This book will help you see your relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a whole new way. I have always felt like my relationship with the trinity was passive but this book has helped me to see it as an active. The in depth review of Psalm 91 provided the insight and guidance to accelerate my relationship with the trinity and how to combat evil on a daily basis. One line really struck me: “Being safe and feeling safe are not the same thing.” That hit hard. I felt so convicted… and then relieved… and then empowered to take action. The deep dive into Psalm 91 gave me insight I didn’t know I needed. The morning and evening prayers became a lifeline. If you’re walking through a hard season and wondering where God is in it read this. It gave me the boldness to pray like I actually believe He’s near. Because He is.

Fantastic read and perspective to reflect on my daily life and outlook. This book reframed how I think about my approach and look at the world.

An insightful read. It was very interesting to read someone else’s thoughts and opinions on religion and our relationship with God. Feel like it created more questions for me but I think the fact that it was thought provoking was probably the point!

This book offers a fresh and thoughtful look at deepening your relationship with Jesus. John Eldredge writes in a way that’s both honest and encouraging, with practical ideas to help you connect with God in everyday life.

I especially loved the pause pages, they gave me space to slow down and actually sit with what I was reading. One verse that kept echoing in my heart while reading was: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2). That kind of steady, unshakable refuge is exactly what this book reminds us to return to.

There was a small formatting glitch on my Kindle, but it worked fine on my computer.

Some parts felt a bit slow or heavy, but overall, it’s a meaningful read that helped me pause and refocus on what really matters spiritually.

Definitely worth picking up if you’re looking for a guide to deepen your faith.

This book was incredibly helpful and encouraging. I am ordering a physical copy to reference daily. We live in a world where our 24x7 access to information has turned us into Disciples of the Internet. (Ooof. But so true.) The author gently speaks truth and shines a light on our hearts, and encourages us to anchor our gaze on Christ and God, calling on the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer. He teaches us how to commune with Jesus through prayer and seeking God. The example prayers sprinkled through out the book helped calm my thoughts and mind.

Outstanding book that I will be gifting to my community and friends. Thank you to #NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review an ARC.

This book offers a fresh perspective to a common problem in Christianity. Information feels like salvation but is seductive in the midst of rising anxiety disorders. We have become disciples of the internet. I have read other books by this author and I love how his writing is thorough and deep. Lots of included prayers to use.

Some of my favorites:
-Trauma can help us understand stories in the Gospels.
-Turn to Jesus. The heart turns first and the body follows.
-Our obsession with the practical is an attempt to get control over the mystery.
-There is no neutral. Silence demons with truth.
-Hatred has become so rampant that we must be radical with our forgiveness.
-Do not choose relief over God.

I received this book as a digital pre-release and dived in. A handful of chapters in I would say that it was impactful and gave me a lot to think about, but the version I received hadn't been fully formatted yet and I found it hard to read, causing me to lag behind in my reading.* So, I recently bought the hardback and started over. I know enough to know it's a book worth owning. I'm not to the end yet. I'm taking the slow and steady pace the author recommends, but I want to tell you about the book before we get too far from the release date.

Even re-reading the early chapters a second time has given me a lot to think about.

The way Eldredge describes how we have become disciples of the internet is spot on, even for people like me who try hard to avoid screens as much as humanly possible these days. There is no escaping how the world we live in is shaping us, but there is hope.

The theme of friendship with God and the expectation of real and expectant relationship with the Trinity is a topic that is near to my heart. And while I'm comfortable diving into the writings of early believers who often wrote about these things, Eldredge has taken the heart of the matter and made it accessible to the modern reader. He engages with the Scripture and challenges the reader with the reality that refuge can be found. In fact, refuge must be found if we are to experience the communion that the death, burial and resurrection of Christ offers to us.

There is so much that is good and helpful for faith and hope in Jesus in these pages and I haven't even reached the end yet. I think this book could be life-changing to those who will really consider its words.


*(I'm sure that the formatting issues from the unpublished version have been fixed in the published digital version. I just decided I wanted to purchase the hard copy instead.)

I really enjoyed this book! There was a healthy balance of Biblical wisdom mixed with conviction from the Holy Spirit that was so needed for me right now. I loved how the author, Eldredge, was not afraid to step on some toes when he shared things like how followers of Jesus should be truly experiencing a deep relationship with Him and encounter Him personally. Eldredge talked about spiritual warfare, inner healing, importance of prayer, and cleansing with the Blood of Jesus. All of it was spoken of in such an authentic and digestible way. I found myself just screenshotting pages for future reference because of the gold I was finding. Interestingly enough, it's not new knowledge [because everything was taken and learned from the Bible], but he simply showed readers what we often miss in passages or what a relationship with Jesus is like.... Jesus is the prize and He offers us a deeper connection than what this Western church has taught us to expect. Essentially, we need to stop letting things of this World take our attention from the One who breathed life into us and wants to commune with us!


Just some quotes from the book that made me pause for a bit:

"The secret place of God is his heart, and we are invited to take refuge there! What privilege, what intimacy, what joy!
Trailing clouds of glory you came from the heart of God, and you can return to his heart. This is the truest and greatest homecoming of all. The presence of God-Father, Son, Holy Spirit-and the vast resources of his Kingdom are always nearby. But we do need to make conscious choices to take our refuge in God and his Kingdom. Otherwise we are taking refuge somewhere else." pg 27

"The refuge of God and his Kingdom is only for those who choose to take part in it. This fact is so irritating to human nature. We just want to get on with our life and have God cover us. That's not quite how things work." pg 43

"The World as we envision it-society, culture, commerce, the arts-is under the power of the evil one, meaning it is under his jurisdiction, his rule, his sway. Which means this world that we so often perceive as relatively neutral is actually an extension of the kingdom of darkness. This reality is truly disruptive, even for many followers of Jesus." pg 49

"...our participation in the refuge is required, and this includes using the mighty victory of Christ against the assaults of the enemy. The refuge is there; the victory is there. Our role is to enforce it, with force." pg 91

"When spiritual warfare is present, you cannot talk your way out of it. You must shut it down." pg 103

"The treasure is Jesus himself, and our Papa, and the Holy Spirit." pg 213

"Saint John of the Cross will tell you why: 'The devil fears a soul in union with God as he fears God himself.' ... Satan is perfectly happy to let the Church talk about God, teach about God, scold in the name of God. What he fears are men and women actually coming to God, cultivating deep intimacy and union with Christ." page 214

"Of course your Father is a good Papa, and he loves to bless his children. Absolutely.
But there comes a time in your life with him that you will have to choose God over everything else... for the rest of your life." pg 219


Thank you to Nelson Books via NetGalley a copy of this book. A positive review is not required & all opinions are my own.

The title is PERFECTION for this book. It is such a great layout of the intimate relationship that desire with the Lord. Experience Jesus is a desire that will never stop. I read this book twice and I was able to highlight so many things the 2nd time that I missed the 1st time. Experiencing Jesus is soemthing we never should stop achieving. Being able to have someone with so much wisdom given by God, help our walks!

In our present age, we're used to instant access to information. Social media gives us a high of connectedness. We are addicted to distraction and busyness. Author John Eldredge would call us "disciples of the internet." But all this comes at a cost. Have we traded deep spiritual connection with the Creator for a cheapened version of fulfillment? How can we access the ever present God when we live in a world of skeptical pragmatism?

Eldredge awakens his reader to the reality of God's nearness and how we can become more aware of Him. He explores the idea of modern mystics, those who seek to live close connection with the Father, while still living in our 21st century world. And he hopes to answer how can we return to this deep communion with God despite the distractions that are all around us.

I really enjoyed this one. Eldredge breaks down what it looks like to be in such intimate relationship that we find complete fulfillment. He highlights the need to return to the Lord again and again in order to keep us centered and living in true purpose. Some of my favorite quotes from this book include:
You are a disciple of the systems that tutors you, where you turn on a daily basis for guidance on living.
But now, when you turn to Jesus and you are not answered in the way the Internet answers, you feel he isn't listening or that you can't hear from him. You sadly believe the two of you are distant from one another, because your soul has been programmed for immediate responses. The notion of lingering before God doesn't fit with the pace we've come to expect. That's one example, but the effects of Internet discipleship go far, far deeper.
Friends- we need daily encounters with Jesus; that is what we are after. Nothing else will address the human condition.
When we understand mysticism as simply the daily experience of God and His Kingdom, we can say that mysticism is the normal Christian life. Which is to say, it is human existence put back on track. This is what Eve and Adam enjoyed, and it is central to God's restoration of humanity.
Our being can actually take refuge within the begin of God. We can experience being surrounded with the presence of God and His mighty kingdom in the same way you can jump into the ocean.
And that's just the tip of the very beginning of this book. It is FULL of practical wisdom and encouragement, leading the reader into a deeper communion with our Lord. I can't wait to read it again.

*Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is another excellent book by John Eldredge. If you've read any of his relatively recent books there is some common ground covered but what is extra special with this one is Eldredge shares with us his many years of research of the mystics.

For some people, the term mystics is a scary term but as Eldredge points out all the people who have had that label applied to them is simply as a result of having had a personal experience of God. It's not just head knowledge but have somehow experienced God in a way that has led them to surrender their lives to Him.

Accordingly, such a label is attributable to all of us, 'ordinary mystics' if we desire such an experience of our triune God.

This books covers many things but it's underpinned by the notion that as result of the internet we have all become disciples of it. We are used to always having the answers readily at hand, a few clicks or scrolls away. However, a life with God involves mystery, a willingness to 'move comfortably between the seen and unseen, the material and the spiritual and to derive our well-being through the nourishment that both parts of God's kingdom provides." (p216)

Scripturally sound, references to many other sources including people whom Eldredge has witnessed experience the mystical, this is a wonderful guide to learning how to abide with God as Jesus prays for us. Like many of his earlier books, Eldredge shares many prayers that he and his team have drafted and use everyday which I've always found a tremendous add-on to his books.

I was very fortunate to receive an early ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley knowing the paperback copy wouldn't be available in Australia until June. This has had no bearing on my review and I look forward to reading it again once that copy lands Down Under in a couple of months along with the Study Guide which I've purchased as well.

I have read several books of John Eldredge and each of his books has encouraged me in my faith.
John Eldredge on Experience Jesus really encourages you to go deeper in a vivid relationship with Jesus. He encourages the readers to have a "mystical" relationship with Jesus.
Totally love it

I received a complimentary copy and this review is completely my own.
I loved this book and it was so encouraging. It will be one to reread in the future.

This is a book that some Christians will love, some will hate, and some will be bewildered by it. And I think Eldredge will be happy with that. He promotes a mystical experience with Jesus that will resonate with some deeply. It will also repel some believers who are either not ready to experience this or just refuse to believe in anything mystical in this life. I found the book to be extremely challenging on multiple levels. However, I also found it helpful to deepen my own prayer life with tremendous benefits when applied. Don't just read the book, take time to really digest it and begin the process of application. Your soul will be glad you did.

Honestly I didn’t enjoy Experience Jesus. Really By John Eldredge like I thought I would. There was something lacking to me. I’ve heard that he’s a great writer, maybe I’m missing something?

As I was perusing new releases on NetGalley I was intrigued by John Eldridge's latest book. What believer doesn't want to experience more of Jesus more authentically, after all? I've read one of Eldridge's earlier and found it impactful in my prayer life and spiritual journey. I hoped for the same from this book, and while that may yet be the case, I do have a few hesitations.

First, at the onset of the book, Eldridge mentions the difficulties believers might have in connecting with Jesus due to our high connection to the interwebs/apps/technology and while I wholeheartedly agree with this, I expected that to be a theme running through the book with, perhaps, suggestions on disconnecting so one can reconnect with Almighty God. That was not the case although there were a few passing mentions throughout the rest of the narrative.

Next, Christian mysticism. For many, this is quite a foreign concept in their spirituality. I did appreciate Eldridge's gentle introduction to this idea and how a continuously flowing connection with God is both beneficial and frankly the goal of the Christian life, however towards the last third of the book, things got a little too "woo-woo" for me. Eldridge is without a doubt a passionate individual in terms of his realtionship with Christ, but some of his ideas may feel a little challenging for some readers.

All that said, what I appreciate about Eldridge through all his books is the way he models his personal prayer life. He puts it all out there which for many can be helpful. A prayerful life can be challenging and, more than anything, most who pray desire a deep connection with their God. While one may not agree with or connect with all of the concepts presented here, Eldridge provides a powerful prayer resource for anyone looking to enhance their prayer life.

This book is a must-read for anyone longing to break free from stale, surface-level faith and step into a real relationship with Jesus. While some elements may not connect with all readers, Eldredge offers powerful, practical guidance for those willing to take the journey.

Recommended for:
✔️ Christians who feel spiritually stuck
✔️ Those seeking a deeper, personal experience of Jesus
✔️ Anyone longing for more than routine religion

If you’re looking for encouragement, practical tools, and a fresh perspective on faith, Experience Jesus. Really. is a book worth reading.

Full Review at https://www.thejoyousliving.com/john-eldredge-experience-jesus-really/

ohn Eldredge has an uncanny ability to articulate the deep longing of the human soul, and Experience Jesus Really is no exception. This book is more than just words on a page—it’s an invitation. Eldredge doesn’t just talk about Jesus in theory; he guides readers into an active, ongoing relationship with Him in a way that feels tangible, personal, and deeply transformative.

What sets this book apart is its practicality. It’s not just about knowing more about Jesus—it’s about encountering Him in everyday life. Eldredge offers simple yet profound ways to tune our hearts to His presence, breaking down the barriers that often keep us at a distance. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your faith or like you’re going through the motions, this book will breathe fresh life into your walk with Christ. Highly recommend for anyone longing for a real, personal, and experiential faith.

In the book Experience Jesus. Really, author John Eldredge, writes about spiritual formation and how our internet driven society is teaching us we don’t have to wait. Eldredge writes: “we are, all of us, Disciples of the Internet…. You are a disciple of the system that tutors you, where you turn on a daily basis for guidance on living. For most people, that makes them Disciples of the Internet, even if they call themselves disciples of Christ. If you have a question, you go look it up—new developments for children with ADHD; how often normal married couples have sex; memory care for aging parents; the proper temperature to bake a potato. We do this all day, every day. However, I’m not referring to whatever content it is you search for online. I’m talking about what we have learned from years of the process itself. For one thing, the Internet has discipled your soul to expect immediate answers. You inquire and you are answered— immediately. Three million results in 0.003 seconds; there is no waiting. The saints of ages past would be aghast at that. Waiting was considered formational for the soul. They planted crops in the spring and harvested in the fall; there was no rushing things. If you wanted something from the market, you walked there and then you walked back, moving at a pace of about three miles an hour. But now, when you turn to Jesus and you are not answered in the way the Internet answers, you feel he isn’t listening or that you can’t hear from him. You sadly believe the two of you are distant from one another, because your soul has been programmed for immediate responses. The notion of lingering before God doesn’t fit with the pace we’ve come to expect….”
Eldredge writes that we need to regain a “holy mysticism” or “Christian mysticism, which…. is simply the regular experience of the one true God as revealed in Jesus Christ….”
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. Eldredge challenges us to communion with Christ and capture the wonder of the relationship. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have long adored John Eldredge's books and always jump at the chance to read the latest and greatest. So, when I spotted this one on NetGalley, I requested it straightaway. This was not my favorite book of his, but it was still a good read. The intro where he spelled out how we are disciples of the internet (the expectation of immediate information) and how that impacts our spirituality, I was nodding my head and craving more. And I enjoyed the ongoing reference to Psalm 91, a Psalm of refuge. I know that some reviewers have taken issue with the terminology of Christian mystic, which was not my struggle. I followed along with that train of thought when Eldredge defined mystic as someone who does not require understanding all things and allowing God to be a bit of a mystery. I think that if God is God, He should not be able to be fully understood by our finite minds and I believe that is the point that was made here. I lost focus in some of the details surrounding the mysticism, however. Nonetheless, this book was packed full of tools to use to help with one's prayer life, working through trauma and overall seeking to encounter Jesus regularly. Though the exact wording of the prayers felt a bit uncomfortable to me, I recognize the need to alter my prayer life and hope to use some of the pattern provided in this book. If you are looking for the means of coming to see Jesus in a more concrete way and seeking refuge in God, this is the book for you. Special thanks to Nelson Books and Netgalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.