Dear Corinne,
At the beginning of the New Year many people make New Year’s Resolutions. Some of these are more realistic and do-able than others! But choosing to set aside time for a daily reading and time of prayer is an excellent resolution. As is reviewing the available resources, to find one that is suitable for you at this stage of your journey.
Given that there are so many books/publications devoted to Daily Readings available, where do you start/how do you choose? Well, here are some that I have used and found helpful!
Let’s begin with the United Christian Broadcasters publication – Word for Today, which is written by Bob & Debby Gass. It is available free as a booklet, or you can sign up for it for free online, where it is called Coffee with God.
I was introduced to this by my son’s Godmother, who, when it was first published, kindly kept each issue for us while we were living in Bangladesh and then gave them to us when we returned to the UK each summer. We read the daily reading each day after our family breakfast and then prayed for each other and about the day ahead.
It became part of our family rhythm of prayer and when we returned to live in the UK we signed up for it ourselves and continued to use it until our children were no longer living at home!
The booklet is published four times a year and each edition lasts for three months. Each day there is a Bible verse and then a short comment on it. There are also two optional Bible readings, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament which you can read too. If you choose to do so you will read the whole Bible in a year!
At the beginning of the week there are suggestions of topics to pray for during the week. The booklet also contains the programme schedules for UCB Digital Radio and some short articles/testimonies.
You may be wondering why I have appreciated and valued this publication. Over the years that I have been reading Word for Today I have been amazed at:
- How often the daily reading has spoken into my circumstances and situation.
- How often it has provided me with guidance and/or confirmation about a specific issue that I have been pondering about.
- How often it has provided me with a word of encouragement and/or blessing.
Many of the written testimonies of people who have encountered God through these daily readings, also comment on how pertinent the readings have been for them and many tell of how hearing God speak to them, through the readings, has impacted their lives bringing change, redemption, renewal and restoration.
The subtitle on the front of each booklet reads:
ENCOURAGING WORDS EVERY DAY.
They are indeed and as Hebrews 4:12 reminds us: “For the word of God is alive and active.”
You may also be wondering if I am still reading UCB Word for Today…….to be honest there have been times when I have had a break from it, in order to read a different book.
But I am now reading it again daily, as part of my current rhythm of prayer/Bible reading. I read it after lunch with a cup of coffee!
I will send you a copy….read it and let me know how you find it!
with love,
