When God Whispers Your Name

by Max Lucado

A beautiful book that helps us realize the spiritual life we have and know God's plan for us.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Religion, Spirituality, Christianity, Faith

Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

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

[Emma.catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.’ - John 10:3

This is a book of hope ✨

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love Max’s writing style in every book I have read of his. He perfectly captures the reality of life whilst staying grounded in God’s presence. He shares a beautiful balance between funny, every day stories and more serious situations. He even says himself ‘Here’s a salute to one liners… cut the fat and keep the fact. Give us words to chew on not words to wade through. Thoughts that spark, not lines that drag… Concise. Clear. Vivid….’ - that is exactly what I like to read! So here’s a few one liners I would like to share with you from this book:

‘God forgets the past. Imitate him.’
‘Don’t ask God to do what you want. Ask God to do what is right.’
‘You’ll give up on yourself before God will’
‘No one is useless to God. No one.’
‘Faith is trusting what the eye can’t see.’

Max reminds us that in the Bible and in the circumstances of your life, ‘God whispers your name lovingly. Tenderly. Patiently but persistently.’ He presents us with a multitude of stories to remind us of the God who knows your name. Some of the stories are from the Bible. Some are drawn from everyday life.

Each chapter in this book tells of a different story. One of my favourites is called The Choice. What do you choose daily? In this chapter, Max reminds us that in the midst of busy, everyday life, we must make a choice of how these hours will go. ‘I choose love…I choose joy…I choose peace…I choose patience…I choose kindness…I choose goodness…I choose faithfulness…I choose gentleness…I choose self-control…and when the day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.’ All the while reminding us to commit to these qualities daily but knowing, if we fail, we always have God’s grace.

In my honest opinion, this isn’t my favourite one of his books. It felt a bit disjointed in places and the chapters didn’t flow smoothly from one to the next. It is definitely still worth reading and provides so much hope and other useful insights into Christianity but it just lacked something that his other books have. However, saying that, I did learn a lot from this book and was also, helpfully, reminded of things I knew but had forgotten.

No matter what life throws at us, if we listen carefully and pay close attention, we can hear God whispering our name. It might not be in the way we expect but listen to his gentle whisper and let it erase your doubt and sorrow. Let it bring you hope and love. You might even learn how to dream again…

“God’s power is very great for those who believe…power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead.” - Eph. 1:19-20

‘We wait to see the Father. And that will be enough.’

[As per Max’s usual standard he has provided a very insightful discussion guide at the end of the book. I have yet to complete this but complete it I shall. It provides points to ponder and wisdom from the Word]


🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never read a Max Lucado book, but I know that his books are very popular. I found this book at a yard sale for $2.00. The title is what really caught my attention. When you use a title like, When God Whispers Your Name, the author should really deliver on the content. Unfortunately, this book was a huge let-down for me. I took away nothing from it.

I think a more appropriate title would have been, Random musings from Max Lucado, because that's what the content of this book was. The readers get to know what Max Lucado is thinking when he's cutting the grass, taking a shower, Christmas shopping, and random everyday tasks. Honestly, I don't care. I'm not invested in this man enough to care what he's thinking about during his day.

Another portion of the book includes modernized bible stories. Mr. Lucado decided to put random thoughts into biblical characters according to what he thought they may be thinking during that time. The key word in this is "hypothetical".

To me, there was no substance to this book. It is a lot of random thoughts from the author and rearranging biblical stories to fit his narrative. Not a hit for me. 👎 I would have loved to take away something profound from this, but sadly it did not happen.

*The last 11 pages of the book contained information on how to purchase other books by Max Lucado. The whole thing seemed very self-promotional. *

[Kellie O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book a few days, ago but this is the first chance I had to write my review!! It's such a lovely, beautiful and peaceful book!! I really enjoyed every second reading this and I re learned a lot of things that I knew, but haven't thought about for awhile. I also learned so many new things from a different perspective. If you have ever read a book by Max Lucacdo, you'll know how he mixes laughter with serious subjects and if you haven't read anything by him, please do!! 💞

" This is a book of hope. A book whose sole aim is to encourage."

I really love this and can identify with what Max says. He says that when he looks at a herd of sheep, all he sees is a herd of sheep. As many of you know, I work at a farm and we have sheep. I can tell only 3 of them apart, even though I know all their names. I really try, but they look so very similar. What does God see when He looks at us, His sheep? He sees this: " The Shepard knows his sheep. He knows each one of you. He knows your name. And he will never forget it. "'' I have written your name on my hand."' ( Isaiah 49:16) Isn't that wonderful news?!!! I believe it is!

I can say so much more about this book. And, as Max Lucacdo says, it truly is a book of hope and encouragement for everyone, no matter what you are going through in your life, please remember that God knows all about it! Take everything to Him! He's waiting for you and watching over you, especially when you think you're alone! He knows every emotion that you are feeling. Some chapters had me laughing out loud and others had tears running down my face. There's a chapter about " unsung heroes." You may know some in your life. It could be your neighbor, the janitor, your child's school teacher, the list is endless. Max points out that these people had no idea that they are heroes! So true! Also, it could be you.

I really love this book 📖! In closing, I want to include a few of my favorite quotes:

" No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him' (1 Corinthians 2:9)

" When Jesus went home, he left the front door open. "

" The best is yet to be.'"
" And so I urge you, don't give up.

" And so I plead, finish the journey.
" And so I exhort, be there,
" Be there when God whispers your name."

I've read many of his books and I love them all! I highly recommend this one and all of his books! You won't be disappointed!

Happy reading and enjoy! ✨💫🕊️🪅

[Allison Tebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting, down-to-earth, rational and refreshing.

Max Lucado's work is heart-changing, but they are gradual, gentle revelations - one barely notices the seeds being planted. A simple, humerus, humble HUMAN approach that is a true gift to read. Lucado gently relays truths about our Father that had me in tears more than once.

He truly is a good God - and by the end of it, i felt as if Max and I had had a conversation about Him - rejoicing in our Father and the endless joy of having God Whisper Our Name.


Highly recommended.

[Belindachaplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a lot of Max Lucado's books, and enjoyed every one, so when this one was available to review I decided to grab it. It is a collection of unrelated stories which weave together through the common theme that God cares for you, and wants to be closer to you and lead you, you just need to have faith in Him.

For example, the first story is of a man who used to be some kind of high-powered executive, but because he committed a big crime has been working as a humble janitor in a school the last 20 years. And then one day God comes to him and talks to him out of his mop bucket... Using this illustration to explain the story of Moses totally brought it alive for me. And using this modern day version, Max really brings it home how God does talk to us and even if we have to wait a long time for God to come through to use us: "God ain't finished with you yet"!

I took it slowly while reading, and I really enjoyed reading one story at a time, and contemplating on each story. It was very encouraging in my walk with the Lord. I was sorry to only discover that it actually has a study guide once I was already through the whole book - but I think that one day I will go back through each story and use the study guide to go even deeper than I have now.

If you are looking for a good devotional book with a lovely theme running through, then I highly recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Lucado book experience. I was intrigued by his Grace for the Moments devotional I am doing and picked up this book. Honestly I was sincerely disappointed! It was by no means revelatory, as what I look for in Christian non-fiction. I'm going to give Max the benefit of the doubt and hope not all his books are mashed up stories. I'd much rather read someones thoughts than a basic themed recollection of stories.

The stories weren't bad and didn't make for hard or boring reading, it was just not what I expected nor hoped for.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stuff I want to remember . . .

Or perhaps you’ve never seen your name honored. And you can’t remember when you heard it spoken with kindness. If so, it may be more difficult for you to believe that God knows your name. But he does. Written on his hand. Spoken by his mouth. Whispered by his lips. Your name. And not only the name you now have, but the name he has in store for you. A new name he will give you . . . but wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll tell you about your new name in the last chapter. This is just the introduction.

You have one, you know, a song all your own. Each of us does. The only question is, will you play it?

But more than a true story, it’s a common story. It’s a story of a derailed dream. It’s a story of high hopes colliding with harsh realities. Happens to all dreamers. And since all have dreamed, it happens to us all.

*************************************

• Nails didn’t hold God to a cross. Love did.
• You’ll give up on yourself before God will.
• Know answered prayer when you see it, and don’t give up when you don’t.
• Flattery is fancy dishonesty.
• The right heart with the wrong creed is better than the right creed with the wrong heart.
• We treat others as we perceive God is treating us.
• Sometimes the most godly thing we can do is take a day off.
• Faith in the future begets power in the present.
• No one is useless to God. No one.
• Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.
• You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.
• Succeed in what matters.
• You’ll regret opening your mouth. You’ll rarely regret keeping it shut.
• To see sin without grace is despair. To see grace without sin is arrogance. To see them in tandem is conversion.
• Faith is the grit in the soul that puts the dare into dreams.
• God doesn’t keep a clock.
• Never underestimate a gesture of affection.
• When Jesus went home, he left the front door open.
• And to sum it up: As soon as you can, pay your debts.
• As long as you can, give the benefit of the doubt.
• As much as you can, give thanks.
• He’s already given us more than we deserve.
• Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.
• Sacrilege is to feel guilt for sins forgiven.
• God forgets the past. Imitate him.
• Greed I’ve often regretted. Generosity—never.
• Never miss a chance to read a child a story.
• Pursue forgiveness, not innocence.
• Be doubly kind to the people who bring your food or park your car.

********************************

If money is the gauge of the heart, then this study revealed that money is on the heart of most Americans.

In exchange for ten million dollars:
• 25 percent would abandon their family.
• 25 percent would abandon their church.
• 23 percent would become a prostitute for a week.
• 16 percent would give up their American citizenship.
• 16 percent would leave their spouse.
• 13 percent would put their children up for adoption.

Even more revealing than what Americans would do for ten million dollars is that most would do something. Two-thirds of those polled would agree to at least one—some to several—of the options. The majority, in other words, would not leave the stage empty-handed. They would pay the price to own the wheelbarrow.

Greedy? I wanted to say. You’re building a hut in a swamp and you call it greed? But I didn’t say anything because he was right. Greed is relative.

Greed is not defined by what something costs objectively. It is measured by what it costs you.

*********************************

I sit a few feet from a man on death row. Jewish by birth. Tentmaker by trade. Apostle by calling. His days are marked.

I’m curious about what bolsters this man as he nears his execution. So I ask some questions.

• Do you have family, Paul? I have none.
• What about your health? My body is beaten and tired.
• What do you own? I have my parchments. My pen. A cloak.
• And your reputation? Well, it’s not much. I’m a heretic to some, a maverick to others.
• Do you have friends? I do, but even some of them have turned back.
• Any awards? Not on earth.

Then what do you have, Paul? No belongings. No family. Criticized by some. Mocked by others.
What do you have, Paul? What do you have that matters?

I sit back quietly and watch. Paul rolls his hand into a fist. He looks at it. I look at it.

What is he holding? What does he have?

He extends his hand so I can see. As I lean forward, he opens his fingers. I peer at his palm. It’s empty.

I have my faith. It’s all I have. But it’s all I need. I have kept the faith.

Paul leans back against the wall of his cell and smiles.

And I lean back against another and stare into the face of a man who has learned that there is more to life than meets the eye.

For that’s what faith is. Faith is trusting what the eye can’t see.

• Eyes see the prowling lion. Faith sees Daniel’s angel.
• Eyes see storms. Faith sees Noah’s rainbow.
• Eyes see giants. Faith sees Canaan.
• Your eyes see your faults. Your faith sees your Savior.
• Your eyes see your guilt. Your faith sees his blood.
• Your eyes see your grave.
• Your faith sees a city whose builder and maker is God.
• Your eyes look in the mirror and see a sinner, a failure, a promise-breaker.
• But by faith you look in the mirror and see a robed prodigal bearing the ring of grace on your finger and the kiss of your Father on your face.

[Jorrit Hazeleger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soms lees je iets op het juiste moment. En zo was het met dit kleine versleten dagboekje dat ik toevallig tegenkwam op onze zolder.

Dit boek is een koffer vol verhalen. Korte stukjes bemoediging en inspiratie geschreven door Max Lucado. Ik vond het mooi en verfrissend.

[Ivan Perdomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuando Dios susurra tu nombre, te hace sentir atrapado en una serie de incertidumbres en que preguntas porque a mi, y que estoy haciendo para que el decida llamarte a la mesa y compartir la vida eterna.

En este libro el Autor Max Lucado mediante un serie de anectodas de la vida diaria nos cuenta como por prejucios queremos definir cuando y cómo será la venida del Señor y si seremos capaces de reconocerlo, y porque aveces creeemos porque que El va a tener tiempo para cada uno de nosotros.

Muy buen libro, de facil lectura, que te atrapa por lo simple en que esta contado, pero por la fuerte sensación que provoca de que al final sabes que Dios te responde cuando con Fe confias en El.

[Vianessa Peña · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Tremendo libro! Primer libro que leo de Max Lucado y amé su estilo, sencillo, breve y conciso.
Me encanta la forma de narrar. Me siento parte. Siento que me escribió a mi, siento que me habla mi, y siento que susurra Vianessa en cada página...
Una joya!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never thought I'd say this about anything Max Lucado wrote, but I found this book hard to read. There was no...pattern. It was like he took his musings and threw it into a book.

[L8blmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This man has the ability, bordering on amazing, to relate Biblical stories of long ago to the present day and make them come to life. It's hard to relate to Moses, perhaps, but maybe you could relate to the former CEO of a huge company who killed a mugger and spent many years in hiding, working as a night janitor in the same building where he formerly presided at high-level meetings.

Not every piece of writing in this book struck me as brilliant, but there were some great moments to be sure. Portions are a bit dated now (it was published in 1994) but much of what he has written is timeless. Prior to this, I had only read Lucado's books for children, and once in a while I did get the feeling he still believed he was addressing a much younger reader, but not so much as to inhibit my enjoyment of the basic truths he shared.

[Alisha I · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is easy to read and filled with enjoyable stories. However, when I got the book, I wasn’t aware the stories/chapters would be isolated stories or unrelated vignettes. And although I enjoy each story I think the title is a little misleading as I anticipated stories that provided instances or examples of “God Whispering Your Name.” What I found instead was a book about faithful advice.

[Christopher Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Lucado book I ever read. It is by far my favorite of his.

[Erin Buice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished it, it is an amazing book. I can literally start at the beginning and read it again, right now. I will most definitely read it again! I felt God whisper my name, call out to me. I'm grieving the loss of my husband and hearing God in the pages of this book was so special to me.

[Érika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es simplemente espectacular, resume el amor de Dios por nosostro, enfatiza e. la necesidad de ver más allá y de llegar hasta el fin de su mano. Un libro hecho con pasión y amor!

[Deborah Turnmire · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When God Whispers Your Name" By: Max Lucado - Book Review
We have all been there at one point in time or another losing faith or possibly losing our way. For some of us it becomes gradually harder to find your way back to keeping the faith & staying on the right track with our christianity. What if I told you there was a book by the widely known Max Lucado, that could easily inspire you to do better, & to understand that there is hope even in the darkest corner? Well I am going to tell you just that! "When God Whispers Your Name" was a very compelling, inspiring peice of literature that, once I started reading, I just could not put down. With every single turn of the page Lucado had something else to say that just encouraged me to do better in my day to day life and also encouraged me to keep the faith & hope that no matter what is going on in my life that the "Man Upstairs" has a purpose for me. I may not always understand his purpose for my life, or I may not always comprehend just exactly what he has in store, but by reading this amazing book I soon learned that as long as I keep the will and strive to do my best, not only in life but within my faith as well, that everything will pan out.
"When God Whispers Your Name" is easily broken down into short chapters that are easy to digest and take in. Lucado did a wonderful job in teaching us all that GOD needs to be part of our lives everyday, not just when we wish to have him there. He teaches us that it is VITAL to keep your christianity strong, and after that, everything else will just seem to fall in place. I personally liked the fact that when reading this litterature, I did not feel as though I was being hounded or preached to. Rather, I felt like I was being sat down and told a story and with that story being encouraged to make a difference in the world that I live in.
I feel that Max maintained his main goal or purpose throughout the course of this book. He told many different stories, yes, but all were relevant to his point and were crucial to understand what he was trying to say. With each one that he told, it seemed to play a major role in my understanding of how GOD works miracles in lives & how easy it is to be a better person when your focused on becoming one with GOD not trying to please the rest of the world. I feel that this particular peice should be a part of everyones collection. It was very well written, the points were easy to understand & it was very inspiring!
"Do you find it hard to believe that the One who made everything keeps your name on His heart and on His lips? Did you realize that your name is written on the hand of God (Is. 49:16)?" Excerpt from "When God Whispers Your Name".

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Lucado's ability to talk about figures and stories and concepts in the Bible and discuss them in modern terms. The janitor who used to run the head office - why that's not so different from Moses's story now, is it? Paul wasn't much as far as heroes go, was he? Died with just a few letters to his name. But those letters, written to encourage the churches in their infancy in Ephesus, Thessalonica, Phillipi, will be read in every language for thousands of years to come. What a pleasure to read this small gem and its essays and insights.

Quotes to remember:

We seldom see history in the making, and we seldom recognize heroes. Which is just as well, for if we knew either, we might mess up both.

I've never been surprised by God's judgement, but I'm still stunned by his grace.

[D. J. Arévalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of stories that remind you about God calling your name. It’s a simple concept but the ideology of the nature of God as a Father, is a profound leap your heart must take. And this book does just that.

This was a book I read that was part of a 3-in-1 collection of Max Lucado books. I read through this when I was a freshman in college during my middle-of-the-night-feedings for our first born. I would feed him at around 2am every night and then read through all three books out loud to him, this book being one of them. It was a gentle reminder of a powerful God. And a timely message for me as a new father to our first born of the Heavenly Father. Max’s writing style has really influenced my own writing because it is so relatable and approachable that it feels as though a he is writing directly to you.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, easy to read book that will build up your spirits. It's good-natured and positive, reaffirming the spirit of a Christian reader who needs help as they take the walk. You don't have to fear that you will get behind and have trouble picking this book up if you haven't read it in a while. It is written as self-contained chapters that can be picked up and read on a casual basis. Highly recommended for the Christian in need of uplifting, faith-affirming, and positive inspirational reading.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't read anything by Max Lucado in years, and I had a hard time getting into this. He has so many good things to say, and I think his teaching is solid, but his writing is a little choppy for me. I imagine he's a good speaker, because he gets to the point quickly and uses lots of illustrations. Just not my style of literature.

[Matthew Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a simple read with a good number of truths. For being a religious book it lacked in the area of Biblical support. The author was confusing with the use of multiple Bible versions when scripture was used. I was not overly impressed with the writing.

[Peggy Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marking a Max Lucado book as read is difficult because they call you back, again and again, to inhale God's Spirit and listen for the wisdom contain in a Lucado book. Simple, yet complex. Rich in images and examples. When God Whispers Your Name is a must-read.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max always have a way of using humor with his story telling as they relate to the Word. I seem to retain his message better through this concept.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each chapter is an individual story. Was ok-didn't light me up.

[Alyssa Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the uplift I needed.

[Morgan]

A quick and encouraging read! My favorite chapter was "The Choice" about the choices we make to bear the fruits of the Spirit.

[Cathy Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a uplifting easy read. He gives down to earth & inviting simplistic stories throughout.

[Jeremy Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading this once before, but as I came to read it again I found I couldn't remember much about it. Now that I've finished this second read I can understand why I haven't remembered too much. It's not that When God Whispers Your Name is a bad book, it just winds up being a fairly average one.

The book is written with a focus on giving people hope. Particularly hope to keep their faith and understand that God knows them, loves them, and is there for them. This is done by presenting a number of rather unrelated personal stories, illustrations, and modern retellings of Bible stories. This has some mixed results.

The good is that it is a fairly light read. There are a number of chapters where the stories he tells or retells wind up being quite memorable. Like the placing Moses in a modern setting as a janitor in a law office like one he worked at before and sees God show up not in a burning bush, but a burning janitors bucket. His chapter about the cricket while he was trying to write was also a good one. Lucado's book also maintains a rather upbeat, encouraging tone which would seem to be helpful for those in need of hope.

The downside is that for every story or illustration that works, there are ones that fall flat. Stories that don't connect to his topic as good as they could or just seem a bit too forced. Even some of his retellings don't work after a point, they're still interesting but some of the details just don't carry over in a convincing way.

I also feel that as the book gets to the end he really starts leaning on the hope for heaven and how we're not meant for this world, but for heaven. This isn't an uncommon sentiment, but one I don't really agree with. After all God is said to have created us on Earth. Of course things went awry with sin and everything, but that affected our relationship with God, not our location. We weren't meant for heaven, we were meant for God and Lucado while acknowledging that in some places also seems to focus a bit too much on heaven in my opinion.

So overall I felt that When God Whispers Your Name was a fairly average book. It has good chapters and bad chapters. It doesn't really have a strong theme, but the upbeat and positive message of hope still comes through. It maybe also falls into some of the traps of popular Christian views on things (like too much of a focus on heaven), but he also does try to get us to focus on God and our ultimate need for him. Not a book I'd go out of my way to recommend, but certainly not one I'd say you'd need to avoid either.

[Dustin Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read short read. There was a couple of things I took away from this book.

The first is my favortie, and that is the chaper about Jesus going to parties. First Jesus was invited, which implies he was liked and probably was fun to hang around. He mentions that Jesus went to the wedding to simply have fun. He was in the desert for 40 days, dealt with the devil and many other situations that warrant a rest and a good time. This is an angle I have never heard or thought about.

Next, is the chapter "You might have been in the Bible". The idea of this chapter is that you do not know if what you do for the Lord can turn into something so amazing that it is written in a book and told for 1000's of years. When you witness to somebody or invite someone to church you do not know if that person could end up being a pastor , missionary or a United States Senator. When Philip witnesses to the Ethiopian he did not know that that person would take the Gospel to Africa and spread the good news. Doing what God says is important for obedience and also because you do not know what God will do with your obedience.

"The God who fights for you" also stands out. Both illustrations used were stories where Moses and King Jehosaphat were in a battle. Both times they had to stand still and wait for the Lord to work. Both instances gave God the glory while Moses and Jehosaphat received none. Listening and waiting on the Lord is simple, but extremely difficult in practice.