The Best Christian Non-Fiction Books of 2019

I have read over 100 Christian non-fiction books this year, and these are my picks from the ones published in 2019. I’ve rounded them up based on how much they impacted my thinking or strengthened my faith. Here’s my list of 20 best picks, along with my top 10 most viewed posts of the year and other recaps.

Growing Forward

A hopeful read full of practical takeaways for women who feel heartbroken, disappointed, or frustrated in their seemingly hopeless situation. It brightened up the cloudy days of late winter for me, and I plan to reread it in 2020. If you are healing from a past hurt, Laurie Pawlik will affirm you and offer uplifting encouragement. Check out my full review of this great book HERE.

10 Choices Successful Couples Make

My personal library contains dozens of marriage books. This one is a standout for its applicability to marriages at every stage–newlywed, middle-aged, or golden years. Married couples need help at every stage, and these tried-and-true tips, along with valuable, self-guided tests, will help you strengthen your relationship. Read my full review HERE.

Placemaker

No matter what type of place you call home, Christie Purifoy’s luminous book will help you view it in a new and beautiful light. Her writing is calm, thoughtful and inspirational. I’m planning to reread this book again in the first part of the new year. Click HERE to learn more about the book and see a glimpse of my own homeplace.

Holy Noticing

Do you feel constantly distracted within a fast-paced life? If you need help slowing down and being more intentional, you need to start by changing the way you think. Charles Stone’s book has helped me be more aware of my thoughts. I’ve also applied several of his techniques to be more mindful and make different choices. This is a refreshing book on mindfulness written from a trustworthy Christian perspective. Read the full review HERE.

Determined

My friend Heather M. Dixon has written a beautiful Bible study which focuses on Jesus’ determination to fulfill his Father’s will. The study is hearty, yet do-able for women with busy schedules. It will inspire you to follow God’s will more closely and make more determined steps in the right direction. Learn more about Determined HERE.

The Struggle Is Real

My dear friend Misty Phillip published her first book this year. Misty shares many personal stories of struggle and triumph to help you get through your own struggles. She also writes about overcoming in spiritual warfare, which is an unusual yet much-needed topic in women’s Bible studies. If you are looking for a new study for the new year, check out my author interview and full review HERE. Also, check out Misty’s podcast By His Grace, which is my personal favorite in my podcast listening queue, and where I was honored to be interviewed in both January and September!

Mended

Relationships are messy and complicated. Perhaps one of the most complicated relationships is between mother and daughter. If you have a strained relationship with your mother, mother-in-law, daughter, or daughter-in-law, I can think of no better book to give you hope and help. The daughter-mother team of Blythe Daniel and Helen McIntosh share incredible wisdom and many practice conversations. This book can help you transform a relationship, grieve your losses, and find peace in God’s plan. Read my full review HERE.

Letters to the Church

This book permanently altered my view about what church needs to look like in 21st-century America. It is powerful and prescriptive, like a necessary dose of medicine. It’s my favorite book by Francis Chan to date. My small group and I found this book to be the most fruitful conversation starter of all the books we studied this year. It’s guaranteed to challenge your thoughts. Keep reading my full review of this excellent book HERE.

The Hospitable Leader

I gained fresh, new insights into Jesus’ leadership style from this great book. Until reading this, I had never considered hospitality as a trait Jesus cultivated, much less thought about applying this in my own leadership roles. It’s an inspiring, uplifting book with many thoughtful applications for developing your leadership roles either within or outside church. Highly recommended read–my full review is HERE.

Hearing God

This book helped transform my thinking about listening to God’s voice. It expanded my view in some areas where I didn’t learn about as a child. It also grounded my view in other areas of which I’m familiar but you may not be, including nature. Nathan Finochio’s writing is engaging and witty, and he tethers every chapter of this book to God’s Word. After completing this book, I was still pondering its truths for weeks–that’s one reason it made my top picks list. Read my full review HERE.

War Story

Hands down, this is the best memoir I read in 2019. A powerful, painful, yet redemptive story of one soldier’s suffering and spiritual growth. It opened my eyes and softened my heart. Learn how your book purchase can help other struggling combat veterans HERE.

Fighting For Your Marriage While Separated

Marriage separation is heart-wrenching. I know because I endured a brief separation back in 2015. This book would have been a life raft for me in those challenging weeks of my separation. It also contains practical tips to help you navigate a marriage on the rocks. Written for both men and women, it is a treasure trove of wisdom and hope. Read my complete review HERE.

Not Forsaken

Millions of Americans have father wounds, especially since the no-fault divorce laws went into effect in the 1970’s. I am one of many who have a deep-seated fear of abandonment due to my parents’ divorce when I was young. This is one of the best books I’ve read to help address and overcome that awful fear. If you are struggling from a father wound, this book is my top recommendation for you. Read my full review HERE.

When You Need to Move a Mountain

I’ve long been dedicated to prayer, but this book helped me pray in ways I’ve never attempted before. This summer, I prayed from a prostrate position for the first time, and I also experienced the joy and creativity of praying in the Spirit. There are many, many tips for praying in this amazing book, along with biblical reasons why the different styles of prayer are necessary and effective. It opened my eyes and will serve as a go-to resource for years to come. Learn more about this book HERE.

The Middle Matters

Reading this book brings a smile to my face. It meets me in the exact place where I stand right now–in my middle years of life, marriage, and parenting. Lisa-Jo Baker’s effervescent book is part memoir and part playbook. I especially appreciate her opening section about not just accepting our middle age bodies, but celebrating them as God’s gift. Her brief essay-like chapters will uplift weary women and encourage them to keep moving forward. Read more about this book HERE.

Beholding and Becoming

In our fast-paced world, it’s essential to soothe our souls with beauty. It’s also essential to take time to worship God in a quiet, personal space. This gorgeous book will help you do that. Reading Beholding and Becoming is a mini-retreat for your psyche. You will fall in love with the beautiful illustrations and gain wisdom from Ruth Chou Simons’ observations on life. See my full review HERE.

Always We Begin Again

This book is so rich and powerful, I could only handle one devotion per day. Often, the probing questions would move me to tears and stir my thoughts for hours. If you are healing, grieving, or starting over, this is the best book from 2019 that will help you walk through the valley and come out stronger on the other side. Learn more about this book HERE.

Adorning the Dark

Life as a content creator is not for the faint of heart. As an artist and writer myself, I understand both the internal struggles and external pressures that come with this lifestyle. In this book, I found the affirmation and inspiration I need to keep creating with joy. This is a beautifully written book that I will reread again and again. Check out my full review HERE.

Your Future Self Will Thank You

In two of my own books (The Fruitful Life and Transforming Your Thought Life), I’ve written chapters on the important virtue of self-control. I agree that if you pursue this fruit of the spirit with focused intention, its harvest helps all other aspects of the Christian life fall into place.

I enjoyed the copious research about how our brains respond to willpower, training cues, and spiritual practices. Drew Dyck’s personal stories were warm, funny and relatable–I understand his struggles with overeating, insufficient exercise, and online distractions.

I enjoyed this in-depth look at self control at the perfect time of year, right before my New Year’s resolution kicks into gear. After reading, I cut my list to a single resolution, as I learned it is most likely to succeed. This book also earns my vote for the best cover in 2019–it makes me smile every time I glance at it!

Purchase on Amazon or Christianbook.com

Safe and Sound

This is a well-grounded, practical book that helped me understand spiritual warfare in brand-new ways. I enjoyed the author’s insights into Ephesians 6 and his way of unpacking it with many other scriptures. My view of spiritual warfare is now more settled and grounded than it was before. The book is written to help pastors and counselors with their counselees. However, I found it greatly valuable for my own personal walk of faith. A short, powerful read with many great takeaways.

Purchase on Amazon or Christianbook.com

2019 in Review

This year was a banner year for me. My dream of having a book published in the traditional market was realized after 25 years of hoping, praying, and working toward my goals. If my book Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus made your best-of list for 2019, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Also, if you haven’t read it yet, please check out the book page HERE for more information.

In 2019 I reached new milestones for views of my posts. Here are the top 10 most-viewed posts on my site for the year. I pray they will encourage, uplift and inspire you in your faith life.

1. How to Meet God in the Night Hours
2. How to Handle Anger in 3 God-Pleasing Ways
3. How to Guard Your Heart in a Difficult Marriage
4. How to Choose Wise Battles in a Difficult Marriage
5. Too Much Mary, Not Enough Martha
6. How to Fight Bitterness After Unwanted Changes
7. How to Stand Firm During Spiritual Attacks
8. How to Be Free From Past Sin
9. How Writing Out Scriptures Can Grow Your Faith
10. How to Set Boundaries on Others’ Bad Behavior

Also, the post that is getting the most traction right now is…How to Choose a Focus Verse for the New Year.

Blessings to you in 2020! If you have feedback or a prayer request to share with me, please visit my Contact page now. I’m also booking speaking engagements for 2020 and beyond, and you can find more information on my Speaking page.

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