The Sad Little Secret in Christian Circles
Please welcome my guest, Lori, to our blog community. We met at a writers conference in North Carolina. And Lori not only reveals the sad little secret in this article, but also discusses her new devotional book that released April 13.
Furthermore, besides telling us the secret, Lori’s new book, along with a fresh breath from the Holy Spirit, helps electrify our quiet times.
By Lori Hatcher
The sad little secret in Christian circles is that many of us are bored with our devotional time. We know we shouldn’t feel this way.
Because of the importance to read our Bibles every day. After all, it’s God’s Word, the source of truth, and life, and hope.
While some 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.
So 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.
Don’t misunderstand me. I treasure the familiar verses and stories. I’ve held them close to my heart during some of the darkest times of my life.
Help for this Secret
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.
My time with God shouldn’t be something I did out of duty. I wanted to delight in God and His Word. @LoriHatcher2 #Devotional #Christian Click To Tweet
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.
And 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.
'Refresh Your Faith, Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible' is a collection of treasures I unearthed. Each story-driven #devotion contains an unusual verse, a real-life application, and an uncommon faith step. @LoriHatcher2 Click To TweetI hope my book will energize your faith, inspire your devotional time, and make you say, “Wow, I’ve never seen that before!”
Uncommon Devotion Titles
Here’s a few devotion titles and what each are about from Lori’s book.
Uncommon Mercy: Jonah. Uncommon Thought: What looks like judgment may instead be God’s mercy.
Pleasing the Mighty Warrior King: Isaiah. Uncommon Thought: The Great I AM is not frustrated by our frailties or impatient with our humanity. Instead, he willingly takes the place of a shepherd to lead with us through our earthly journey.
What God Is Doing in Your Crazy, Frustrating Life: Job. Uncommon Thought: As Christians bound to the earth by our mortality, we glimpse only the mere edges of God’s ways. And hear only small whispers of Him.
As Christians bound to the earth by our mortality, we glimpse only the mere edges of God’s ways. And hear only small whispers of Him. @LoriHatcher2 #Devotional #Christian Click To TweetRefresh Your Faith Video
Watch Lori’s short video clip about the devotional.
About Lori:
Lori Hatcher is the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine and the author of several devotional books, including Hungry for God … Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women, the 2016 Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year. Her most recent book, Refresh Your Faith – Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible released this week with Our Daily Bread Publishing. A blogger, writing instructor, and inspirational speaker, Lori’s goal is to help busy women connect with God in the craziness of everyday life. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God. . . Starving for Time. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
I hope you’ll check out Lori’s book and purchase it for you and your friends. Because I attest to how wonderful it is. And for more about reading all parts of the Bible, 4 Reasons the Bible’s not a Pick and Choose Buffet.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Literacy Musings/Tell His Story/Purposeful Faith/Recharge Wednesday/Worth Beyond Rubies/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected and Faith On Fire.
© 2020 Karen Girl Friday, All rights reserved
Thank you so much, Karen, for sharing Refresh Your Faith with your sweet community of readers. May God draw us all every closer to His heart. Sending a hug today!
Lori, it was my pleasure to have you as a guest and tell others about your wonderful book and message.Love and hugs!
Lori’s new book is amazing. The book is great for gift giving and great to read more than once.
Thanks, Melissa, for your kind words. Your support has been such a blessing. 🙂 ~Lori
This sounds like a devotional I’d simply love, Lori! Thanks, Karen, for allowing Lori to guest post here, and let us know about her book.
Blessings!
Martha, if you’re a busy lady who wants to draw closer to the Lord, I think it would be a perfect fit. Thanks so much for commenting today! ~Lori
I’ve read Lori’s book and it’s outstanding!!! Karen, thank you for sharing so others know about it, too. You are a blessing.
Jessica, you have the gift of encouragement, and you have encouraged me today. May Refresh Your Faith do the same for you, sweet friend! ~Lori
Loved this blog and I will check it out.
Yvonne, I’m so glad my simple words touched your heart today. Sending a hug your way! ~Lori
I’ve enjoyed reading, reviewing, and re-reading Ms. Lori Hatcher’s latest book, Refresh Your Faith. Am certain I’ll be reading it several more times, as each time I do I discover a new “gem of understanding.” Thank you for sharing this inside look Ms. Karen; and thank you for sharing your soul with us in your book Ms. Lori. God’s blessings ladies.
J.D., you’re right, Karen has blessed us both (and hopefully her readers) by echoing the cry to draw closer to Jesus through blogs like this, God-centered books, and His Word. ~Lori
Thanks for sharing Karen. It sounds like a super book well worth exploring!
I agree, Valerie, Karen’s a sweetheart to share Refresh Your Faith. I’d love for you to check it out. 🙂 ~Lori
Sounds like a book to add to my TBR list! I need a new book of devotionals.
Laurie, I’d be honored if you’d add Refresh Your Faith to your reading list. Be blessed! ~Lori
I look forward to reading your devotional, Lori! I like that it uses out-of-the-ordinary verses. Thanks so much for sharing more about it here.
Thanks, Cathy, yes – asking the Lord to show me uncommon verses and passages was like a spiritual treasure hunt. I hope you enjoy the fruit of my search J. ~Lori
So good to see you here, Lori, and to hear about your new book! We met at last year’s Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference. This sounds like a great resource.
Hi Barbara! I remember you from CCWC. Thanks so much for your well wishes. Hope to see you again soon! ~Lori
The devo sounds great!
Lauren,
Thanks! I pray it’s a blessing to many. If readers get half as much out of it by reading it as I did by writing it, they’ll be filled up with spiritual truth. You know what they say about the teacher always learning more than the students. 🙂 ~Lori
It looks like another great book to read. I totally understand where Lori is coming from when it comes to devotionals. Indeed, anything we read concerning the word of God can give us something to learn, but it is true that if we only focus on a few verses over and over, we miss the treasure of all of scripture. I love it when authors bring out the ‘not so well known’ passages and share their insights.
Marcie, YES! You are right. We miss so much when we limit our spiritual diet to only a few choices, especially when God has provided a spiritual banquet. ~Lori
Amen, Preach HIS WORD in Season and Out of Season!!
( https://kristiann1.com/2019/04/15/exodus-35-6-kjv-and-more-blessings/ )!!
Love Always and Shalom ( Peace ), YSIC \o/
Kristi Ann
Krsiti Ann Amen right back at ‘cha! ~Lori
This devotional sounds wonderful! And how right you are about this sad little secret — it can sometimes be a struggle, but it’s always worth it. Books like this certainly help!💖
Jessie Mattis I agree. I’ve never dug into God’s Word and regretted the time I spent there. But like anything else, the results are worth the effort. ~Lori
I love Lori’s candor about a subject that isn’t talked about much. Her book sounds wonderful. I remember attending one of her classes at BRMCWC a few years ago.
Thanks for sharing, Karen!
HI Beckie Lindsey! So nice to see you again. I hope our paths cross again soon! I’ll be heading up the non-fiction track at Florida Christian in October. Blessings on your writing. 🙂 ~Lori
I love how God cares about the details of our hearts and that He answers prayers like those! It’s so hard to go through dry spells, but I’m thankful God is by our side, even when we might not feel Him. Thanks for sharing those devotional titles with us!
Emily, you said it well: “I love how God cares about the details of our hearts and that He answers prayers like those!” God’s tender heart toward us is one of the sweetest things about our relationship with our heavenly Father. Thanks for stopping by today. ~Lori
This sounds like a much needed devotional. There have been times in my life when devotions just seemed hard, but since I have journaling through the passages I read, it has really drawn me closer and I look forward to my times of devotions each morning. Blessings to you! I’m a neighbor at Grace & Truth this week.
Gayl,
I’ve found this to be true too. I regularly journal my prayers and thoughts to make my quiet time more of a conversation than a monologue—and one of the best parts of my day. 🙂 ~Lori
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Lori. God’s Word is filled with such richness and personal implications and applications that we do well to focus in on it, to see his message there to us, to remember how very personal and meaningful these conversations are with him speaking to us directly from his Word.
Melinda,
You captured the essence of what a conversation with God looks like – a two-way exchange between people who love each other. Nothing sweeter! ~Lori
Karen and Lori, this sounds like a great devotional book. Sometimes we do need a new perspective in our Bible/devotional time.
Lori, the reasons that brought you to write this book resonated with me. We can get dry in our devotional times. I love how God both met you in your place of dryness and inspired you to write what you learned.
This book sounds like one that will provide that new perspective.
Bored? How could you be bored? That’s the first thought when I read the opening lines of this post. I don’t get bored in my devotional time but that’s just me. Not everyone is wired the same. I am an intellect and love pursuing the life of the mind through the mysteries of the Gospel. There is just so much more to learn about God’s plans for humanity that I find it hard to believe folks could get bored. But again, I am an academic geek. And absolutely we have dry times that this devotional could help us overcome. God bless you!
I agree we shouldn’t be bored with our devotional time. I can get stuck on a book I choose, thinking I have to finish it. But for the most part, I don’t get bored with my time. This looks like a great book. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for commenting on Lori’s post, Maree dee. The devotional is awesome as I’m still currently making my way through it. Lori is sure speaking truth when she says she found some fresh insight!
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