Scripture never explicitly commands us to designate a set amount of time every day for prayer, Bible reading, and worship. And yet, for centuries, Christians have found regularly carving out time for those practices an important part of praying without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) and taking every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5). It’s a measure of God’s grace that he doesn’t command a specific methodology, but most of us—especially in a culture of perpetual time crush—need more structure.
A daily devotional can be a powerful personal discipleship tool for Christians at every stage of spiritual formation. Many free devotionals are available online, but I’ve found reading on a screen is often a pathway to distraction. Thankfully, Christian publishers continue to produce many excellent resources for different occasions. These seven recent devotional books will help you grow in Christ.
A daily devotional can be a powerful personal discipleship tool for Christians at every stage of spiritual formation.
1. Unto Us: 25 Advent Devotions About the Messiah by Jared Kennedy and Winfrey Brisley, eds. (The Gospel Coalition)
Many individuals and families have an annual tradition of doing devotions on the theme of Christ’s incarnation in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This collection uses the Scripture texts in the Christmas section of Handel’s Messiah as way of helping readers focus on the joy of our Savior’s birth. Whether Advent devotions are a new tradition or something you’ve been doing for years, this book can help reignite your wonder that God himself took on human flesh for our sake. [These are available in bulk at a substantial discount for your whole church.]
2. Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology by Kevin DeYoung (Crossway)
Systematic theology can be scary. Bavinck’s massive four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is well worth the investment, but the sheer number of pages seems daunting. Even modern single-volume texts can feel overwhelming. That’s why Kevin DeYoung’s bite-size, devotional approach to Reformed theology is so helpful. He’s written each day’s text to be accessible to the average reader. While no entry is the final story on any particular doctrine, each provides a helpful starting point that can deepen your understanding of the historic Christian faith and build your confidence to tackle more expansive theological exploration later.
3. Our Highest Good: 90 Days of Knowing and Loving God by Mary Wiley (B&H)
Mary Wiley’s 90 daily meditations on the doctrine of God will deepen your love for God by expanding your knowledge of his character. The devotions are focused on a Scripture passage that informs Christian theology. Wiley then explores that concept theologically, showing how the knowledge of God informs our daily lives. Everyone is a theologian; Our Highest Good is an accessible resource for becoming a better one.
4. God’s Great Story: A Daily Devotional for Teens by Jon Nielson (Crossway)
As a teen, I knew I was supposed to read the Bible consistently, but it was a hard habit to develop. It’s easy to start in Genesis, but it’s even easier to get bogged down in a confusion of names and ancient cultures that can be hard to understand. Resources like The Jesus Storybook Bible have helped many young Christians better understand the Bible’s bigger storyline, which makes pushing through the Old Testament much easier. Jon Nielson’s one-year walk through the whole biblical narrative is a tool that helps young believers take their appreciation of biblical theology to the next level. The readings don’t cover every Bible passage, but they offer a structured approach to navigating God’s grand narrative.
5. Sighing on Sunday: 40 Meditations for When Church Hurts by Megan Hill (P&R)
Churches are full of sinners, and sometimes those sinners hurt each other. When you’ve been wounded by other believers, it can be hard to get back over the threshold to join in corporate worship. But it’s so important that believers are invested in local communities to help each other grow in Christ. Megan Hill offers thoughtful, theologically astute devotionals geared toward helping believers process the grief that comes from church hurt. And, significantly, she encourages readers to overcome the fear of being hurt again and to return to fellowship with other believers.
6. Depression: Finding Christ in the Darkness by Edward T. Welch (P&R)
The black cloud of depression can come to any of us. It makes every activity harder, even the ones that we know can bring us out of the darkness. The concise, compassionate daily reflections in this short book can be an important tool in providing structure and helping those dealing with depression hang on to their hope in Christ. Welch’s volume is another entry in the ongoing P&R series 31-Day Devotionals for Life, each of which may be a useful topic resource for churches to keep on hand for distribution.
7. O Sacred Head, Now Wounded: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Pascha to Pentecost by Jonathan Gibson (Crossway)
For several years, Jonathan Gibson has worked with Crossway to produce guides for daily worship that walk through the church calendar. The 48 daily entries in O Sacred Head, Now Wounded provide selections from historical theological writings for daily meditations, Scripture readings, songs, excerpts from catechisms, and ancient prayers to celebrate Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in the days between Easter and Pentecost. These rich resources can be used flexibly, depending on available time and interest, to help Christians at every stage of maturity increase their delight in God’s goodness. This volume joins Be Thou My Vision and O Come, O Come, Emanuel as excellent resources for daily devotions.
The Gospel Coalition