Today as we get ready to celebrate Mother’s Day I want to celebrate some of the best Christian books for moms.
I’ve been a mom for well over two decades now. Mothering has singlehandedly been the biggest task God has used to chisel and shape me. I’m honestly grateful for the good and the hard days. The good days have been glorious. The hard days have stretched me far past my own ability, revealed the sin I so comfortably hold to and sent me desperate to God to make me more like him.
How many times I have had to apologize through tears to my children who see me as I really am.
And how many times I’ve told them this — THIS — is why I need a Savior, and I hope they will see me become more like Christ next month and next year and the year after until he takes me home.
Some of these books have changed the trajectory of my mothering. Some have walked me through struggles or questions and some have inspired me to be more.
So today I’m sharing the best Christian books for moms. Be sure to scroll through the whole book list because it includes books for new moms, moms of sons, moms of daughters, special needs moms, adoptive and foster moms, moms grieving miscarriage and baby loss, empty nest moms and even grandmoms! The list also has some wonderful devotional books for moms.
{Thank you to those who gave suggestions to make this list even better!}
New Moms
A Mother’s Heart: A Look at Values, Vision and Character for the Christian Mother
A classic that deserves to be rediscovered. I read this book when I first became a mom and it put into words the hopes and dreams for mothering whirling through my heart.
The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child’s Heart for Eternity
Sally Clarkson’s writing is perenially gospel-saturated, grace-filled wisdom from a woman who lives what she writes.
Complete Guide to Baby and Child Care: From Pre-birth through the Teen Years
A practical book for reading and reference by longtime family and child expert, Dr. James Dobson, along with Dr. Paul Reisser, M.D.
Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches
A book to help moms make the most and fall in love with the beauty and riches of baby and toddlerhood.
A Memory a Day for Moms: A Five-Year Inspiration Journal
I love this simple and easy practice of capturing five years of memries one sentence a day.
Moms In the Trenches
{Why} Motherhood Matters: An Invitation to Purposeful Parenting
After 25 years of mothering, September McCarthy provides the long view of raising children with grace and faith.
No Better Mom for the Job: Parenting with Confidence (Even When You Feel Cut Out For It)
Just when you think you don’t have what it takes, Becky will show you that’s the kind of mom God uses. You are the mom for the children God’s given you.
Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everday Moments
Popular podcasters Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler breathe gospel hope and truth into the ordinary moments of motherhood.
Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God
Saturated with Biblical truth, this book shows how moms are on the greatest mission God has given us.
Parenting the Wholehearted Child: Captivating Your Child’s Heart with God’s Extravagant Grace
This book is a treasure to help you become a grace-filled mom for yourself and your children.
Shepherding Your Child’s Heart
This book completely changed the popular parenting “wisdom” given out when I was first raising kids. So glad to have found it.
Mom Strong: How to Fight with All that’s in You for Your Family and Your Faith
Heidi St. John is a mom of many who’s not afraid to be strong and raise strong kids.
Brave Moms, Brave Kids: A Battle Plan for Raising Kids
A Moms in Prayer coordinator, Lee Nienhuis shows moms how to go to battle for her children.
Memory-Making Mom: Building Traditions that Breate Life in Your Home
This book is chock full of ideas to help you build strong family traditions around food, holiday, faith and more.
Raising an Original: Parenting Each Child According to their Unique God-Given Temperment
As a mom of eight, Julie knows God uniquely creates each child and gives you tools and insight to parent each one well.
Particular Issues for Moms
Anger — Triggers: Exchanging Parents’ Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses
Highly, highly recommend this one. Amber Lia and Wendy Speake give practical, Biblical insight to help you identify your triggers and exchange flash reactions for godly, healthy responses.
Single Mom — My Single Mom Life: Stories and Practical Lessons for Your Journey
In the unwanted, isolating world of single mothering, Angela brings lessons and truth to help you thrive.
Distraction — Shiny Things: Mothering on Purpose in a World of Distractions
In a world of distractions, Amanda Bacon and Anne-Renne Gumley help free us to mother present and purposeful.
Overcoming a Dysfunctional Past – The Mom I Want to Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future
This book is for the mom who longs to love her children well and parent better than the dysfunction of her childhood.
Moms of boys
Boy Mom: What Your Son Needs Most from You
As a mom of four boys, Monica imparts wisdom for moms of sons.
Powerful Prayers for Your Son
Prayers that cover every age, stage, challenge and event of a boy’s life.
Bringing Up Boys
This book, now updated, has excellent insight into how boys tick and unique struggles for the mother-son relationship.
Moms of girls
She is Yours: Trusting God as You Raise the Girl He Gave You
Parents of four girls, Jonathan and his late wife, Wynter, wrote this poignant and practical book about raising girls, just before Wynter suddenly passed away.
Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters
The mother-daughter relationship can be fraught with expectation and miscommunication. This mother-daughter author team share how to build a strong relationship both as a daughter and mom.
Powerful Prayers for Your Daughter
Prayers that cover every age, stage, challenge and event of a girl’s life.
Bringing Up Girls: Practical Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Women
After James Dobson’s well-received book on boys, he wrote this book on the unique insight of raising daughters.
Special Needs Moms
The Lucky Few: Finding God’s Best in the Most Unlikely Places
The book could just as easily be under the adoption category. The author shares her unexpected and beautiful motherhood journey with three adopted children, two with Down’s Syndrome.
Extraordinary: Stories of Adopting Children with Downs Syndrome
The narratives of 13 families who chose to open their hearts and homes to adopting a child with Downs Syndrome.
Adoptive and Foster Moms
Confessions of an Adoptive Parent: Hope and Help from the Trenches of Foster Care and Adoption
Long-time bloggers bring practical help and inspiration to families who’ve stepped out in faith to foster and adopt.
Love Without Borders: How Bold Faith Opens the Door to Embracing the Unexpected
The winding sometimes crazy path and life of a family that grew through biological children as well as international, domestic, special needs and embryo adoption.
Reframing Foster Care: Filtering Your Foster Parenting through the Lens of the Gospel
This book came recommended by a friend to lay a foundation for those interested in pursuing foster care.
Moms grieving miscarriage or babyloss
Loved Baby: 31 Devotions Helping You Grieve and Cherish Your Child after Pregnancy Loss
This is beautiful, award-winning book will walk the mom navigating miscarriage and baby loss the emotions, questions and struggles.
Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope after Miscarriage and Loss
This poignant book delves deep into the emotions and pain of miscarriage and baby loss while while exploring what it means to grieve with hope.
Grieving the Child I Never Knew: A Devotional for Comfort in the Loss of Your Unborn or Newly Born Child
A beautiful devotional for the mom suffering loss of her baby by author Kathe Wunneberg.
Empty Nest Moms and Grandmothers
Barbara and Susan’s Guide to the Empty Nest
Who better to share how to navigate the empty nest season that friends and co-authors Barbara Rainey (wife of Dennis Rainey of Family Life Today) and Susan Yates.
Cousin Camp: A Grandparent’s Guide to Creating Fun, Faith, and Memories that Last
This is the way to crush grandparenting! Susan Yates’ newest book on creating memories and laying a foundation of faith with grandchildren.
Praying the Sciptures for Your Adult Children: Trusting God with the Ones You Love
Praying the scriptures is a powerful way to pray because we offer back God’s own Word. It’s often after launching kids that we find prayer our best resort.
Devotionals for Moms
A Mother’s Love: Stories, Devotions, and Scripture Celebrating Every Kind of Mom
A brand new devotiong from (in)courage full of stories and scripture to celebrate moms.
Mom Heart Moments: Daily Devotions for Lifegiving Motherhood
This is my second Sally Clarkson recommendation and I could well have listed all her books. She’s a seasoned mother who’s let us walk with her in the trenches all through the launching of her children.
Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full: Gospel Meditations for Busy Moms
This devotional came highly recommended by several friends.
Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus
The first devotional written by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk that is just the spot of real-life encouragement moms need.
It would be great if you could include some books about blended families.
Good request. I’ll look to update this post with some recommendations.