Many of us aspire to write books that change lives. There’s no better reason to write. And if you ask a writer to name a book that changed his or her life, you’re likely to get a quick—and informative—answer. So, I asked some writer friends to name the book (in addition to the Bible) that changed their lives. Here are some of their responses:
My mindset changed once I read Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind and discussed it in my Bible study group. This book taught me to capture the enemy’s deceptive lies and bring those thoughts to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I even cite how to do this in my book Christian Study Guide for 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates (Susan Neal).
Two novels significantly impacted my life, each awakening my heart to keeping my eyes on the unseen, to the ministry of prayer, to the suffering of the persecuted church, and to the power of one life surrendered to Jesus. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti and Safely Home by Randy Alcorn so deeply affected me, their themes are evident in my nonfiction writing and the daily ministry of my words both written and spoken (Lori Stanley Roeleveld).
Shortly after my husband died, a friend gifted me a book that, while not written expressly to address grief, presented God’s love in a most intimate way. The subtitle of The Perfect Love by Ruth Myers says it all: Intensely Personal, Overflowing, Never Ending . . . (Ava Pennington).
The science of how things work has always fascinated me, especially the wonders of this vast universe we live in. Dr. Hugh Ross’s book Beyond the Cosmos broadly expanded my perspective of the greatness of our God and my awe of Him in His creative abilities (Scott Mohr).
As a third grader, fascinated by bows and arrows, The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, transported me to the forests of the Hudson River Valley and introduced me to my new hero, Hawkeye. Mrs. Hawkins, my favorite teacher, determined that a nine-year-old boy who read this classic had no business in third grade and catapulted me to fifth with Mrs. Phyfe. That vote of confidence and affirmation of my reading led me to be a writer and prolific reader. For that inspiration, I am eternally grateful (Austin Boyd).
When I was ten years old, My Side of the Mountain by Jean George inspired me like no other book. It sent me on a lifetime of seeking nature, including majoring in zoology in college and then later moving to more and more deeply rural areas. After retiring from a career in field biology, it’s no accident that my husband and I now live on a self-sufficient homestead in a remote mountainous area (Patrice Lewis).
The book that changed my life was Streams in the Desert, during a faith crisis. It identified doubt I was experiencing yet tried and true faith. Also, Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot, a book that is grounded in a world gone array (Brenda L. Yoder).
I’d read the Bible many times with different Bible reading plans. Then I encountered Bob Sorge’s Secrets of the Secret Place and wanted something more. Inspired by Bob’s suggestions in the book, I created my own Bible reading plan that I’ve been using since (Crystal Storms).
I was fresh out of college and enjoying a renewed faith, but I still felt like a failure. I was struggling with severe anxiety until one day, I stumbled across Claire Weekes’s amazing book, Hope and Help for Your Nerves. Her practical approach to understanding “nervous suffering” changed my life forever (Ann C. Sullivan).
In The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer focuses on several attributes of God, while reminding the reader that God’s attributes are inexhaustible. In reading and studying this book, I saw the majesty and holiness of God in a way that has affected me greatly. And what touches my heart the most is that our great and majestic God is small enough to live in my heart and walk with me daily (Kathleen Ruckman).
What about you? What book changed your life? Let us all know in the comments.
