I’ve always been a book lover. The thought of visiting a bookstore or library has launched butterflies of excitement in my stomach since I was a young girl.
I didn’t jump on the e-reader bandwagon right away…it took me some time to get used to the idea of swiping my finger to turn a page. And I wasn’t sure I would get the same satisfaction reading a story on a screen instead of a paper-and-ink-book.
But my husband (who knows me better than I know myself) bought me a Kindle for Valentine’s Day two years ago, and it was love at first sight. It’s a heady feeling to know that I can unleash swirls of butterflies at the drop of a hat, accessing a ginormous bookstore right at my fingertips. Not only that, but I can carry my personal library of hundreds of books in a device that weighs less than a pound.
One of the tremendous blessings of modern technology is the wide availability of outstanding Christian resources. My personal tastes often tend toward classic Christian literature; its precepts are tried and true, and its applications have stood the test of time. It also bears the added benefit of often being free!
Since I talked about pondering yesterday, today is a good day to showcase some high-quality Christian writings. God’s Word is always the best source for meditation, but God can certainly use the ponderings of fellow believers to spur us on, as well.
Here are some of my personal favorites, most of which are FREE Christian classics. Clicking on the title will take you right to Amazon, where you can purchase the book for yourself. Don’t have a Kindle? The Kindle app is available for personal computers, ipods, and iphones as well!
(All prices were effective at the original publish date of this post, but are subject to change at any time.)
The Practice of the Presence of God the Best Rule of a Holy Life (Brother Lawrence) – FREE
Answers to Prayer From George Müller’s Narratives
(George Mueller) – FREE
The Pilgrim’s Progress from this world to that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream, by John Bunyan
(John Bunyan) – FREE
In His Steps
(Charles Sheldon) – FREE
The Pursuit of God
(A.W. Tozer) – FREE
How to Live a Holy Life
(C. E. Orr) – FREE
Lord, Teach Us To Pray
(Andrew Murray) – FREE
The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life
(Hanna Whitall Smith) – $0.99
The Beauty of Self-Control
(J.R. Miller) – $0.99
WITH CHRIST IN THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER
(Andrew Murray) – $0.99
I would love for you to share your own favorites by leaving a comment below!
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“…the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.”
Psalm 49:3
sandra clarke says
Did not know could get all those, thank you!
Jennifer Clarke says
You’re welcome! I’m happy to share these resources that have been such a treasure in my life.
Bradley Paul says
Great Post!
Here is one that is not free but life changing- Your Divine Fingerprint -Keith Craft
Have a Blessed Day Y’all,
Bradley Paul
Jennifer Clarke says
I will have to check it out, Bradley! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Gail @ BibleLoveNotes.com says
Hi Jennifer,
In His Steps had a great impact on me. Even though it is written in a different time period and some of the examples in the lives of the characters are not relevant, it made me think through many, many of my values and make adjustments.
The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life has been a very encouraging book to me at times when I’m going through difficulty. I believe H.W. Smith had a pretty difficult life, so she learned these principles first-hand. I especially like some of her analogies. I haven’t read this book for many years, but I also remember some parts being better than others.
I love anything A.W. Tozer writes so I recommend The Pursuit of God. His books always challenge me. He was a humble, self-educated man who spent many hours each day praying and studying God’s Word. And he is an excellent writer. I think he is easy to read even though I sometimes have to let the truths sink in.
I just ordered The Beauty of Self-Control. Never heard of it, but it sounds like something I would like (and need : ). We don’t hear much about self-control in modern Christianity.
Thanks for compiling this list.
Jennifer Clarke says
I appreciate your thoughtful feedback, Gail! I’d love to hear your thoughts on Miller’s book when you’re finished. I’m not quite done with it myself; but I, too, have been realizing lately how little we hear about self-control these days. I fear our lack of self-control is to our own detriment, for without it, we disqualify our testimony in the eyes of unbelievers. Thank you for sharing!
Evelyn Kokotkiewicz says
I just finished reading a book titled Muscle and a Shovel by Michael Shank that I bought from our speaker at our gospel meeting Friday night…I read it in two days. It is a great book about a husband and wife’s conversion to Christ (true story) and has all the biblical support for why they believe what they now believe…I have already loaned it to one of my close friends to read and plan to purchase more to share with family and friends…very convicting…
Jennifer Clarke says
It sounds like a wonderful book, Evelyn, particularly for those who might question the validity of Christianity. It’s hard to argue with someone’s personal experience encountering God. Thank you for sharing about this book!
Marge Potts says
Thank you for sharing! I am an avid reader and have already read several of the books you have offered. Some of my favorite Christian authors are Oswald Chambers, Tozer, Charles Spurgeon, David Augsburger, Lucado–and recently, Jefferson Bethke, David Platte, Francis Chan,-and many, many more! I shall be coming to your page again to see what you are sharing. God bless you for your ministry.