What do you use for daily devotions?

[Critters2]

I'm curious what, if anything, you use to guide your devotions. I use several sources--"Rejoice", from the Mennonite Church; the daily devotions from the i.ucc.org website, The Northumberland Community's _Celtic Daily Prayer_, and others as I come upon them.

I wondered what others find useful.

Thanks for any ideas!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. The Episcopalians have a quasi-official pocket-sized series called

"Forward Day by Day." It lists the lectionary readings for the day, a meditation on a passage from one of the day's readings, and sometimes a one-sentence prayer at the end. (It's written by different anonymous authors each month.)

[Critters2]

2. The UCC and PCUSA publish a quarterly official devotional

called "These Days". Honestly, I don't use it myself, because I don't want the ideas from These Days in my head as I work on my sermon each week. I sort of stay away from lectionary-based devotionals, so that my preaching is my own original work...and so my parishioners, many of whom use "These Days", aren't hearing the same ideas from the pulpit that they read during the week. But I encourage lay people to use it.

The American Baptists and Disciples of Christ co-produce a similar one called "The Secret Place".

The ECUSA one probably uses the daily lectionary, which is different from the weekly one, now that I think about it. So, it would probably avoid "idea bleeding". Maybe I should take a look at it.

[Ocracoker16]

3. The ECUSA uses the daily lectionary for Forward Day by Day

These readings are appointed for use in the daily offices. The daily lectionary has a 2 year cycle. We are in Year 1. I do use the Forward Day by Day for my daily devotions currently. I am pretty satisfied with it. You can read it on the Forward Movement web page for free. For a small fee you can have the wallet sized edition mailed to you. You can also receive it daily by email.

[Kat45]

4. I use the UCC's Stillspeaking Daily Devotional

I get it emailed to me every day.

[Critters2]

5. Yep, I use that and encourage parishioners to use it.

When we take in new members, I sign them up for it. And for UC News.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. I just read the Bible

Could never get into the devotional things, even the UCC ones.

I especially cannot abide those miserable Reader's Digest like ones - Open Room? Does that sound right? The ones that are better made than tracts, but are still pretty thin on actual theology and non-heretical thought.

I grab a Bible and a commentary sometimes, too.

I guess exegesis, or just plain old Bible reading, is my form of devotional.

[Coyote_Bandit]

7. I can't tell you the last time

I read a devotional of any kind. Don't like 'em. Don't like 'em at all.

But I have one of the less than basic versions of PC Study Bible which I ***really*** like. I've used it to set up a custom Bible reading plan. As I read, I can easily access other relevant materials. Commentaries, word studies, sermons, historical writings, general books. Most efficient, enjoyable and useful spiritual reading I have ever done.

[Adsos Letter]

8. I use Bible Gateway for online bible reading...

I like the ability to choose betwen versions. I try to read daily, and save some time for meditation, prayer, thanks-giving.

[Dinger]

9. Portals Of Prayer

They have a Bible verse, a story, and a prayer, all in one little page.:)

[Critters2]

10. Just looked it up. Seems good. Thanks.

Are you LCMS? There's a bunch of good souls here at DU who are LCMS. I wish the others would drop be here, but they seem to prefer hanging out in the Lounge. Nice to have you here.

[Dinger]

11. Yup,

LCMS. Little country church.