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- Title: How I Know God Answers Prayer
- Author: Rosalind Goforth
- Narrator: Fiddlesticks
- Length: 02:59:06
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/12/2016
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Religion & Spirituality, Christianity
- ISBN13: SABLIB9787348
There’s something profoundly intimate about listening to testimonies of faith while traveling. I remember driving through the winding roads of rural Guatemala years ago, passing colorful roadside shrines where locals would pause for prayer, their devotion as much a part of the landscape as the volcanic peaks. It’s this memory that came flooding back as I listened to Fiddlesticks narrate Rosalind Goforth’s ‘How I Know God Answers Prayer’ – a work that feels less like a book and more like sitting at the kitchen table with a wise missionary grandmother.
The audiobook experience begins with Fiddlesticks’ unassuming yet compelling narration. There’s a quiet authenticity to their delivery that perfectly matches Goforth’s straightforward prose. Unlike some religious audiobooks that lean into dramatic performance, this narration feels like someone reading aloud from a well-worn journal – complete with occasional pauses that make you imagine the narrator turning pages. The audio quality maintains LibriVox’s characteristic humble clarity, though listeners accustomed to studio productions might notice the occasional ambient sound.
Goforth’s account of her missionary years in China unfolds like a tapestry of faith woven through daily life. What struck me most was how her stories of divine intervention – from miraculous provisions to protected journeys – never feel grandiose. They’re told with the matter-of-fact tone of someone recounting how they found the last good avocado at the market. This grounded approach makes her extraordinary experiences feel accessible, even to those whose spiritual journeys look different.
As a travel writer, I was particularly drawn to her descriptions of turn-of-the-century China. When she writes about praying for safe passage during the Boxer Rebellion, I could vividly imagine the landscape – not through elaborate description, but through the emotional truth of her fear and faith. It reminded me of listening to elderly locals in Mexico describe their own survival stories; the details might differ, but that universal human note of resilience rings equally true.
The book’s structure follows what I’d call ‘faith milestones’ – pivotal moments where prayer intersected with her family’s survival, ministry challenges, and personal growth. Some standout sections include her account of praying for her children’s health during epidemics (which brought to mind mothers I’ve met in clinics from Nepal to Nicaragua) and the beautiful simplicity of her ‘unanswered prayers’ chapter – a perspective I wish more spiritual memoirs would explore.
Fiddlesticks’ narration shines brightest in these reflective passages. There’s a particular moment when describing a seemingly unanswered prayer where their voice takes on this wonderful, weathered quality – not sad, but deeply knowing. It captures perfectly what I’ve heard in the voices of Tibetan monks and Appalachian preachers alike: that hard-won wisdom that comes from walking a path of faith through both light and shadow.
Critically, the audiobook does show its age in places. Some theological perspectives and cultural depictions reflect early 20th-century missionary views that modern listeners might find dated. The audio version might have benefited from a brief historical preface to contextualize these aspects. Additionally, while the episodic structure works well for devotional listening, those seeking deep theological analysis might find it leans more toward personal anecdote than doctrinal discussion.
Compared to similar missionary audiobooks like Amy Carmichael’s or Hudson Taylor’s works, Goforth’s stands out for its domestic focus. Where others often highlight dramatic conversions or cultural clashes, she finds the sacred in sickbed vigils and financial worries – the universal struggles that bind humanity across time and place. It’s this quality that makes the audiobook feel surprisingly contemporary, despite its age.
For potential listeners, I’d recommend this especially for:
– Commuters wanting meaningful reflection to start or end their day
– Those experiencing their own ‘mission fields’ (whether literal or metaphorical)
– Anyone who appreciates first-person historical accounts
– Spiritual seekers who prefer story over sermon
As the final chapter closed, I found myself sitting quietly – much like after those storytelling evenings in Oaxaca – letting the words settle into my bones. There’s a particular magic when voice, content, and listener’s life experience intersect just so, and this humble audiobook achieved that alchemy for me.
As the road always teaches me, the most profound journeys often come in unexpected packages. Whether you download this free audiobook for spiritual nourishment, historical interest, or simply to hear one woman’s extraordinary ordinary life, may it meet you where you are – perhaps, as Goforth might say, exactly as it was meant to. Until our paths cross again, keep listening – to stories, to the world, and to whatever voice you call divine. – Marcus
Marcus Rivera
