Three big obstacles that Christian women in midlife face are lost identity after children leave home, questioning their purpose after years of serving others, and feeling invisible as roles and bodies change.
Most women are surprised to hear that these trials can become the most spiritually formative seasons of their lives. Or that they may be unconsciously resisting the very difficulties God wants to use for their deepest growth, while a slight shift in perspective and intentional spiritual practices can transform crisis into calling.
But without the right resources and community support, trials can lead to bitterness, isolation and stalled faith.
Fortunately, Christian publishers and authors have created excellent books, study guides and devotionals specifically addressing midlife trials. These resources offer biblical wisdom paired with practical tools for prayer, Scripture study and emotional health.
Whether you’re processing empty nest syndrome, health changes, marriage struggles or career shifts, there are materials designed to meet you in your specific challenge.
The resources below range from deep theological studies to gentle devotionals, from menopause-specific guides to general books on suffering. Some focus heavily on Scripture memory and study methods, while others lean into art, journaling and reflective practices.
Many are available in Kindle format for immediate access when you need encouragement right away.
1. It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst
Lysa TerKeurst writes from the middle of her own shattering when her husband’s infidelity and her health crisis collided. She doesn’t offer neat answers or quick fixes. Instead, she walks you through the theology of disappointment with raw prayers and biblical insights that confirm your pain while pointing you to God’s faithfulness.
The book works well for any trial that leaves you feeling like life went off script. The writing is accessible and feels like a conversation with a friend who’s been there.
2. Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship by Ruth Chou Simons
This beautifully illustrated book combines Scripture with watercolor art and space for your own creative response. Ruth addresses the disconnect between what you know about God and what you feel in trials.
Each chapter focuses on an attribute of God, helping you behold His character so you can become more like Him.
The visual elements make this especially helpful for women who process through art or journaling rather than traditional Bible study alone. You can work through it slowly, one attribute per week, or skip to the chapter addressing your current struggle.
3. Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin
If trials are exposing that your biblical foundation feels shaky, this book teaches you how to study Scripture with both heart and mind. Jen Wilkin provides a step-by-step method for moving beyond topical studies or reading plans into deeper engagement with God’s Word.
The approach is practical and repeatable. You learn to ask questions of the text that lead to lasting transformation rather than temporary emotional highs.
Many women report that this method completely changed how they read the Bible, giving them tools to find truth and comfort directly from Scripture during their hardest seasons.
4. Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer
Priscilla Shirer teaches prayer as spiritual warfare, equipping you to fight trials with specific, Scripture-based prayers rather than vague requests. The book identifies ten key areas where the enemy attacks and provides prayer strategies for each.
It includes tear-out prayer cards you can post around your home as reminders. This resource works especially well if you feel stuck in worry or circular thinking during trials.
The focus on strategic, persistent prayer helps you move from passive anxiety to active partnership with God.
5. Pause: Resting in God Through Midlife and Menopause by Sarah Allen
Sarah Allen addresses the specific trial of menopause and midlife transition through a biblical lens. She tackles hot flashes, brain fog, emotional changes and physical symptoms while pointing you to God’s purposes in this season.
The book combines medical information with theological reflection, making it uniquely helpful for women wondering how to honor God in a body that feels out of control. Sarah normalizes the experience while offering spiritual practices suited to this particular transition.
6. Try Softer by Aundi Kolber
Aundi Kolber offers a gentler approach for women who’ve been white-knuckling through trials or who carry trauma beneath their current difficulties. She combines neuroscience, attachment theory and Scripture to help you move out of survival mode into a softer, more compassionate way of healing.
This book is particularly valuable if you recognize patterns of pushing too hard, ignoring your body’s signals or struggling with anxiety and hypervigilance during trials. The practical exercises help you develop healthier nervous system responses while deepening your dependence on God.
7. I Forgive You by Wendy Alsup
Many midlife trials involve relational pain that needs forgiveness. Wendy Alsup provides nuanced, theologically rich guidance for the complex process of forgiving people who’ve genuinely harmed you.
She avoids both cheap grace that minimizes pain and bitter unforgiveness that chains you to the past.
The book distinguishes between forgiveness, reconciliation and trust, helping you understand what you owe an offender and what you don’t. This clarity brings freedom to women carrying decades of relational wounds alongside their current trials.
8. Help for the Hungry Soul: Eight Encouragements to Grow Your Appetite for God’s Word by Kristen Wetherell
Kristen Wetherell addresses spiritual numbness, the trial of feeling disconnected from God even as you go through the motions. She uses the metaphor of appetite to help you cultivate want for God’s Word when trials have left you feeling empty or distant.
The book is short and gentle, making it manageable when you lack energy for lengthy reading. Each chapter unpacks one truth to awaken hunger for Scripture and prayer, providing both theological foundation and practical next steps.
9. How Can Women Thrive in the Local Church? By Keri Folmar
Trials often lead to isolation right when you need community most. Keri Folmar provides practical guidance for finding your place and contributing your gifts in the local church.
She addresses common obstacles women face in connecting and serving.
This short book is part of a series designed for quick reading with immediate application. If your trial has you withdrawing from fellowship or questioning your value to the body of Christ, this resource can help you reengage with purpose.
10. Women & Work: Bearing Godâs Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work by Courtney Reissig
Midlife career changes, whether by choice or circumstances, raise questions about calling and purpose. Courtney Reissig shows how all work, paid or unpaid, in office or home, reflects God’s image and advances His kingdom.
The book helps you see your current season, even if it looks different from what you expected, as meaningful. For women facing job loss, retirement decisions or shifts from full-time parenting to other work, this theological framework brings dignity and direction to the transition.
11. Humble Moms: How the Work of Christ Sustains the Work of Motherhood by Kristen Wetherell
Even though your children may be older or launched, motherhood trials continue in midlife. Kristen Wetherell applies gospel truths to the ongoing work of mothering adult children, releasing them well and finding your identity beyond the mom role.
The book addresses pride, fear, anxiety and control, showing how the gospel frees you to mother from rest rather than striving. The tone is gracious rather than guilt-inducing, making it a comfort during seasons when your mothering feels inadequate or your relationship with your children is strained.
12. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney
When trials upend your normal routines, you need a framework for building spiritual practices that will sustain you. Donald Whitney provides comprehensive teaching on disciplines like prayer, Scripture intake, worship, service and fasting.
This is a longer, more thorough resource that you’ll return to repeatedly. It’s not specifically for women or midlife trials, but the principles apply universally.
Many women report that establishing these disciplines during crisis creates the foundation for lasting spiritual vitality afterward.
13. Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad by John Eldredge
John Eldredge addresses the trial of exhaustion and overwhelm that many midlife women carry. He offers simple, one-minute practices to reclaim moments of peace and presence with God throughout your day.
The practices include pausing for breath prayers, stepping outside, drinking water mindfully and other accessible acts that create space for God. This book works well alongside deeper theological resources, providing practical rhythm when you’re too depleted for intensive study.
14. Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace by Paul Tautges
Anxiety often accompanies midlife trials, whether health worries, financial concerns or relational fears. Paul Tautges provides biblical counsel for understanding anxiety’s roots and finding peace in God’s sovereignty and care.
This is a shorter book from the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series, making it manageable when your mind is already racing. The daily format helps you apply truth incrementally rather than feeling overwhelmed by another big project.
15. A Woman’s Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year by Diane Stortz
Sometimes the best response to trials is simply committing to steady time in God’s Word. Diane Stortz provides a realistic reading plan with brief reflections that guide you through the entire Bible in a year.
The daily readings average about 15 minutes, and the reflections help you see connections and apply what you’re reading to your life. For women who want structure without heavy time commitment, this guide makes consistent Bible reading achievable during busy or difficult seasons.
Conclusion
After reviewing these resources, my favorite is It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst. The book meets you in raw, honest pain without rushing you toward forced positivity.
Lysa’s vulnerability about her own shattered expectations gives you permission to bring your whole messy story to God.
The biblical teaching is solid, the prayers are usable and the tone perfectly balances grief with hope.
The book also represents an important truth about trials: God doesn’t waste them. Lysa wrote from the middle of ongoing difficulty, not from a tidy resolution.
That’s often where you find yourself in midlife trials, still in the hard middle with no clear ending.
This book companions you there, pointing you to God’s presence and purposes even when you can’t see the outcome yet.
If you’re in a season of disappointment, betrayal, health struggles or shattered dreams, start with this book. Read it slowly, maybe just one chapter per week.
Let the truths settle in. Use the prayers at the end of chapters to voice what you can’t articulate on your own.
Order your copy from Amazon US today and begin the journey from “this isn’t supposed to be happening” to “God, what are You doing in this?”
Pair it with Women of the Word to build your Bible study skills and Fervent to strengthen your prayer life. These three resources together provide the foundation for spiritual growth through whatever trial you’re facing.
Your pain has purpose, your story matters and God is near.
These books will help you believe that again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t have time to read during my trial?
Start with the shortest resources like Help for the Hungry Soul or Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace, which offer brief daily readings. Even five minutes a day with truth can shift your perspective.
Audio versions of most books are also available on Audible, allowing you to listen while commuting, walking or doing household tasks.
How do I choose between a Bible study resource and a personal story book?
If you need theological foundation and your trial is raising questions about God’s character or Scripture’s reliability, start with study resources like Women of the Word or Fix Your Eyes. If you need to feel less alone and more understood in your specific pain, begin with story-based books like It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way or Beholding and Becoming.
Most women benefit from both types over time.
Are these books only for serious or traumatic trials?
No. The transitions of midlife like menopause, empty nest or career changes are legitimate trials even when they’re expected life stages. Books like Pause specifically address these normative challenges.
Any difficulty that’s shaking your faith, raising questions or causing pain deserves attention and spiritual resources.
Can I use these resources in a small group?
Many of these work well for group study. Women of the Word, Fervent, Beholding and Becoming, and Fix Your Eyes all include reflection questions or formats suited to discussion.
Processing trials in community often speeds up growth and prevents isolation.
Check if your church offers groups using these materials or suggest one to your women’s ministry leader.
What if my trial is causing me to doubt my faith entirely?
This is more common in midlife than most women admit. Start with Never Cast Out to address shame about your doubts, then move to Fix Your Eyes for theological grounding in who God is.
Consider also seeking a Christian counselor who can help you process both the trial and the faith questions it’s raising.
Doubt in the middle of suffering isn’t sin, it’s often the path to deeper, more authentic faith.
How long does spiritual growth from trials typically take?
There’s no standard timeline. Some women report shifts in perspective within weeks of engaging with Scripture and prayer through a trial.
Others process for months or years, especially with complex trials like chronic illness, divorce or estrangement from children.
The goal isn’t speed but faithfulness. Consistent small steps with these resources over time will produce growth, even when progress feels invisible.
Do I need to read these in a particular order?
No set order is required. Start with whatever addresses your most pressing need. If you’re drowning in anxiety, begin with Anxiety or Try Softer. If you feel disconnected from Scripture, start with Women of the Word.
If a specific issue like menopause or marriage is your trial, choose the topic-specific book first.
You can always add others as you move through your healing and growth process.
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