Your Life Working?
Most of us are trying to put together the jigsaw puzzle we call life without a very important piece. Over time this becomes incredibly frustrating. In this extraordinary book, Matthew Kelly powerfully demonstrates that we cannot live the life we have imagined, or experience the joy we yearn for, unless we learn to tend the soul. From there, with his classic style of practical wisdom, he teaches us how to remedy this problem.
When our bodies are hungry, our stomachs growl. When our souls are hungry, we become irritable, restless, confused, overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, discontent, and tend to focus on the things that matter least and neglect the things that matter most.
Are you taking care of your soul? Are you feeding it and nurturing it? Or are you ignoring it and neglecting it? The reality is, most people have never really been taught how to tend their souls. I Heard God Laugh will help you to do just that, and so much more.
If you ever wondered how Matthew Kelly has been able to write and speak the way he has over the past three decades, he is about to share his secret with you. As he shares what transformed his life, along with intimate details of his own journey and struggle, he teaches us how to apply the great spiritual lessons learned to our own lives.
At every turn he floods the reader with hope and demonstrates unmistakably that the best is yet to come!
Most of us are trying to put together the jigsaw puzzle we call life without a very important piece. Over time this becomes incredibly frustrating. In this extraordinary book, Matthew Kelly powerfully demonstrates that we cannot live the life we have imagined, or experience the joy we yearn for, unless we learn to tend the soul. From there, with his classic style of practical wisdom, he teaches us how to remedy this problem.
When our bodies are hungry, our stomachs growl. When our souls are hungry, we become irritable, restless, confused, overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, discontent, and tend to focus on the things that matter least and neglect the things that matter most.
Are you taking care of your soul? Are you feeding it and nurturing it? Or are you ignoring it and neglecting it? The reality is, most people have never really been taught how to tend their souls. I Heard God Laugh will help you to do just that, and so much more.
If you ever wondered how Matthew Kelly has been able to write and speak the way he has over the past three decades, he is about to share his secret with you. As he shares what transformed his life, along with intimate details of his own journey and struggle, he teaches us how to apply the great spiritual lessons learned to our own lives.
At every turn he floods the reader with hope and demonstrates unmistakably that the best is yet to come!
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
497 people are currently reading
2339 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Kelly
188 books1,394 followersMatthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
August 5, 2024
The main message of this book was really good, but it took far too much filler to get there. One star down simply because this idea could have been said better on fewer words
September 10, 2020
Over the last 6 years I have read books by Matthew Kelly 29 times, and that does not count some of his children’s books that have been read many times over. I am always excited when a new volume from Matthew is coming out, and eagerly await its release. This was the second of two that released around the same time, the other being Coach 365 Days of Inspiration for Coaches and Players. Next to Rediscover the Saints, this is my favorite book by Matthew Kelly, that I have read to date. This is one of those books that every Catholic, nay every Christian could benefit from reading. It is a fantastic read, and as soon as I finished it, I put but in my; to be read pile. It will be a book I know I will return to again and again. The description of this volume is:
“Is Your Life Working? Most of us are trying to put together the jigsaw puzzle we call life without a very important piece. Over time this becomes incredibly frustrating. In this extraordinary book, Matthew Kelly powerfully demonstrates that we cannot live the life we have imagined, or experience the joy we yearn for, unless we learn to tend the soul. From there, with his classic style of practical wisdom, he teaches us how to remedy this problem.
When our bodies are hungry, our stomachs growl. When our souls are hungry, we become irritable, restless, confused, overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, discontent, and tend to focus on the things that matter least and neglect the things that matter most.”
I highlighted several passages on my first reading of this volume and some of them are:
“We cannot live without the hope that things will change for the better, and we are not victims of our circumstances.”
“You are who and what you are still capable of becoming. You are your realized and unrealized potential. God sees you and all your potential, and he aches to see you embrace your best, truest, highest self. He yearns to help you and to accompany you in that quest.”
“Wherever you are, whatever you’re feeling, however life has surprised and disappointed you, I want to remind you of one thing: The best is yet to come! There are times in life when this is easier or harder to believe, but the best is truly yet to come.”
“The essential piece most people are missing is a vibrant spirituality.”
“Nothing will change your life so completely, absolutely, and forever like learning how to really pray. In prayer we learn who we are and what we are here for, what matters most and what matters least. Through prayer we discover the-best-version-of-ourselves, and are given the courage to celebrate and defend it in each moment of each day. In prayer we learn how to love and be loved, because we discover that we have been loved, are loved, and will continually be loved by God.”
“If you truly want to seek and find these answers, this is work for the soul. These are matters that are between you and God.”
“The essential practical virtue of prayer is patience—which is also the essential practical virtue in all relationships.”
“I am often asked: “Why do you pray?” I pray because I cannot thrive without it.”
Those few samples will give you an idea of the worth of this volume. This is a book about making prayer central to your whole life. It teaches, it encourages, and it challenges it. Matthew outlines:
The Prayer Process:
1. Gratitude
2. Awareness
3. Significant Moments
4. Peace
5. Freedom
6. Others
7. Finish
The book also contains the prayer of surrender. The chapters in this volume are:
Part One: The Unexpected Life
A Question to Begin
The Missing Piece
The Habit
The Promise of This Book
Finding Your Reason
Habit and Potential
The Challenge
Soul Note
Part Two: My Spiritual Journey
The Invitation: Ten Minutes a Day
The First Surrender
The Day My Life Changed Forever
My Hope for You
Soul Note
Part Three: Life’s Essential Habit
Teach Us to Pray
Sharing the Joy
The Prayer Process
Your Best Days
The Basics What Is Your Image of God?
There Is Power in a Name
Begin Today
Soul Note
Part Four: Six Powerful Spiritual Lessons
The Longest Journey
Six Seismic Shifts
The First Shift: Begin the Conversation
The Second Shift: Ask God What He Wants
The Third Shift: Give Yourself to Prayer
The Fourth Shift: Transform Everything into Prayer
The Fifth Shift: Make Yourself Available
The Sixth Shift: Just Keep Showing Up!
Six Life-Changing Awakenings
Soul Note
Part Five: The God Who Gave Us Laughter
Does God Have a Sense of Humor?
I Heard God Laugh
The Deep Waters
The Delight of God
Busy Is Not Your Friend
Soul Note
Epilogue: Do You Hear That?
This is one of those books I wish I could put in the hands of all my friends. A book I would love to have given to my daughter’s grade 8 graduation class last year. And especially in 202 it is a book many of us would benefit from reading. I strongly encourage you to order 2 copies of this book, one for yourself and one to pass on.
This book is one of Kelly’s best and one all Christians should read!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Matthew Kelly.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
“Is Your Life Working? Most of us are trying to put together the jigsaw puzzle we call life without a very important piece. Over time this becomes incredibly frustrating. In this extraordinary book, Matthew Kelly powerfully demonstrates that we cannot live the life we have imagined, or experience the joy we yearn for, unless we learn to tend the soul. From there, with his classic style of practical wisdom, he teaches us how to remedy this problem.
When our bodies are hungry, our stomachs growl. When our souls are hungry, we become irritable, restless, confused, overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, discontent, and tend to focus on the things that matter least and neglect the things that matter most.”
I highlighted several passages on my first reading of this volume and some of them are:
“We cannot live without the hope that things will change for the better, and we are not victims of our circumstances.”
“You are who and what you are still capable of becoming. You are your realized and unrealized potential. God sees you and all your potential, and he aches to see you embrace your best, truest, highest self. He yearns to help you and to accompany you in that quest.”
“Wherever you are, whatever you’re feeling, however life has surprised and disappointed you, I want to remind you of one thing: The best is yet to come! There are times in life when this is easier or harder to believe, but the best is truly yet to come.”
“The essential piece most people are missing is a vibrant spirituality.”
“Nothing will change your life so completely, absolutely, and forever like learning how to really pray. In prayer we learn who we are and what we are here for, what matters most and what matters least. Through prayer we discover the-best-version-of-ourselves, and are given the courage to celebrate and defend it in each moment of each day. In prayer we learn how to love and be loved, because we discover that we have been loved, are loved, and will continually be loved by God.”
“If you truly want to seek and find these answers, this is work for the soul. These are matters that are between you and God.”
“The essential practical virtue of prayer is patience—which is also the essential practical virtue in all relationships.”
“I am often asked: “Why do you pray?” I pray because I cannot thrive without it.”
Those few samples will give you an idea of the worth of this volume. This is a book about making prayer central to your whole life. It teaches, it encourages, and it challenges it. Matthew outlines:
The Prayer Process:
1. Gratitude
2. Awareness
3. Significant Moments
4. Peace
5. Freedom
6. Others
7. Finish
The book also contains the prayer of surrender. The chapters in this volume are:
Part One: The Unexpected Life
A Question to Begin
The Missing Piece
The Habit
The Promise of This Book
Finding Your Reason
Habit and Potential
The Challenge
Soul Note
Part Two: My Spiritual Journey
The Invitation: Ten Minutes a Day
The First Surrender
The Day My Life Changed Forever
My Hope for You
Soul Note
Part Three: Life’s Essential Habit
Teach Us to Pray
Sharing the Joy
The Prayer Process
Your Best Days
The Basics What Is Your Image of God?
There Is Power in a Name
Begin Today
Soul Note
Part Four: Six Powerful Spiritual Lessons
The Longest Journey
Six Seismic Shifts
The First Shift: Begin the Conversation
The Second Shift: Ask God What He Wants
The Third Shift: Give Yourself to Prayer
The Fourth Shift: Transform Everything into Prayer
The Fifth Shift: Make Yourself Available
The Sixth Shift: Just Keep Showing Up!
Six Life-Changing Awakenings
Soul Note
Part Five: The God Who Gave Us Laughter
Does God Have a Sense of Humor?
I Heard God Laugh
The Deep Waters
The Delight of God
Busy Is Not Your Friend
Soul Note
Epilogue: Do You Hear That?
This is one of those books I wish I could put in the hands of all my friends. A book I would love to have given to my daughter’s grade 8 graduation class last year. And especially in 202 it is a book many of us would benefit from reading. I strongly encourage you to order 2 copies of this book, one for yourself and one to pass on.
This book is one of Kelly’s best and one all Christians should read!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Matthew Kelly.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
April 19, 2022
Matthew Kelly discusses prayer and how you can make it a daily habit. Dispels the myth that it has to be a "formal" type of prayer. He emphasizes that it is a conversation with God. A good primer for those who need a jumpstart on working on a relationship with God through prayer.
January 8, 2022
I Heard God Laugh is a “practical guide to life’s essential daily habit.” Prayer and spiritual life can be daunting for most people. Matthew Kelly shares his epiphanies, life experiences, and viewpoints on prayer and how to better incorporate intentional prayer in your life.
I’ve read another book by Kelly and this one is similar. He spends most of the time sharing his personal stories. Sometimes these stories are just so perfect in form that I often feel like my life doesn’t measure up. Hard to take advice from someone who doesn’t seem to struggle. He spends the first three sections on encouraging prayer and making it a daily habit. I feel like this was something I’m already here for so that wasn’t inspiring - more just reaffirming, which is fine. The part that really helped to give me more inspiration was his six powerful spiritual lessons, which includes the six seismic shifts - pivotal moments of spiritual change. He also provides a nice prayer process to help you remember to be grateful, ask for forgiveness and guidance, ask for blessings, and listen for answers.
While I wish I had gotten more out of the first three sections, the fourth and fifth ones were really good. I read this with a friend and we had great discussions about it and how we would try to develop our prayer life in new ways.
I’ve read another book by Kelly and this one is similar. He spends most of the time sharing his personal stories. Sometimes these stories are just so perfect in form that I often feel like my life doesn’t measure up. Hard to take advice from someone who doesn’t seem to struggle. He spends the first three sections on encouraging prayer and making it a daily habit. I feel like this was something I’m already here for so that wasn’t inspiring - more just reaffirming, which is fine. The part that really helped to give me more inspiration was his six powerful spiritual lessons, which includes the six seismic shifts - pivotal moments of spiritual change. He also provides a nice prayer process to help you remember to be grateful, ask for forgiveness and guidance, ask for blessings, and listen for answers.
While I wish I had gotten more out of the first three sections, the fourth and fifth ones were really good. I read this with a friend and we had great discussions about it and how we would try to develop our prayer life in new ways.
November 12, 2021
Book club book.
This was an interesting book about daily prayer. I’m not really sure how the title of the book fits.
This was an interesting book about daily prayer. I’m not really sure how the title of the book fits.
July 19, 2020
Great read. Easy read. Very insightful and timely! My take-aways:
1) Learn to pray daily with this Prayer Process
2) Next time you sense danger, uncertainty, discouragement, anger, just repeat the name of Jesus over and over, slowly.... "Jesus"...."Jesus"..."Jesus"
3) ASK God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit to come and 'sit next to you' throughout your day; while doing dishes, while driving, folding laundry. It's the 'little' times when we can also spend time with God.
4) Go deep. Schedule time, if you need to, with God. Would you answer the phone in the middle of a conversation with God? No!
Daily prayer - Daily time - Daily silence with God.
1) Learn to pray daily with this Prayer Process
2) Next time you sense danger, uncertainty, discouragement, anger, just repeat the name of Jesus over and over, slowly.... "Jesus"...."Jesus"..."Jesus"
3) ASK God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit to come and 'sit next to you' throughout your day; while doing dishes, while driving, folding laundry. It's the 'little' times when we can also spend time with God.
4) Go deep. Schedule time, if you need to, with God. Would you answer the phone in the middle of a conversation with God? No!
Daily prayer - Daily time - Daily silence with God.
December 2, 2020
Excellent, excellent, excellent.
April 9, 2021
Short, easy to read book laying out a simple seven-step outline for how to pray that Kelly learned when he was a teenager. It would be easy enough to implement into your life if you're trying to establish a daily prayer habit. This is similar to a prayer a friend taught me several years ago called the ACTS prayer. A = adoration, C = contrition, T = thanksgiving and S = supplication. I say this prayer to start out each day and to end each day (telling God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that I love them, asking for forgiveness for any sins I committed in the course of my day, thanksgiving for all the blessings that come to me each and every day, and asking for blessings for myself, friends and loved ones and the world). Either way, establishing an ongoing conversation with God is a good thing. The title of the book refers to a story that Kelly related in the last section. I'm not 100% sure how that connects to his prayer routine, but it was a touching moment in his life.
March 31, 2021
For the last four or five years my parish has been gifting parishioners with a different Matthew Kelly book at Christmas time. Instead of reading it right away, I typically wind up putting off reading the book until Lent. This is now the third Matthew Kelly I have read. On the plus side, his books are generally on an interesting (albeit similar) topic and they are quick, easy reads. But on the down side, this is my least favorite of the three.
The book is focused on teaching people how to pray and encouraging people to make a daily habit of prayer by committing to praying every day for 21 days for 10 minutes. The book is 111 pages long and it could easily be shortened to 50 pages or less. It's repetitive, it has totally unnecessary "motivational speaker phrasing" through out, and his seven step process feels more formulaic than effortless. One last pet peeve of mine is the title. I "get" where he was going with it, but it is not integrated well with his main focus on learning to pray and he doesn't bring any revelation or insight into the concept of God laughing. It felt tacked on and inserted in as a cool image he wanted to stick into one of his books but clearly didn't have enough to expound about it.
What I loved about the book was his reminiscing about how his prayer life changed over the years. I think everyone who prays regularly has experienced this transformation. You start out saying formal prayers by rote, and usually to ask for something good or to pray for something bad not to happen. And as you mature, almost instinctively you begin to pray in gratitude. You begin to pray for others. You begin to pray for peace or acceptance when you might not get what you want-instead of praying for what you want. So I DO love this idea of teaching people what prayer can be; that it can be MORE than what you remember associating it with as a kid.
He sticks in some lovely concepts that always speak to me. 1. "You are not what has happened to you. You are not what you have accomplished. You are not even who you are today or who you have become so far. You are also who and what you are still capable of becoming. You are your realized and unrealized potential". 2. Prayer requires patience and peace is the fruit of prayer. 3. Learn to "listen" as you pray and not just talk. And while he only obliquely touches on MY favorite piece of advice for people who want to improve their prayer experience- consider praying with others. Back in 2020, my parish started a daily Zoom rosary for the month of May, in honor of Mary. No one was able to go to church, anxiety over the pandemic was still high, and I was able to connect with an amazing group of fellow parishioners I never knew before. When the month was over, we all wanted to continue meeting up for rosary and here we are almost a year later still praying together for about 25 minutes a day (whenever we are able). This habit brought me immeasurable peace at a time when working as a front line nurse was extremely scary and exhausting. I look forward to praying every day with others WAY more than I do praying alone (which of course I still do as well). I'm happy to see many people did love reading this book. I just found the writing was not his finest.
The book is focused on teaching people how to pray and encouraging people to make a daily habit of prayer by committing to praying every day for 21 days for 10 minutes. The book is 111 pages long and it could easily be shortened to 50 pages or less. It's repetitive, it has totally unnecessary "motivational speaker phrasing" through out, and his seven step process feels more formulaic than effortless. One last pet peeve of mine is the title. I "get" where he was going with it, but it is not integrated well with his main focus on learning to pray and he doesn't bring any revelation or insight into the concept of God laughing. It felt tacked on and inserted in as a cool image he wanted to stick into one of his books but clearly didn't have enough to expound about it.
What I loved about the book was his reminiscing about how his prayer life changed over the years. I think everyone who prays regularly has experienced this transformation. You start out saying formal prayers by rote, and usually to ask for something good or to pray for something bad not to happen. And as you mature, almost instinctively you begin to pray in gratitude. You begin to pray for others. You begin to pray for peace or acceptance when you might not get what you want-instead of praying for what you want. So I DO love this idea of teaching people what prayer can be; that it can be MORE than what you remember associating it with as a kid.
He sticks in some lovely concepts that always speak to me. 1. "You are not what has happened to you. You are not what you have accomplished. You are not even who you are today or who you have become so far. You are also who and what you are still capable of becoming. You are your realized and unrealized potential". 2. Prayer requires patience and peace is the fruit of prayer. 3. Learn to "listen" as you pray and not just talk. And while he only obliquely touches on MY favorite piece of advice for people who want to improve their prayer experience- consider praying with others. Back in 2020, my parish started a daily Zoom rosary for the month of May, in honor of Mary. No one was able to go to church, anxiety over the pandemic was still high, and I was able to connect with an amazing group of fellow parishioners I never knew before. When the month was over, we all wanted to continue meeting up for rosary and here we are almost a year later still praying together for about 25 minutes a day (whenever we are able). This habit brought me immeasurable peace at a time when working as a front line nurse was extremely scary and exhausting. I look forward to praying every day with others WAY more than I do praying alone (which of course I still do as well). I'm happy to see many people did love reading this book. I just found the writing was not his finest.
January 21, 2021
3.75 stars.
Matthew Kelly’s “I Heard God Laugh” is a book that talks about how to pray more, what the prayer process looks like, and how to involve God more in your day-to-day life. Kelly is one wise man, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the content of his book. The writing is mediocre, but besides that, this book hit hard.
Kelly talks about the importance of praying 10 minutes a day for 21 days to establish a habit of daily prayer and what this prayer process looks like. I really like how he supports many of his points with scripture quotes, as it shows what he’s talking about is real and is proven in the Bible. When praying, Kelly says it’s important to include gratitude, awareness, significant moments, peace, freedom and others in what you say to God. He says what many people do is ask God to help them with this and help them with that, but what we really should be doing is asking “God, what do you think I should do?” and thereby open up your life for God to guide. Trust is so incredibly important, and lays the foundation for one’s divine relationship.
Another point about this book that I appreciated is how Kelly states that God can be involved in all the parts of your life, not just church on Sunday’s. We can ask God to mow the lawn with us, to do our homework with us and to come to lunch with our friend. God wants to be involved in every moment of our day, and he is delighted when we invite him along.
Lastly, I like how Kelly makes a point about busyness and how this is not our friend when making a relationship with God. Busyness takes us away from prayer and leads us to be more weary and overwhelmed. But when we become more available to God and pray, we discover the real meaning and purpose of our life, we can discuss what is giving us anxiety and we can therefore be more intentional about our life outside of prayer time.
In general, I think Kelly gives some really convincing arguments about how to maintain daily prayer with God. All it is is a conversation, just like you have with anyone. The writing isn’t ~spectacular~ because Kelly is a little redundant with some of the things he talks about, but the content is amazing. I recommend this book to all Christians or to anyone who is starting to form a relationship with God and needs some instruction.
Matthew Kelly’s “I Heard God Laugh” is a book that talks about how to pray more, what the prayer process looks like, and how to involve God more in your day-to-day life. Kelly is one wise man, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the content of his book. The writing is mediocre, but besides that, this book hit hard.
Kelly talks about the importance of praying 10 minutes a day for 21 days to establish a habit of daily prayer and what this prayer process looks like. I really like how he supports many of his points with scripture quotes, as it shows what he’s talking about is real and is proven in the Bible. When praying, Kelly says it’s important to include gratitude, awareness, significant moments, peace, freedom and others in what you say to God. He says what many people do is ask God to help them with this and help them with that, but what we really should be doing is asking “God, what do you think I should do?” and thereby open up your life for God to guide. Trust is so incredibly important, and lays the foundation for one’s divine relationship.
Another point about this book that I appreciated is how Kelly states that God can be involved in all the parts of your life, not just church on Sunday’s. We can ask God to mow the lawn with us, to do our homework with us and to come to lunch with our friend. God wants to be involved in every moment of our day, and he is delighted when we invite him along.
Lastly, I like how Kelly makes a point about busyness and how this is not our friend when making a relationship with God. Busyness takes us away from prayer and leads us to be more weary and overwhelmed. But when we become more available to God and pray, we discover the real meaning and purpose of our life, we can discuss what is giving us anxiety and we can therefore be more intentional about our life outside of prayer time.
In general, I think Kelly gives some really convincing arguments about how to maintain daily prayer with God. All it is is a conversation, just like you have with anyone. The writing isn’t ~spectacular~ because Kelly is a little redundant with some of the things he talks about, but the content is amazing. I recommend this book to all Christians or to anyone who is starting to form a relationship with God and needs some instruction.
October 11, 2021
This short little book looks plain, simple, and even a little goofy, especially with the lackluster cover, but don't be fooled. There are some insights and suggestions in here to carry a long, long time. Here are a few I'm taking with me:
+ Prayer should never be judged by how it makes us feel. Prayer isn't about feelings.
+ Show up and let God work on you.
+ There is a direct connection between our capacity to love and our capacity for patience.
+ Success at almost anything rests upon this single principle: Do the basics, do them well, and do them every day, especially when you don't feel like doing them.
+ The spiritual life is made up of season, and even in the darkest moments it is important to remind ourselves that spring will come again.
+ There is a time and a place to ask God for things, but just as it would be inappropriate to be constantly asking someone for something in a relationship, it shouldn't be the focus of our prayer.
+ Offer the task you are least looking forward to today to God as a prayer for the person you know who is suffering most today, and do that task with great love, better than you have ever done it.
And last but not least, these "Six Life-Changing Awakenings":
1. Begin the conversation.
2. Ask God what he wants.
3. Give yourself to prayer.
4. Transform everything into prayer.
5. Make yourself available.
6. Just keep showing up.
Admittedly, this stuff ain't fancy. No Thomas Merton or Pope Benedict here, that's for sure. But the insights and lessons are more accessible and more practical than those more prestigious and scholarly types. One or two pages of this was worth more to me than the whole of Augustine's Confessions!
+ Prayer should never be judged by how it makes us feel. Prayer isn't about feelings.
+ Show up and let God work on you.
+ There is a direct connection between our capacity to love and our capacity for patience.
+ Success at almost anything rests upon this single principle: Do the basics, do them well, and do them every day, especially when you don't feel like doing them.
+ The spiritual life is made up of season, and even in the darkest moments it is important to remind ourselves that spring will come again.
+ There is a time and a place to ask God for things, but just as it would be inappropriate to be constantly asking someone for something in a relationship, it shouldn't be the focus of our prayer.
+ Offer the task you are least looking forward to today to God as a prayer for the person you know who is suffering most today, and do that task with great love, better than you have ever done it.
And last but not least, these "Six Life-Changing Awakenings":
1. Begin the conversation.
2. Ask God what he wants.
3. Give yourself to prayer.
4. Transform everything into prayer.
5. Make yourself available.
6. Just keep showing up.
Admittedly, this stuff ain't fancy. No Thomas Merton or Pope Benedict here, that's for sure. But the insights and lessons are more accessible and more practical than those more prestigious and scholarly types. One or two pages of this was worth more to me than the whole of Augustine's Confessions!
April 18, 2022
In the novel "I Heard God Laugh" the author writes, "Set the worries of this world aside, and allow yourself to soar like a bird on the wind. Listen to the whispers of your Creator calling gently to you, inviting you to remember that just as the body needs food, so too your soul needs to be nourished." This novel talks about struggles we have within ourselves and how we can be our own enemy. There is no specific ending to this story, it just shows how if we want to be better, we can change to help ourselves. For example, it says "Our lives change when our habits change”. I love how this book gives real world advice and especially advice to help ourselves. As a Catholic, I loved how the novel included real life experience and how their faith helped guide them. I feel that the chapter ‘Finding Your Reason’ was the best chapter for me because I have a hard time believing why we should pray. This novel is all about the quote, “Does God have a sense of humor?" I love how is shows that since laughter is a medicine in our body and soul, God brings laughter to our lives. I recommend this novel to people who feel their faith is lacking or need advice for themselves.
November 24, 2024
Matthew Kelly's writing is so conversational.
3 takeaways (and reminders) I copied from another review:
1) Next time you sense danger, uncertainty, discouragement, anger, just repeat the name of Jesus over and over, slowly.... "Jesus"...."Jesus"..."Jesus"
2) ASK God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit to come and 'sit next to you' throughout your day; while doing dishes, while driving, folding laundry. It's the 'little' times when we can also spend time with God.
3) Go deep. Schedule time, if you need to, with God. Would you answer the phone in the middle of a conversation with God? No!
My 4 star rting is because I didn't hear God Laugh in this book until the last part, and the title is why I bought this book!
3 takeaways (and reminders) I copied from another review:
1) Next time you sense danger, uncertainty, discouragement, anger, just repeat the name of Jesus over and over, slowly.... "Jesus"...."Jesus"..."Jesus"
2) ASK God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit to come and 'sit next to you' throughout your day; while doing dishes, while driving, folding laundry. It's the 'little' times when we can also spend time with God.
3) Go deep. Schedule time, if you need to, with God. Would you answer the phone in the middle of a conversation with God? No!
My 4 star rting is because I didn't hear God Laugh in this book until the last part, and the title is why I bought this book!
December 26, 2020
I wanted to read a Christmas book, but could not figure out how to find it in all the books I have in my kindle. Then, this book arrived from my church. It encourages you to form a habit of daily prayer. Ten minutes for 21 days. Up to the challenge!
January 8, 2021
Matthew Kelly has done it again!! He had delivered another incredible message through his faith, his story and his mission. This book is wonderful, impactful and truly one of the best reads I’ll read all year!! Every catholic should read this book!!
December 24, 2022
Honestly I had low expectations for this book but it delivered exactly what it promised -encouragement for prayer and the spiritual life. I got a few things out of it for sure. To me, the title and anecdote of God laughing was only vaguely relevant; definitely more of a clickbaity selling point
December 18, 2021
If I don't start my day out right, it never gets back on track. That is what this book is about--the importance of starting your day with prayer. It explains what prayer is and how to do it. Most of it was not new to me, but I needed the reminder. We know that the sky is blue, and we often take it for granted, not really thinking about it. But if you take a few moments on a bright, sunny day to soak up some rays and stare at the stunning, blue expanse, it is awesome. That's what meeting God in prayer is like: it's simple to do, the line is always open, easy to ignore, but profound and beautiful every time.
March 25, 2022
I greatly appreciate a book that can teach you or improve an essential habit. Matthew Kelly provides beautiful insight on prayer and how to make it work better for you. I’m very grateful for this book and the change it continues to make in my life.
February 12, 2021
Will continue to go back time and time again to thought provoking questions throughout his book.
April 14, 2021
"I heard God laugh" is a reference to the oft-repeated aphorism: If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans". Matthew Kelly manages to reconfigure the statement, but my first thought is going to be God's reaction to my carefully laid plans for my future.
As the title says, this is a practical book. It is especially so for those who are just beginning or want to begin a prayer life. For anyone who already has a prayer life, this book is a refresher of what we already know. It is not that the book has no usefulness for the "professional" but the simplicity and repetition in the book can lead to an "I've heard this all before" attitude.
For the beginner, though, the simplicity and repetition help to clarify the main point. Prayer does not have to be complicated. Kelly recommends ten minutes of conversational prayer every day. Ten minutes does not seem like a long time, but it is just a beginning. If one is faithful to the discipline (and prayer does take discipline), one eventually gets to the state of prayerful timelessness in which time passes quickly without our realization.
The important thing is to start. No matter where you are on your faith journey, there is something here that can help you move further along. It may be something new; it may be something old that you may have forgotten. As they say in the Nike commercial "Just do it!"
As the title says, this is a practical book. It is especially so for those who are just beginning or want to begin a prayer life. For anyone who already has a prayer life, this book is a refresher of what we already know. It is not that the book has no usefulness for the "professional" but the simplicity and repetition in the book can lead to an "I've heard this all before" attitude.
For the beginner, though, the simplicity and repetition help to clarify the main point. Prayer does not have to be complicated. Kelly recommends ten minutes of conversational prayer every day. Ten minutes does not seem like a long time, but it is just a beginning. If one is faithful to the discipline (and prayer does take discipline), one eventually gets to the state of prayerful timelessness in which time passes quickly without our realization.
The important thing is to start. No matter where you are on your faith journey, there is something here that can help you move further along. It may be something new; it may be something old that you may have forgotten. As they say in the Nike commercial "Just do it!"
December 3, 2020
Although there was some good content in this book, I think the author’s editor let him down badly. Had he turned this in as a English assignment in high school, the red pen of doom would have struck many a repetitive phrase, and the accusation of “too much filler” would have been noted. I also think that using phrases like “my Prayer Process” and “best-version-of-yourself” cheapen and make gimmicky the privilege we have in going to our Lord in prayer - I almost expected to see the TM sign after these. Unfortunately for the author, I had just listened to a series of lectures by Elisabeth Elliot on prayer that were rich in Scripture, God-centered, and not at all geared toward becoming the “best-version-of-yourself.” However, as I said before, there were some genuinely helpful observations about prayer, along with Scripture references that redeemed the message of the book; an exhortation to pray more and to pray consistently should never go amiss, kitschy phrases notwithstanding.
March 1, 2021
I appreciate the author's intent, but as a book this was extremely repetitive with little content. Could have simply been a brochure.
August 15, 2020
I'm not usually a big fan of Matthew Kelly books, but this one was definitely an exception. A powerful and convicting reminder of the simplicity of prayer and the importance of learning to listen to and converse with God daily. This is a quick but insightful read, a practical guide to the often over-complicated (and thus frequently discarded) practice of daily prayer. The Prayer Process he outlines is a wonderful introduction to an expanded and simplified Ignatian examen style of prayer, and could be easily implemented by any person of faith (or even someone who wants to explore the reality of God and the spiritual life but doesn't know where to begin). Highly recommended for anyone who seeks to find peace amidst daily chaos and develop a more intimate relationship with God.
July 24, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it has great advice. It is primarily about the benefits of daily prayer. It's written in a conversational style, the kind of book you could breeze through in a few days. I tried to pace myself to read sections at a time, then reflect for a while before jumping into the next one. My favorite part was probably the section titled "Busy is not your friend." Sometimes our society mistakenly equates more demands on time with more importance. But how important are some of those demands? Still trying to take some of the advice to heart but overall a worthwhile read. Why the mixed feelings? The title made me think I was going to read something that made me smile more. I thought there might even be a little humor.
September 25, 2021
I have always enjoyed Matthew Kelly's books. Life's Essential Daily Habit is about prayer - how to do it so that it really has meaning for you, and how it will attend to your soul. I think most of us pray when life is getting us down, at church, at the dining room table, for a loved one, and when we have needs that are not being met . . . but Kelly shows you that praying EVERY day for just ten minutes could very well change your life! "Our lives change when our habits change." You need to ask God what HE wants rather than always asking for what you want should be one of the parts of your prayer. The promise Kelly makes in this book is that it will teach you HOW to pray, feed your soul, and introduce you to more spirituality than you have ever known. I know I felt elated with just reading this book.
June 29, 2021
There hasn’t been a Matthew Kelly book I didn’t like, but this is my favorite. I’ve recently started contemplative prayer with a group on Zoom and everything about this book resonates with what I’m learning. Sister Lucy, at St.Placid Priory, taught me how to pray using Lectio Divina. I see that is how Matthew Kelly prays as welI, and this book is basically a lesson on how to pray using Lectio. I so enjoy his personal stories to reinforce his messages, and would recommend this book to anyone who wants to build a closer, stronger relationship with God through prayer and contemplation.
February 28, 2021
A quick and approachable read.
Whether or not you have a prayer life, this book can benefit you.
The main purpose is to remind us that prayer is not intimidating - it's a conversation with our Creator. When we set aside even just 10 minutes of silence to still ourselves before Him, we will likely end up noticing that 10 minutes is more than 10 minutes in more ways than one.
Glad to have read it and to pass it on to new hands.
Whether or not you have a prayer life, this book can benefit you.
The main purpose is to remind us that prayer is not intimidating - it's a conversation with our Creator. When we set aside even just 10 minutes of silence to still ourselves before Him, we will likely end up noticing that 10 minutes is more than 10 minutes in more ways than one.
Glad to have read it and to pass it on to new hands.
June 30, 2021
The title of this book obscures what the book is really about. This is a wonderful, short read about talking and listening to God. Call it prayer if you want. This was a freebie give away in some of the Catholic churches in Texas this Spring. Thanks to my Mom for grabbing a copy for me. I wonder if she has read it.
The author, Matthew Kelly, has an easy to read style that reminds of Bob Goff. Kelly is passionate about the important role that prayer can play in one’s life and his desire is that the reader just start and then just keep going. 10 minutes a day. There are a couple of helpful formulas in the book but here is the best list:
1. Begin the conversation
2. Ask God what he wants
3. Give yourself to prayer
4. Transform everything into prayer
5. Make yourself available
6. Just keep showing up
Here is a phrase that the author believes we need more of and that we would be better off if we could get more of:
CAREFREE TIMELESSNESS
Think about it. I know I am. JIM
The author, Matthew Kelly, has an easy to read style that reminds of Bob Goff. Kelly is passionate about the important role that prayer can play in one’s life and his desire is that the reader just start and then just keep going. 10 minutes a day. There are a couple of helpful formulas in the book but here is the best list:
1. Begin the conversation
2. Ask God what he wants
3. Give yourself to prayer
4. Transform everything into prayer
5. Make yourself available
6. Just keep showing up
Here is a phrase that the author believes we need more of and that we would be better off if we could get more of:
CAREFREE TIMELESSNESS
Think about it. I know I am. JIM
December 11, 2021
This was a fairly basic intro to prayer and praying every day. However, even though a lot of the stuff I know/practice already, I did get things out of it, especially the parts where he talks about addressing God, and the six seismic shifts of prayer. Oh, and God's laughter. That was cool.
3.5 stars, just because it wasn't quite as in-depth as I wanted/was expecting, I guess. :) Rounded up to 4, though.
3.5 stars, just because it wasn't quite as in-depth as I wanted/was expecting, I guess. :) Rounded up to 4, though.
March 29, 2021
I think the strength of this book is Kelly’s simple writing style. He is good at repeating points and writing clearly. I think this book would be a helpful read for someone exploring prayer for the first time or as a starting point for a larger discussion. As an independent read, I found it to be mediocre.
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