Are you hoping to start a new or improved devotional reading habit in a new year? Wondering where you might start?

I tried for years to develop a daily devotional habit, and in the last couple of years, I finally found resources and a rhythm that work for me. In a different post, I will describe what my routine looks like and how I’ve been able to make it stick. (For now, I recommend Michael Hyatt’s No Fail Habits for some very practical tips on building habits and rituals.)

The main thing is to have some sort of guide or plan. Deciding each day what you’re going to read is a recipe for failure. Structure is key.

Below are some daily readings and devotional I highly recommend. Click the titles to view the product on Amazon, and click the sample pages for a larger view.

NRSV Daily Bible

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Want to read through the whole Bible in a year? This is a great resource. You’ll start in Genesis and end in Revelation. The length of each day’s reading can vary quite a bit. Each reading is followed by a passage from the text to meditate on, a quote from a prominent Christian writer, and a prayer.

Walter Brueggemann, Gift and Task

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No one who knows me will be surprised to see a Brueggemann book here. Each day contains multiple short readings from scripture, a brief prayer, and a reflection. The days follow the Christian calendar and can be a bit hard to match up. In addition, the actual text of each day’s scripture is not included, so you’ll need to look those up yourself. But if you’re looking for a good all-in-one package that includes scripture, prayer, and a devotional reflection, this is a good option.

Henri J.M. Nouwen, You Are the Beloved

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This resource compiles daily excerpts from the writings of Henri Nouwen, a respected theologian, writer, and member of the L’Arche community, where he worked with persons who have developmental disabilities. This resource does not have consistent scripture readings, so I recommend it as a companion to a daily scripture reading plan.

Frederick Buechner, Listening to Your Life

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This work by Frederick Buechner is much like the Nouwen book above: a compilation of excerpts from previous works. Buechner is a talented writer, so you’ll enjoy being introduced to many of his works. As with the Nouwen book, you’ll want to supplement this with a scripture reading plan.

Phyllis Tickle, The Divine Hours

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If you’ve ever wanted to explore the historic practice of fixed-hour prayers, this is a good place to start. This book, covering the fall and winter seasons, is one of three volumes in a series. Each day includes four sessions that take you through short readings, well-worn prayers, hymns, and other reflections. You might experiment with this for one week and see if you like this rhythm.

Eugene Peterson

Eugene Peterson, author of dozens of books and translator of The Message, has several daily readings worth your time.

God’s Message for Each Day

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This book includes a brief passage from Peterson’s Message translation and an excerpt from one of his other books.

A Year with Jesus

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This book includes a reading from Matthew or John, a reflection, and a prayer.

Praying with the Psalms

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Like the Year with Jesus, except the reading is from a psalm.

Which of these is most interesting to you? If you’ve tried one, let me know what you think.

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