[Contains affiliate links.]

After going through my collection of books (most of which are unread), I decided to choose 5 books that I would really love to read during 2022. I absolutely love books, both reading and collecting them, but most of them have sadly not been read yet. So, when I hopped onto Goodreads, I decided to set myself a challenge to read 5 of my books that are still waiting to be read. 

These are books which I have bought and collected over the past couple of years. They’re ones which I purchased during the different seasons I was going through; ones which I didn’t read at the time of purchasing them, but I felt that at some point, at the right time, they would be read. There’s also one book in my pile which I feel very blessed to have won in a giveaway. 

I’ve really been enjoying finding and reading books that will help me in my journey of Faith. A couple of years back I felt a strong conviction for the books that I was reading, which is probably a post for another time, but it helped me to recognise and be aware of what my mind was consuming. So, as you’ll see further down, these books on my to-read list are Christian books. If you’re currently looking for a new book to read to help you in your own journey of faith, I pray that you will find this list of books to be helpful. I’ve also added links so you are able to find where you can purchase them. 

5 Books that are in my to-read pile for 2022

1. Smith Wigglesworth On Spirit-Filled Living by Smith Wigglesworth.

I first heard about Smith Wigglesworth in a sermon by Daniel Chand some time back, and from that moment, I was intrigued to learn more. After researching more about him and learning that there is a series of books written using his sermons and Bible studies, I decided to purchase a copy of Smith Wigglesworth On Spirit-Filled Living. His story is a remarkable one, filled with his ministry, his stories, experiences and witnessing God’s wonderful miracles. Powerful signs and wonders which included the restoration of sight and hearing, mental health, the formation of missing limbs, healing of diseases and so much more. Smith Wigglesworth was born in England in 1905. From a very young age he had a concern for the salvation of others and won people to Christ. 

“In these riveting messages, Smith Wigglesworth reveals the privileges that believers have and how they can claim their rich inheritance in Christ. These pages will inspire your faith and explode your vision as you learn how to… 

• Secure God’s favour on your life. 
• Obtain freedom from sin. 
• Practice the presence of God. 
• Take authority over Satan. 
• Live in the joy of the Lord. 
• Experience the miraculous. 
• Receive divine wholeness and health.”

I’m excited to learn more about Smith Wigglesworth and to read about his ministry, his story and experiences, and all that he witnessed. This book is actually first on my reading list and one which I have already started to read. So far, it has already had such a powerful impact on my own journey of faith. 

2. It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst.

I read one of Lysa’s books a couple of years ago, called Uninvited after it was recommended to me. The words in this book were just what I needed to read during the season I was in. Definitely a book I recommend looking up and reading. This is the second book by Lysa that I have. After finishing Uninvited, and looking at the reviews, I purchased this one titled, It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way. You may also recognise Lysa’s name, as she is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, a Christian ministry that seeks to lead women into a personal relationship with Christ. 

“Life often looks so very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a moment, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned, and we quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness.

Lysa Terkeurst understands this deeply. But she’s also discovered that our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God. In It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa invites us into her own journey of faith and, with grit, vulnerability, and honest humour, helps us to:

• Stop being pulled into the anxiety of disappointment by discovering how to better process unmet expectations and other painful situations.
• Train ourselves to recognize the three strategies of the enemy so we can stand strong and persevere through unsettling relationships and uncertain outcomes.
• Discover the secret of being steadfast and not panicking when God actually does give us more than we can handle.
• Shift our suspicion that God is cruel or unfair to the biblical assurance that God is protecting and preparing us.
• Know how to encourage a friend and help her navigate hard realities with real help from God’s truth.” 

I feel that this is definitely a great book for if you are just starting out on your faith journey. I think what really attracted me to this book, was that like Lysa, “our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God.” It’s in those disappointments, where God has met me right there, strengthening me, moulding me and helping me to lean fully on Him, for my faith to be strengthened and a time for me to grow and learn along the way.

3. A River Through My Desert by Penny Ellis.

This is actually a book that I won in a giveaway that was hosted by TBN UK, and I feel very blessed to have won a copy of this book. I wasn’t familiar with Penny’s name to start with, so after researching a bit more about her, I found that she has an incredible story, filled with how God has worked throughout her life. Penny actually appeared on Big Brother 2 in 2001. 

“How do we find our way out of our fears and terrors? Also, labels placed on us and self-destructive habits? How do we turn our face like a ‘flint’ towards our God when we can’t even face ourselves? Our God is listening and he can bring us out of what we see as impossible to change. If we talk to him, he hears us. There is a river that runs directly under the throne of God and we can untangle our lives in it. These chapters are examples that we don’t have to say too much or use just one prayer style as God hears our hearts cry and the holy spirit interprets our words so they are ‘in tune’ and that is the symphony God hears. I hope this book helps you regain a resurrected skip in your step in this life and become who you were meant to be all along. This book has taken 20 years to write, it is a life journey to get rid of useless destructive habits. My desert was uprooted, barren and dry. Take the first great strides out of the desert you are in. Whatever is left can grow again and change the landscape. Let the river flood your desert.”

I can very much relate to some of the things Penny talks about in A River Through My Desert, and I feel that this book holds a much more personal touch to it as it is filled with Penny’s letters to God, her poems, prayers and more. I love how Penny starts the introduction off in her book. “It was written when I got to the end of myself and found that only with Jesus is the beginning of everything. My life was broken completely but He found all the pieces and has put me back together mentally, physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually.” This is something that I have experienced in my own life. 

4. Hidden Potential by Wendy Pope.

I first heard about this book through Proverbs 31 Ministries. They were doing a Bible study with this book. Although I received the emails for the study, I didn’t actually own the Hidden Potential book then. So you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I saw a copy of it on the shelf in a Christian bookshop. Of course, I just had to pick up a copy. You can also find a daily plan that goes alongside this book on the YouVersion Bible App.

“Using stories from the life of Moses and from women who are leaning on God in the middle of their own fears, failures, faults, and frailties, Hidden Potential by Wendy Pope encourages every woman to see herself as her Creator does—a worthwhile possibility, fully capable of being used by God.

Fears. Faults. Failures. Frailties. Every woman at some point wonders, Do I have to get past all my weaknesses before God can use me?

Wendy Pope is happy to tell readers: No! You don’t have to overcome, correct, rise above, or get strong before you are qualified to be part of God’s plan. He can use you right now. You are a worthwhile possibility.”

This book also includes journaling pages at the end of each chapter along with questions and things to think about. I think this is really great as it helps us to dig deeper as we are reading, to discover new things and reflect. 

5. The Bible, A Story That Makes Sense Of Life by Andrew Ollerton. 

The Bible, A Story That Makes Sense Of Life, is a more recent book that I got. I remember first hearing about it and after reading a bit more about it, I was very eager to get my hands on a copy. Thankfully I had some money left on a voucher that I was very kindly given as a gift, so I was able to use it to purchase this book. 

“The political, social and cultural upheaval of our times can leave us feeling bewildered and wondering where to turn for trustworthy guidance. As unlikely as it may seem, could the Bible provide ancient wisdom that helps us flourish today?

Join Andrew Ollerton as he explores the storyline of Scripture, connecting six major biblical events with six definitive human needs: for meaning, freedom, peace, community, love and for an ultimate home. In short, digestible chapters, Andrew reveals how the Bible story makes sense of our human story.

Discover for yourself a limitless source of guidance and hope in the face of so much uncertainty.”

I’m very interested to read and use this book alongside reading my Bible, to help further with studying the Bible and getting deeper into it. At the end of each chapter, there is a reading and also a time to reflect. I feel that this is a book which I can also use as a daily devotional, as each chapter can be easily read in a day. 

I would love to know what book you are currently reading and what books are on your to-read pile. I would also love to know if you have any book recommendations, and also if you are taking part in a Goodreads challenge this year?

Pin this post