Recommended: Devotionals for Beginners
Daily devotionals are not meant to replace the Bible but to help you approach it with fresh eyes and a prayerful heart. For those just beginning the habit of daily reading, a good devotional offers short, accessible reflections that point you to Christ and ground you in Scripture. They’re not about lofty spiritual exercises or long theological arguments, but about steady encouragement in the ordinary rhythms of life.
Here are some of the best places to start:
Most Accessible
Every Season Prayers – Scotty Smith
Structured around the rhythms of life (morning, evening, special occasions), this devotional-prayer book provides words when you don’t know how to pray. It is biblically rooted, gospel-saturated, and especially helpful for beginners who want to learn prayer by praying.
The Songs of Jesus – Timothy & Kathy Keller
Walks through the Psalms day by day. The format is short: a few verses, a paragraph reflection, and a prayer suggestion. Clear, accessible, and deeply Christ-centered.
New Morning Mercies – Paul David Tripp
One page for each day of the year. Tripp’s voice is pastoral, honest about human weakness, and relentlessly gospel-centered. A favorite for those starting a daily habit.
A Step Deeper
Morning and Evening (Updated Edition) – Charles Spurgeon
Short readings for both morning and evening. The updated language editions preserve Spurgeon’s warmth and depth but remove the barriers of 19th-century English.
Daily Strength: A Devotional for Men – Edited by Sam Storms
Offers bite-sized devotional readings from Augustine, Calvin, Edwards, and other classic voices. Beginners get both accessibility and a gentle introduction to the riches of the church’s tradition.
Voices from the Past (Volume 1) – Edited by Richard Rushing
Daily excerpts from the Puritans, but carefully edited into short, readable entries. More challenging than Tripp or Keller, yet accessible enough for those ready to grow.
Voices from the Past (Volume 2) – Edited by Richard Rushing
The second in a series of daily excerpts from the Puritans, all carefully edited into short, readable entries.
Other Trusted Devotionals in the Evangelical Tradition
Daily Readings: The Early Church Fathers – Nick Needham (ed.)
A church historian, Needham introduces beginners to accessible devotional writings from the earliest centuries of the church.
The Valley of Vision – Edited by Arthur Bennett
Not a day-by-day devotional, but a collection of Puritan prayers. Many believers use it devotionally, either one prayer per day or alongside Bible reading.
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Disclaimer: The resources listed here have been selected because they offer particular value for Christian growth and understanding. Their inclusion does not imply full agreement with every statement or position taken by the authors. As with any book outside of Scripture, readers should exercise discernment, testing all things by the Word of God (Acts 17:11).