With 2021 quickly waning, many of us are beginning to think about a devotional approach for the year ahead. Some are looking for a resource that will serve as the main component of their devotions and others for something that will be merely supplementary. Either way, I’ve collected some of the resources I most recommend and hope you find something here that will serve you as you devote yourself to reading the Word of God in 2022.
Full-Year Devotionals
- Truth for Life by Alistair Begg is a new book that offers a full year’s worth of devotions.
- Morning and Evening is a full-year’s devotional. I recommend this version which has been slightly modernized by Alistair Begg. (Also consider Daily Treasure and The Promises of God, also by Spurgeon.)
- New Morning Mercies by Paul Tripp is very popular and available in a number of editions.
- Daily Readings from the Life of Christ by John MacArthur. (See also volume 2 and volume 3).
- For the Love of God by D.A. Carson offers devotional readings that follow the M’Cheyne reading plan. (See also volume 2.)
- ESV Men’s and Women’s Devotional Bibles have 365 devotions apiece and go well with the ESV Scripture Journals.
- A Journey Toward Heaven edited by Dustin Benge offers daily excerpts from the sermons of Jonathan Edwards.
- Come to the Waters by James Montgomery Boice will take you through a whole year of brief devotions.
- God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life by Tim and Kathy Keller offers daily devotionals from Proverbs (while The Songs of Jesus does the same for Psalms).
- Tabletalk magazine by Ligonier Ministries is always a great option for devotions and other reading.
Partial-Year Devotionals
- Knowing and Enjoying God by Tim Challies is my latest book and it offers 101 simple daily devotionals based around quotes.
- Comfort from Romans by Elyse Fitzpatrick offers a month’s worth of devotions from Romans.
- In the Lord I Take Refuge by Dane Ortlund features a short devotional on each of the 150 psalms. The psalms are fully reproduced within the book, meaning it can serve as both a Bible and devotional.
- Psalms by the Day and Isaiah by the Day by Alec Motyer are exactly what they sound like.
- Taste and See by John Piper offers 125 daily devotionals.
- Be Thou My Vision by Jonathan Gibson offers 31 liturgies for daily worship.
- Ligonier Ministries offers a 90-devotional on the 5 solas.
Topical Devotionals
If you are struggling in a particular area or eager to be taught in one, you may benefit from a topical devotional. Here I’d suggest the 31 Day Devotionals for Life series from P&R Publishing. They cover a number of key topics like Trusting God’s Promises, Putting God First, Fighting for Purity, and so on. I also recommend the short series by Lydia Brownback with volumes covering Trust, Joy, Contentment, and Purity and the short series by Keri Folmar which offers volumes on Faith, Grace, Joy, and Zeal. Those interested in some Old Testament study may appreciate Nancy Guthrie’s 5-volume Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament series, each of which covers 10 weeks of study. Some may also enjoy Leland Ryken’s 40 Favorite Hymns for the Christian Year.
Bible Studies
Some may enjoy structuring their devotions around a Bible study. While many of these are geared to small groups, they are equally suitable for couples or individuals.
Reformed Expository Bible Studies by P&R Publishing is a relatively new series and currently offers studies on 9 or 10 of the books of the Bible. Each study is 13 lessons long and each lesson is likely to take several days to complete. They nicely complement the sermon-based Reformed Expository Commentary series for those who wish to dive deeper.
The Good Book Guides from The Good Book Company feature a number of authors (e.g. Tim Chester, Al Mohler, Mike McKinley, Tim Keller) and quite a collection of books of the Bible. They pair well with the God’s Word for You series of general-level commentaries which are by the same authors.
Crossway’s Knowing the Bible series is based around 12-week studies and has now reached its full 45-volume length. The series was edited by J.I. Packer and Dane Ortlund and features a long list of authors that includes Jared Wilson, Greg Gilbert, Kathleen Nielson, Lydia Brownback, and Justin Holcomb.
The Let’s Study series by Banner of Truth has studies on quite a number of New Testament books written by authors such as Sinclair Ferguson, Derek Thomas, and Derek Prime.
Finally, Lydia Brownback has three new “Flourish Bible Study” volumes on Esther, Luke, and 1-2 Peter while Kathleen Nielson’s Living Word Bible Studies are available for 8 or 10 different books of the Bible.
As you can see, there is something here for everyone!
