Daily Devotionals: A Minor Time Investment Leads to Major Growth
Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing has yet been done.
C.S. Lewis
One of my most important habits is my daily reading. I wrote a previous post about how that practice originated with my pastor’s recommendation of “Jesus Calling.” As I saw how much that helped me, I found similar devotional books to add to my morning routine.
I first used the readings to program myself with good thoughts. Aristotle is attributed with the saying that “Nature abhors a vacuum.” So, rather than risk my soul getting filled with garbage, I sought the good and the beautiful. I started reading Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s “Positive Thinking Every Day,” which only takes a few seconds each day. I then discovered Dr. Peale’s “Thought Conditioners,” which rotates through 40 powerful Bible verses followed by a brief commentary. I later added Leo Tolstoy’s “A Calendar of Wisdom,” which has been a blessing. Tim Tebow also came out with a daily devotional last year that I am enjoying.
The daily readings are also great for fully absorbing content important to you. One of the problems I have with books is that I start forgetting about what I have read within a week of finishing the book. The daily readings have helped bake the lessons into my life. For example, I enjoyed Ryan Holiday’s books “The Obstacle is the Way” and “Ego is the Enemy.” Then he came out with “The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living,” which helped reinforce the lessons of such stoics as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus.
As I added more books to my daily routine, I quickly realized that I didn’t want to lug around all of these books. Even though I have many physical books, I bought the ebook versions for my iPhone to cycle through the various texts quickly. The ebooks allow me to read them wherever I am, even when traveling.
Email newsletters are terrific as well. I read the “Daily Guideposts” email from an organization Dr. Peale and his wife founded in 1945. The email contains a Bible verse and three short statements – to think, act, and pray. Jon Gordon and Ryan Holiday both have daily emails also. An inspirational flip calendar for your desk is another great quick input of inspiration for your day.
I added “The One Year Bible” from Tyndale House this past fall. Other than “Jesus Calling,” I had never read much from the Bible. Several months into this, I have enjoyed reading a daily entry from the New Testament and Proverbs.
As time goes on, you may need to make some adjustments. When I add a book or email, I usually need to remove something, or else it starts taking too much time. I like to keep it to fifteen minutes max in the morning and then read the emails as they come in during the week. I have read daily books for a couple of years and then replaced them with something else, only to return to them when I want a refresh.
I have pasted some recommendations below, along with a guide to their length.
* = Very quick, 1-2 sentence read
** = Medium daily read
*** = Longer read, about one page per day
But, if there is a topic you are interested in and don’t see it listed below, definitely search for it. You may be surprised that something out there exists in this format. I found the C.S. Lewis and Ralph Waldo Emerson daily books just this past year.
Good luck! I hope you find this habit to be as life-changing as I have.
Christian/Bible:
Jesus Calling – Sarah Young (**)
Positive Thinking Every Day – Norman Vincent Peale (*)
Thought Conditioners (Ebook) – Norman Vincent Peale (**)
Mission Possible: One-Year Devotional – Tim Tebow (**)
Daily Positive email – Jon Gordon (*)
The One Year Bible (NIV) – Tyndale House (***)
The Business of Heaven – C.S. Lewis (***)
C.S. Lewis' Little Book of Wisdom - C.S. Lewis (*)
Philosophy
A Calendar of Wisdom – Leo Tolstoy (**)
The Daily Stoic – Ryan Holiday (**)
Everyday Emerson – Ralph Waldo Emerson (*)
Parenting
The Daily Dad - Ryan Holiday (**)
Business
The Maxwell Daily Reader – John Maxwell (**)
The Daily Drucker – Peter Drucker (***)
History
The American Patriot’s Almanac – William Bennett and John T.E. Cribb (***)
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