prayerful mountain books
Felicia Wong shares her most significant books to take up a prayer mountain.
I have a deep passion for the USA’s national parks, where the soul is lifted by the splendour and majesty of God revealed in his magnificent creation. If I had to choose just one mountain retreat, it would be the Grand Teton Range, rising dramatically from the Wyoming landscape near Yellowstone National Park.
One of my treasured possessions is a small, leather-bound, baby-pink King James Bible, given to my mother when she became a Christian as a young nursing student in East London. Having come from Malaysia without ever hearing the gospel before, her journey of faith began with this very book. Though its pages are now faded and musty, it remains a beautiful reminder of how God works through generations. I love timeless classics – books that speak God’s truth across generations – that I find myself returning to again and again, discovering fresh treasures to inspire, encourage, and challenge me. These are my mountain books:
Knowing God
J I Packer
Hodder & Stoughton
I first read this classic at medical school and returned to it years later, only to find its impact just as profound. Each time, God has used it to deepen my understanding of what it truly means to know and be known by him. A comprehensive masterpiece that I’d wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ
John Piper
Crossway
This gem of a book opened my eyes to see Jesus more clearly in the pages of Scripture and to walk with him in the fullness of joy. It challenges the mind and stirs the heart, urging us to truly know Christ. Piper writes that seeing and savouring Jesus is ‘like seeing the sun and knowing that it is light, or tasting honey and knowing that it is sweet’
My Rock, My Refuge
Timothy Keller
Hodder & Stoughton
A wonderful companion for daily reflection, especially on a mountaintop! This book helps me uncover the riches of the Psalms and apply them to everyday life, revealing God’s astonishing character and wisdom. It shows how we, as his people, are called to relate to and respond to the Lord across all generations, embracing all the emotions he has given us.
The Last Battle
C S Lewis
HarperCollins
Shockingly, I only read The Chronicles of Narnia in full two years ago, and I was blown away by Lewis’s ability to weave deep spiritual truths with such creativity and beauty. The Last Battle particularly struck me – it speaks powerfully into the false narratives and subtle deceptions of our culture today, while capturing the hope of what is to come.
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë
Penguin Classics
Jane Eyre is my all-time favourite classic – I even have six copies with different covers on my bookshelf! It’s beautifully written, with incredible insight into human nature, weaving romance, tragedy, and even moments of comedy into an epic story. What I love most is how Charlotte Brontë so powerfully explores the tension between human desire and the call to do what is right before God.
As a chocolate lover, my luxury item would be a large bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk Wholenut chocolate – perfectly paired with a cup of Earl Grey tea. Pure indulgence!
