I love a good devotional, and frankly, Joyce Meyer does them best!

Each day, you read the scripture provided along with her words. Those words connect us to what we just read. Then you find more food for thought and extra scripture studies at the bottom. I value these parts most. After so many years of reading the Bible daily, you want someone or something to challenge you to really ponder what you believe. Whether it's what you believe about a situation, or how you should be with people. It can even consicously get you to seek out what you believe about God, even though you think you may already know. These challenges ensure your faith is in concrete.

Such a great book to help you attain affirmations of love from God each morning. At least, it is for me.

 

 

About the Book

 

Book:  Refresh Your Faith

Author: Lori Hatcher

Genre:  Devotional

Release Date: May 2020

Unfamiliar verses. Uncommon insights. Unlimited possibilities.

Move from biblical doldrums to dynamic discovery! While your favorite Scripture verses or stories may bring you comfort, if you’re feeling monotony in your time with God it’s time to shake it up a bit. Each of these 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions—one from each book of the Bible—spotlights an unusual verse or passage and takes only five minutes to read. If you have more time, you can dig a little deeper with an uncommon thought to ponder, unusual faith action step to take, and an unfamiliar passage suggestion that invites you to further explore the Bible’s hidden gems.
You’ll be challenged to think deeply, step out boldly, and grow dynamically, transforming your devotional time—and your life!

Praise for Lori Hatcher’s writing . . .

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman



Click HERE to get your copy!

 

About the Author

 

Lori Hatcher is a blogger, pastor’s wife, and women’s ministry speaker. She’s the editor of South Carolina’s Reach Out, Columbia magazine, president of Columbia Toastmasters, and regular contributor to magazines such as Christian Living Today and websites like Crosswalk.com. Her book Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time, won the Christian Small Publisher 2016 book of the year. Find out more about Lori and her well-loved 5-minute devotions at lorihatcher.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Read a Teaser from Refresh Your Faith

 

The dirty little secret in Christian circles is that many of us are bored with our devotional time. We know we shouldn’t feel this way. It’s important to read our Bibles every day. After all, it’s God’s Word, the source of truth, and life, and hope.

While some have successfully built the discipline of Bible reading into their lives, others struggle. Even those who regularly read their Bibles find it a bit dry at times. Many of us also read devotionals, not to take the place of Bible reading, but to help us discover unfamiliar passages and stories and benefit from a godly writer’s perspective.

I wrote Refresh Your Faith because I was frustrated by many of the devotionals I read. They seemed to focus on the same basic verses I’d memorized with my children twenty years ago. John 3:16, Romans 8:28, Psalm 23, Matthew 3:5-6. Same with the Bible passages and stories. I treasure the familiar verses and stories. I’ve held them close to my heart during some of the darkest times of my life.

But I knew there was more to the Bible than these well-worn favorites.

I reached a point in my spiritual life when I needed something new. If something didn’t change, my spirit was going to wither up. My time with God shouldn’t be something I did out of duty. I wanted to delight in God and His Word.

So I asked God to help me. I needed something to refresh my faith and energize my Bible reading. Wow, did He answer. I’d been reading through the Bible every year for more than a decade, but all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to passages I’d never noticed before.

These uncommon verses sparkled like gems. The more I read, the more I spotted them, tucked into obscure stories and buried under genealogies and census reports. I found some hiding out in plain sight—golden nuances and nuggets in the shadows of the more familiar stories.

Refresh Your Faith, Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible is a collection of the treasure I unearthed during my year of searching. Each story-driven devotion contains an unusual verse, a real-life application, and an uncommon faith step.

I hope my book will energize your faith, inspire your devotional time, and make you say, “Wow, I’ve never seen that before!”

 

 

My Review

 

There are a plethora of Christian devotionals available these days, in print format and online, and while finding one is relatively easy, finding the right one for you based on your spiritual needs is crucial and  can be overwhelming. As someone with this same struggle, I try to check out and review devotionals whenever I can in the hopes that at least one of them will speak to someone’s heart. With that in mind, I can highly recommend Lori Hatcher’s new devotional book, “Refresh Your Faith: Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible.” This is one of the most interesting devotionals that I have had the pleasure of reading.

“Refresh Your Faith” consists of one devotional for each book of the Bible, each written to take 5 minutes to read and reflect upon. An aspect of this book that I appreciate, and one that I’ve mentioned before in previous reviews, is that there are no chapter numbers or days pre-assigned to the readings. Instead, the chapter heading is comprised of the Bible book about which it is written, a title that gives insight into what the reading will be about, and a corresponding Bible verse. Following each reading is an Uncommon Thought that summarizes that day’s lesson and an Unusual Faith segment that brings the teaching home through personal questions and suggestions about how to accomplish what the Lord is calling us to do through that examination of Scripture. Each chapter concludes with listing a chapter or two from the Bible to look up and read. I like this setup because closing with Scripture allows readers to end with God’s Word fresh in their minds, and hopefully with a greater understanding of it.

Taken as a whole, this devotional uniquely provides an overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This is what I find most unique about it, and this is what especially attracts me to it. Because of how it touches upon every book of the Bible and thus gives a general overview of the Bible itself, this is an ideal choice for a devotional for both seasoned Christians and newcomers to the faith. In fact, since it focuses on the lesser-known Biblical figures and stories, this is a great resource for all Christian women!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

 

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About the Book

 

Book:  God Sees Her

Author: Our Daily Bread

Genre:  Devotional

Release Date: March 3, 2020

Following the overwhelming success and rave reviews of God Hears Her, we’re bringing you another devotional written by women for women to reassure you that God is with you. God Sees Her is a beautifully styled gift book containing 366 meditations with accompanying Scripture that speak to the heart of women.

The title comes from a story in an Old Testament book of the Bible—Genesis—where Hagar is on the run, alone in the desert with nowhere to go. The angel of the Lord finds her and calls her by name. After this encounter, Hagar exclaimed, “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). Women today need this same assurance . . . God sees you, God knows you by name, and God cares about every detail of your life.

Let these short Our Daily Bread devotionals written by women like you wash over your soul and remind you each day that God is near. The handy size, ribbon marker, and decorative cover make it perfect for gift giving to your girlfriends too.



Click HERE for your copy.

 

More about God Sees Her

 

This is a follow up to the successful 365-devotional, God Hears Her. So far, it’s moved more than 200,000 copies.

 

 

My Review

 

Timely and inspiring, “God Sees Her” is a collection of 365 short daily devotionals written by women for women and compiled by Our Daily Bread. Because a variety of women have contributed to this book, the writing style fluctuates, offering the benefit of different perspectives. As indicated by the title, the overarching theme of this devotional compilation comes from Hagar’s story in Genesis 16, in which she refers to God as El Roi, the God who sees me. Several of the devotional readings directly reference this name, and all of them emphasize the fact that God always sees us, even when we feel unacknowledged, and that because of this, we do not walk alone.  

“God Sees Her” is set up in the typical devotional style, with a brief reading for each date throughout the year. Each has its own title, below which is the Bible passage to read and a Scripture verse that correlates with the reading. Half of the reading discusses a personal story or observation from the author, then segues into the Biblical application. Those familiar with the Our Daily Bread devotionals will recognize this format, and it also matches that of the companion devotional, “God Hears Her.” These are suitable for women on the go, especially since the books are small and compact, and they provide a spiritual boost for the day. As such, this is a good devotional to supplement daily Bible reading, because spending time in God’s Word is essential every day!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

 

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