As thoughts turn towards the new year, it is a good time to consider the subject of personal and family devotions and Bible Study. We are blessed today with a wealth of historic and contemporary resources to help and guide our time spent in individual and family study, but with such vast quantities of material, it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. Below, some EFCC pastors have made some recommendations that we pray you will find helpful as you consider how you spend your time in God’s word. Some of the older books may be out of print, but you can often find them in second-hand bookshops and online at ABEBooks, eBay or Amazon. The version of this article on the EFCC website includes links to places you may be able to purchase the resources and a place for you to add your own recommendations in the comments.
Wisdom of the Psalms and Proverbs
The Psalms and Proverbs are a wonderful source of instruction and encouragement. John Woolley (Libanus, Swansea) suggests Tim Keller’s year-long devotional books My Rock, My Refuge (H&S, 2018) on the Psalms, which is also recommended by Mike Plant (Middlesbrough), and God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life (Viking Books, 2017) on Proverbs. John says, ‘He can be so insightful and dissects our hearts and the world so well.’
I’ve been personally blessed by what Spurgeon calls ‘The best work on the Proverbs’ by 19th-century Evangelical leader, Charles Bridges (Banner of Truth, 2007). Although it’s a commentary and not laid out for daily devotions, he penetrates the human heart with his reformative pastoral analysis, applying the principles of Spiritual wisdom to earthly hearts.
In a similar vein, Mike also suggests A W Tozer’s The Christian Book of Mystical Verse. (Christian Publications 1963) Don’t be put off by the title! Tozer shares his favourite hymns and poems, what he calls ‘some of the best devotional verse the English language affords’.
From The Puritans
The Puritans provide us with a massive stockpile of incredible material. It’s no surprise that several resources have been suggested. These books are a great way to introduce yourself to the vast volumes of work by such giants as Bunyan, Baxter, Owen, Flavel, Watson, Swinnock and many more.
Several people mentioned The Valley of Vision (Banner of Truth 1975), a collection of prayers and devotions drawn from what the author describes as ’the largely forgotten deposit of Puritan spiritual exercises, meditations and aspirations. Rich and full of evangelical thought, it makes a great starting place for personal prayer and devotions
The two volumes edited by Richard Rushing, Voices from the Past I and II (Banner of Truth, 2009 and 2016) were also suggested by more than one person. These are year-long, dated daily devotionals taken from the works of various well-known and lesser-known Puritan authors. Day by Day With the English Puritans (Hendriksen, 2015) edited by Randall Pederson, is a similar work.
Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans (Lexham Press, 2019) is one of three volumes edited by Robert Elmer. The others are Grace from Heaven: Reformation Prayers and Fount of Heaven: Prayers of the early church.
Creeds, Confessions and Catechisms
The great faith statements of the church have long been a source of instruction to stir the soul and strengthen the heart. There are plenty of modern resources to help you get to know this important body of work at any age.
Kevin DeYoung’s little book, The Good News We Almost Forgot (Moody, 2010), explores the Heidelberg Catechism through 52 chapters. Daily Doctrine (Crossway, 2024), by the same author, is a one-year guide to Systematic Theology laid out as daily devotional readings.
Andy Stelmasiak (Bulkington) says his young children have really engaged with The Illustrated Westminster Shorter Catechism (Christian Focus 2022), particularly Joseph (aged 5).
The New City Catechism (Crossway, 2022) is a modern catechism designed to help children and adults alike learn the core doctrines of the Christian faith through 52 questions and answers. It includes a devotional commentary with contributions from contemporary pastors (Piper, Keller, DeYoung) as well as historical figures (Augustine, Calvin, Luther). There’s also a version for children.
Bible Reading Schemes
Devotional material is a great help to us day by day, but there’s nothing better for the soul than to simply spend time every day in the Word of God. There are many schemes to choose from, which will take you through the whole Bible. The three mentioned below can all be found for free online.
One of the classic reading schemes which takes you through the whole Bible in a year is Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s Bible Reading Calendar. It’s helpfully divided into two sections each day, one to read alone and one to read with your family.
If the idea of reading through the whole Bible in a year seems too much, Charlie Collins (Connsbrook Ave, Belfast) supplied his own daily reading scheme, which he gives to his congregation in Belfast. It’s based on Matthew Everard’s undated No Guilt Bible Reading Plan, which has no calendar to follow, just a series of boxes to check off as you work through the Bible at your own pace.
Chris Bennett (Hemel Hempstead) suggests the Navigator’s Book at a Time scheme, which he says is, in some ways, better than McCheyne, giving more time in each book, helping you discover the message of hope and the promise of redemption that runs through the whole Bible.
Good Children’s Bibles can be useful when teaching small children. Andy Stelmasiak describes The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos, originally published in 1935, as very good. The recent Banner of Truth edition notably contains no images of Christ.
Notable Mentions
- Bob Sheehan’s Daily Bible Readings from J C Ryle (EP, 1982)
- Alistair Begg’s Truth for Life (The Good Book Co. 2021)
- Jesus and Me: Devotions for Preschoolers (Authentic Media, 2021)
- 365 Days with Spurgeon (DayOne, 1998)
This article was first published in Infellowship 256
