I’m reading through a devotional book as assigned reading by our church as we start a capital-funds campaign. It’s a four-week daily devotional book about generosity, and it reminds me why I don’t like to read devotional books for devotions. It starts with a verse or two as the key verses, and then the author pontificates on the topic at hand. In this case, generosity.
Because I’ve been taught that you read your Bible for devotions, I first look at the verses at the top of the devotional. I know better than to study verses out of context, so I copy and paste the passage the verses are found in into a Word file from my online Bible. Then I examine the passage. I look for the main verbs of the verses and highlight them in blue. I look for cause-and-effect statements and write notes after them. I end up summarizing the passage and how it could apply to my life, and I pray God will help me apply what it says.
That part, I enjoy. Next, I read the devotional from the book, and I sometimes scratch my head. “How did he get that out of that?” I wonder.
I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading a devotional book. But I encourage those who read devotional books as their devotions to step it up another level and learn effective Bible study methods, because it’s the Bible and the Holy Spirit that God uses to teach and transform us. Then, let the devotional books be supplemental reading.
If you’d like some ideas on what to study for devotions in place of a devotional book, you’ll find some ideas to the right under “Quiet Time Ideas.” -- Jody