When I finished the 40-Day prayer challenge last month, I wondered if I would ever find a new devotional book to replace Mark Batterson's The Circle Maker. The whole concept of drawing prayer circles in my life was profound, and the Holy Spirit used Batterson's writings to help reinvigorate my prayer life.
And then one morning, as I was perusing the shelves of our small church library, doubtful I would find anything to fit the bill, I came upon a devotional book by Ann Spangler called Praying the Names of God. Each day, Spangler invites readers to reflect upon a name of God mentioned in Scripture (Yahweh Yireh, Yahweh Rophe, El Shaddai, etc...). She then connects promises of God that are associated with those names in Scripture. And so now, I have a second written devotional resource that brings focus and inspiration to my morning quiet times!
Thank you Mark Batterson and Ann Spangler for taking the time to write these devotional books.
In the past, I had turned up my nose at devotional writers like Batterson and Spangler. I would say things like, "All I need is the Bible. I don't need these secondary writings." Or I would look at the marketing strategies surrounding such books and say to myself, "These authors are just trying to make a buck."
Since then, I have come to value the role of secondary sources, even if the authors turn on a profit on their work. The Battersons and Spanglers of the world take the Bible and make it come alive! And there are many Christian pastors and authors out there who have the gift of writing devotional books. Not all are created equal, but there are plenty to choose from. The trick is to find writings that speak to you for a few weeks, use them for a season, and then find another author.
Devotional authors, I have come to learn, are like friends for the journey, and who among us does not need friends?
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