Dive Deeper, Personalize: A Study Guide to A Believer-in-Waiting's First Encounters with God (Mahlou)
The MSI Press study guide series is a set of documents/posts prepared by authors to help readers take a deeper dive into and personal look at various MSI books.
Today's study guide is meant to accompany A Believer-in-Waiting's Firs Encounters with God by Elizabeth Mahlou.
Book Description:
A Believer in Waiting’s First Encounters with God invites readers into the intimate, often mysterious world of a modern-day mystic. In this powerful spiritual memoir, the author shares true stories of divine encounters, mystical experiences, and contemplative awakenings that bridge the physical world and the spiritual realm.
From moments of awe-inspiring hierophany to quiet revelations born of suffering and unknowing, this book offers a unique perspective on what it means to encounter God in everyday life. Each chapter explores deep spiritual themes—good and evil, light and darkness, surrender and transformation—all woven together by the steady thread of God’s unconditional love.
Perfect for readers drawn to Christian mysticism, personal spiritual journeys, and the contemplative life, this book speaks to the seeker in all of us—the believer waiting to be found.
Whether you're navigating your own path through suffering, seeking meaning in mystery, or longing for a closer relationship with the Divine, A Believer in Waiting’s First Encounters with God offers encouragement, insight, and a gentle invitation to see the sacred in the everyday.
Keywords:
Modern-day mystic, Spiritual awakening, Personal encounters with God, Contemporary Christian mysticism, Divine love and suffering, Spiritual contemplation, Experiencing God, Journey into the spiritual realm, Mystical experiences with God, Faith and the unknown, Light and darkness in spirituality, Modern Christian mystic writings, Unconditional love of God, Hierophany and everyday miracles, God in everyday life, Inner spiritual transformation, Good vs. evil in Christian life, Christian spiritual memoir, Mystical Christianity, Christian contemplative life, Christian mysticism book, Religious spiritual autobiography, Inspirational Christian nonfiction, Encountering God stories, Finding God in suffering, Embracing the mystery of faith, Living with divine unknowing, Christian reflections on evil, Transformation through faith
Study Guide Questions
1. How do you encounter God in your daily life? At work? At play? In the nature around you?
2. Have you ever had a hierophany? How did you feel about it? How did it affect you long term?
3. Think about some unexplained positive things that have happened in your life. Could God have been present in those happenings? Why do you think that might (or might not) have been possible?
4. Considering the various characters met in this book, have you met any similar folks? Ones who boast about their spirituality but seem to display demonic traits instead? What do you think is going on? Ones who have had a direct demonic experience--and survived it, like Rollie in the book? If you feel so compelled, explore that experience more deeply with that person.
5. Reflect on your spiritual journey. Did it start at a high point or a low point? Were you born into your spirituality or did you convert into it? If the latter, what was the prompt? Have you experienced dry spells, valleys following mountaintop experiences, or long stretches of just business as usual? How have you responded to these? How do you wish you had responded? Where does your journey go from here? (Spend some time in prayer with this last reflection.)
For more "dive deeper" study guides, click HERE.
For more posts on A Believer-in-Waiting's First Encounters with God (Mahlou), click HERE.
For more posts about Elizabeth and her books, click HERE.
Read more posts about transformation HERE.
For more posts about religious conversion, click HERE.
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