Oh, how I love Jesus! I long to spend time with Him. It is only then that I feel such sweet peace. I try to spend time with Him, in communion with Him, daily or even several times a day.
Lately there seem to be a lot of devotional/prayer books that contain letters from The Lord. Most that I have seen are strongly based in Scripture.
My Bible is life to me. I long to be in it more. I recently made the Bible our main base for all of our homeschool studies. Devotionals and other Bible-based materials are great, but they are no substitute for the living, breathing Book of Life.
The books of prayer that have become popular, however, are such a great personalization for me. I'm enough of a romantic that the idea of love letters have always thrilled my soul. The Bible is a Holy-Spirit filled love letter, and the Devotionals compliment nicely.
I own Jesus Calling and Jesus Calling for Kids by Sarah Young. Both are encouraging and uplifting to read. My favorites are by the author, Sherry Rose Shepherd.
About a year after I surrendered my heart to Christ I had the privilege of briefly meeting Sherry Rose Shepherd. I had gone to women's convention in our state for the first time. I was pregnant with my now six year old. I was helping with some beauty products we were selling as a fund-raiser for our women's group when Mrs. Shepherd came up and greeted us.
She later signed not only a book I purchased for myself, but a devotional prayer book I bought for my young daughter at home. Mrs. Shepherd had authored them both.
My daughter was maybe six years old at the time. I read that wonderful princess book of prayers to her a lot. She soon was reading it on her own. She has read it over and over through the years. I am now reading it to the very baby I was pregnant with then.
I must have read the adult version of His Princess a few times. Now my seventeen year old has a copy that she reads often. I'm also reading His Princess Warrior and His Princess Bride.
Why do I love those books of letters? I love them because they are written in such a personal way. Written in the form of a letter, personalized with Dear Princess or Dear Daughter or other endearing terms, my heart is often touched. More often than not, the brief and encouraging short letters will actually deal with things I am going through.
When trying to make the Bible center to everything, trying to deepen my walk with the Lord, adding this on to Bible study and prayer time is a blessing. Unlike some letter-based Devotionals that are dated, I just randomly began these. Only God could arrange the "coincidences" that have occurred when I open one of these for encouragement in the midst of a busy day.
I've also been extremely blessed by the prayer books written by Stormie Omartian. I love prayer time. These books are great ways for me to feel I've not forgotten specific areas of prayer for my husband or daughters. Often I will begin the prayer in the Stormie Omartian book, only for the Holy Spirit to take me deeper in prayer for the one I'm praying for. Or, when I open one of the little prayer books, I begin praying for an area in the life of one I am praying for that needs prayer; but I don't find this out until later. Again, more of God's "coincidences". And, before anyone thinks that is silly, remember that the Book of Psalms are songs and prayers to The Lord.
Walking with The Lord is an adventure. Prayer books and Devotionals with letters from The Lord based on Scripture are incredible blessings daily as I seek His Presence, His guidance, and His Love.
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