Top 5 Unconventional Christian books... that Altered my walk w/ Christ
1. I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh
Have you ever wondered how others hear the voice of God? Well, this spiritual memoir gives great insight on how intimate the Lord can be to an individual. From intimate conversations to divine warnings, to specific convictions, the Holy Spirit spoke to Ms. Sheikh in a way that I didn't think was possible. Great read. (Shout out to Lydia friend for the original rec!)
2. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
For years, I’ve been begging my husband (literally) to read this great novel! This is by far my favorite fiction book. But you should only pick up this book if you are ready to experience a depth of rawness that you didn’t know your eyes could take in (without consuming anything graphic). To be perfectly honest, Francine Rivers has a way of writing that is much different from most other cliche’, diluted, cheesy Christian fiction novels that I’ve read in the past. I don't mean to sound harsh but that's just been my experience meandering the published Christian fiction selections. What sets Rivers apart from others is that she gets at the heart. Now, don't you love how I’ve told you absolutely nothing about the premise of the novel? Just trust me and read the book!
3. Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers
When I read Paul’s epistles, like Romans or Ephesians, I have little context for the places and environments in which Paul writes. But after reading the fiction series, Mark of the Lion, oh boy, do I see that there is absolutely nothing new under the sun. Talk about living in environments in which evil was done blatantly and was also culturally accepted (sound familiar?). Now insert Christ. Being a Christian in these times was no joke (70 A.D.-). You were either hot or cold. There was little room to be lukewarm. After you read these novels, I promise, you’ll read the New Testament differently.
4. A Voice in the Night: The True Story of a Man and the Miracles That Are Changing Africa by Pastor Surprise
God is still doing supernatural miracles. You may not witness them every day, but the impossible is still being made possible. This spiritual memoir, by Pastor Surprise, exacts just that. From being the only survivor of his village, to somehow becoming a Christian through divine intervention, to healing others and performing miracles as a teenager, this spiritual memoir will definitely reveal to you a divine Power that you have probably yet to experience in your own day-to-day life (at least this is what I can say of my own life._
5. Deadline by Randy Alcorn
This fiction book is apart of a mystery series. I typically don’t go for mystery, but I tried this anyway. By the time I finished reading Deadline, my prayers became more potent. I increasingly found myself praying over our home, my husband, the streets of Chicago, church services, coworkers, work environments, meals, car rides. You name it, and I was praying over it! Why? This book reveals to you what is potentially happening in the spiritual realm while incidents occur in the physical realm. If you are looking to expand your prayer life, this book will naturally do it!
6. Heaven by Randy Alcorn
So this book is last and not apart of the top 5...mainly because I’m still reading it. But I had to add it to the list. Heaven is nonfiction and draws attention to something that we should all be leaping for joy over, and yet, typically know so little about. What I'm talking about is Heaven. Alcorn reveals scriptures and uproots all misconceived conceptions on what Heaven is going to be like. Although I’m not done reading the book (it’s a pretty thick text), I am already so much more excited about living on the New Earth. When I take walks with our baby boy and when we watch Planet Earth, I love sharing with him how there will be remnants of this Earth on the next. Oddly enough, this book is also helping me become less comfortable on this Earth. As I face recent trials, this book is currently helping me to persevere that much more everyday. My only warning is that as you read Heaven, the glamor of this life will slowly lose any and all appeal.
