Do you sometimes feel stuck or in a slump with church, God, or religion? For me, an inspiring read will kind of snap me out of it and help me focus on the more important things in life. (And remind me that the next life is where our real home is.) Here is a short list of books that will strengthen your faith and inspire you. These books are from different genres and styles, but all are 100% difficult to put down.
1. Something Beautiful for God by Malcolm Muggeridge
Malcolm Muggeridge made Mother Theresa famous by doing an interview of her and her ministry for the BBC back in 1969. Muggeridge was an agnostic at the time. I always thought of Mother Theresa as a great example of a person who walks by faith. She reflects someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit and wholly gave their life away in service to others. And not just others, but those totally forgotten, dying, and literally thrown away. In a place where the poorest of the poor have no one, they have the Sisters of Charity shining a light in a dark place. The experience he had with her and her ministry changed him and eventually, he came to faith in Christ.
“All that you have and all that you are and all that you can be and do — let it all be for Him and Him alone. Today what is happening in the surface of the Church will pass. For Christ, the Church is the same, today, yesterday, and tomorrow. The Apostles went through the same feeling of fear and distrust, failure and disloyalty, and yet Christ did not scold them.” Mother Theresa in a letter to Malcolm Muggeridge.
2. 7 Men and 7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
Eric Metaxas is one of my favorite modern authors. If you enjoy biographies, go ahead and read all of his books. This book is a collection of short biographies of different men and women who changed the world, through their faith. Some of the men are George Washington, Eric Liddell, Jackie Robinson, and William Wilberforce. The women include Joan of Arc, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Theresa. All of the stories are very inspiring and gave me a glimpse into the history of when these stories took place. He also has full-length biographies on Martin Luther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, both are very long but definitely worth reading.
3. Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
I recently read this book, and can’t believe I wasn’t made to read this in high school. This is a classic, an allegory about a Christian pilgrim on his way to the “Celestial City”. It was originally written in the 1600s but is still easy to read today, and applicable to modern Christians. Follow “Christian” (the main character) on the narrow path and see what obstacles and temptations he faces along the way. This book is cleverly and beautifully written. It’s a story in poem form, but still easy to follow. I had never read a book like this before, it’s truly one-of-a-kind in its style. There is also an illustrated kid’s version of Pilgrim’s Progress which I read with my son, and he loved it as well.
4. The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
This is a short book by Tim Keller. I looked at the parable of the Prodigal Son in a whole new light after reading this. The parable is more about God and His character, and the older brother, than it is about his wayward son. In fact, the older son represents Jesus’ target audience as this parable was directed to the Pharisees. This story embodies the entirety of the gospel message.
5. God is Red by Liao Yiwu
Interestingly, the author of this book is not a Christian, but he wanted to tell of the history of how Christianity came about in China and how it became their own religion, (versus an imposed Western kind). Liao travels to remote regions of China to interview Christians from the older generation. They tell of life pre- and post-Mao Zedong’s regime. Some of these stories are quite harrowing. The latter part of the book is interviews with the younger generation and how they practice their faith within the communist structure in place currently.
This book is banned in China and the author has won numerous awards for his writing, some of which he couldn’t accept because at the time he was unable to leave the country. This book made me realize that we have it so easy here in the United States, and we take our religious freedom for granted. Those in other countries deal with real persecution for their beliefs, even today.
6. Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill
This is an intense read, not for the faint of heart. If you’re a Christian who really needs a wake-up call to pray and be serious about your faith, this is it. This is an older book with a very direct style, think of the author as a prophet called to wake up those who are spiritually asleep.
“Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few prayers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.” Leonard Ravenhill
Read more inspiring Leonard Ravenhill Quotes
7. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
Nabeel Qureshi was a Christian apologist who wrote a book on how he came to faith and his life journey from Islam to Christianity. But even more than that, it is also an apologetic book contrasting Christianity and Islam. After reading this book, I learned a lot about the religion of Islam that I never knew before, and what life is like for Muslims growing up in the United States. Nabeel mentioned how he felt lonely growing up: too Muslim for his American friends, and too Westernized for those in his Muslim community.
Additionally, reading this book made me more aware of how much Muslims stand to give up if they convert to Christianity. They give up their family, their community, and possibly even their life. It’s a risk that I certainly never had to think twice about in my own life.
Nabeel Qureshi passed away from stomach cancer but left behind this gem of a book. Learning about other religions always affirms my own faith in Christ.
8. Why the Universe Is the Way It Is by Hugh Ross
This one is for all the science nerds. I enjoy science and this book is way above my head (as I’m not an astrophysicist). He goes into the design of the universe, black matter, and the measurement of time in light years. These are things I had never really studied before. And he succeeds in making such a difficult topic relatable to everyday readers.
Hugh Ross was an agnostic before becoming Christian and grew up with no Christian influence in Canada. While he was working on his Ph.D. on the origins of the universe, he looked into what all the different holy books said regarding the origins of the universe, and once he saw how Genesis confirmed what he had been studying, he decided to become a Christian.
His website https://reasons.org is great if you or anyone you know has deep science questions and is looking for answers.
I’ve read all of these books once, and all of them are worth a re-read. I hope these books strengthen your faith and inspire you.
I’m always looking for some good recommendations. What are some of your favorite books to strengthen your faith?
Related: The Radical, Counter-Cultural Way Jesus Treated Women
