We start ‘morning time’ everyday by reading a devotional over breakfast. I often get asked what devotionals we use in our home. So I decided to create a list of our favorites!
Here are our top 8 picks and a quick review about each of them.
1. The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New
My ABSOLUTE favorite, by far! I cannot stop raving about The Ology whenever someone asks me about it and I can’t stop recommending it either. I admit I hesitated purchasing this at first because of the cost and it didn’t seem too attractive overall at first but I’m so glad I took the dive and bought it.
The Ology is a book that teaches kids basic theology of the Christian faith. It tackles one truth per day and covers everything about God (that he is eternal, three persons, etc.,) sin, the Bible, Jesus and the cross, the church and even about revelation. It’s packed with sound doctrine but it’s presented in a very conversational manner so it’s not intimidating.
I also love that though the book is for kids, it doesn’t talk down to them. In other words, it’s perfect, really! If you were thinking of getting only one book to invest in, this is the one. I told you I can’t stop raving about it! Hehe.
You can start reading it to preschool-aged children (Started with Luke when he was 3.5) and it will still be relevant when the kids are older. Actually, Mor and I surprisingly learned quite a bit as well as we were reading it to Luke!
Shared about this book in depth here: The Ology: Why This is Our Favorite Devotional for Kids
2. Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name
The Jesus Storybook Bible is highly recommended by so many Christians in the online community. At first, I was a little apprehensive about it because of two things:
One, the tone of the text is very casual; too casual, for my taste. Second, the book takes a lot of liberty in adding things that are not in the Bible. Nothing major, but it gives a lot of emphasis on emotions. My son asked me at one point “Did God really say that in the Bible?” and I had to say “No, there’s nothing in the Bible that says God said it that way.”
However, those apprehensions may actually be part of the reasons why it’s such a hit with my son. The way the stories are phrased makes him laugh and the added details make the story very relatable and memorable. We also have this in audio format, which we listen to it in the car. One of Luke’s favorite parts is the story of The Tower of Babel where a line goes like this:
“Suddenly, no one understood what anyone else was saying. Someone would say “How do you do?” and the other person thought they said, “How ugly are you!” It wasn’t funny. You could be saying something nice like, “Such a lovely morning!” and get a punch in the nose because they thought you said, “Hush up, you’re boring!”
Now you get why my 4 year old loves it right? Haha. I don’t blame him.
But the one thing that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE about The Jesus Storybook Bible is that each story is tied to the Gospel message. All the stories point to Jesus. It gives emphasis on how Jesus is central and how He is the reason for everything, which is really what the Bible is all about.
And so this is why, despite all my apprehensions, I have grown to love this book after finishing it. Now, I really wholeheartedly recommend it. I consider it a wonderful addition to our collection.
3. ABC Bible Verse: Hiding God’s Word in Little Hearts
I’ve also shared about this book already previously. Even after a year, it still remains a favorite!
ABC Bible Verse tackles one Bible verse a day and it is accompanied by a story about the two kid: Missy and Bill. This book has been effective in helping us teach about character. There have been many instances wherein I would ask Luke “Remember when Missy and Bill did this…?”
Thank you Missy and Bill for being good role models for my son!
Also, Luke has memorized and understood the meaning of a lot of Bible verses because of this book and I love that.
Note: I initially mentioned in my previous article about how I change the wordings for Luke but at 3.5-4 years old, I didn’t have to do that anymore. Now we love it for what it really is haha.
There’s another one in the series called ABC Bible Verses in the Psalms and I plan on getting that next time. (UPDATE MAY 2020: We just finished this and it was wonderful!! Highly recommended!)
4. Big Truths for Little Kids
From the same author of ABC Bible Verse, Susan Hunt, comes a devotional that’s fit for kids that are a little older. Our 4 year old appreciates the stories and lessons in Big Truths for Little Kids. But kids 5 and up may benefit from it more fully, especially with the catechisms.
Similar to the style of ABC Bible Verse where we follow Missy and Bill, here we follow the lives of two kids named Cassie and Caleb. Instead of Bible verses though, each chapter focuses on catechisms (instruction in the basic doctrine of the Christian faith).
What I love about this book: It’s a great way to teach catechisms to kids. The stories are interesting for the child and the lessons in the stories are very clear. The characters are very memorable and I’ve found my son asking me related questions that popped in his head, long after our devotional time.
5. Cassie & Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design
And the sequel to Big Truths for Little Kids, “Cassie and Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design” features an older Cassie and Caleb. The book focuses on this verse: that “God created man in his own image . . . male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27)
It’s similar to Big Truths for Little Kids so if you enjoyed that, this is a great next book to read after.
I got this as a Kindle e-book because I got a good deal for it on Amazon (check out the listing; it might still be there!) And I’m actually glad I have a devotional for the kids on my Kindle; I have used it countless times when we are out together.
6. The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible
Perfect for toddlers and as a beginner’s Bible, The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible features bright illustrations and very easy to read stories. My favorite thing about this book is that they introduce stories that are not usually found in other children’s Bibles.
Everybody knows Noah’s Ark, Adam and Eve and Jesus’ Birth but few of our kids are familiar with the story of Ruth and Naomi or of Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego, for example.
I have previously mentioned this book already as well, and you may read more about the book when you click on the link.
7. Indescribable: 100 Devotions for Kids About God and Science
Best suited for kids 5 and up, Indescribable introduces science concepts and relates it to God. Some of the concepts tackled are a little more advanced so it may be relatable to younger kids. Nevertheless, my 4 year old enjoys the short passages and is amazed at a lot of the fun facts tackled.
Each entry is pretty short. It follow the format of usual devotionals; no fictional characters or stories involved.
Overall, it’s a great book. Sometimes though, I find it too short, or as though it “lacks a little something.” So, I occasionally supplement our morning reading with a passage from another book like The Ology or Jesus Storybook Bible.
8. Our Daily Bread for Preschoolers and Kids
Luke’s first devotional was Our Daily Bread for Preschoolers. Very short and very simple, it’s perfect for kids below 4. It’s a great introduction to the Bible and a good way to introduce the habit of reading daily devotions with your child.
We recently purchased the version for older kids, Our Daily Bread for Kids, and so far, we are also enjoying it. This one has 365 entries; one for each day in the year. Each page contains the passage, a Bible Verse to read, a fun fact and a prompting to read more of the Bible.
The thing about Our Daily Bread books for me is that the topics and stories presented are very general and would please majority of the Christian community. As mentioned, it’s a great non-threatening introduction especially for families that are new to the faith.
However, if you are looking for something more in-depth or with “meat,” you may want to try the other books mentioned above!
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Where to Buy:
I get my books from any of these places: Amazon, Book Depository and an online store called Katecheo.ph (they are temporarily on hiatus though.)
If you live in the Philippines, I recommend getting the books from Book Depository because they offer free shipping and will deliver straight to your doorstep. Check out this article that I wrote about my Book Depository experience.