C.S. Lewis writes, "For my part, I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others.  I believe that many who find that 'nothing happens' when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion would find that their hearts sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand."  I read this Lewis quote in When I Don't Desire God by John Piper.  Piper's response is "Amen! (Well, with the exception of the pipe!)"   I could not agree more, we need to fill our minds with the things of God.  The stuff of light devotion only lightly brings God before me.  But I have found that  God uses "God-saturated, Bible-saturated" authors to help me in my pursuit of Christ.

With the above in mind, I recommend the following books as a few of the books that have been most helpful to me in my pursuit of Christ. 

Theology and Christian Living

• Knowing God by J.I. Packer
• When I Don't Desire God by John Piper
• The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges
• The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges
• Christian Theology by Millard Erickson
• Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
• Desiring God by John Piper
• The Peacemaker by Ken Sandie
• The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn

Bible Study

• Living by the Book by Howard and William Hendricks
• New Dictionary of Biblical Theology edited by Desmond, Rosner, Carson, and Goldsworthy

Evangelism

• Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People by Will Metzger
  
  

Parenting

• Shepherding the Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
• Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by Paul David Tripp

Prayer

• A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D.A. Carson
• Valley of the Vision edited by Arthur Bennett