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The following reviews are based solely on my opinion from having read through the content and gathered feedback from other like-minded moms. Some of the age ranges were taken from the author’s description, while others are my own opinions based on the vocabulary level, amount of words used in the text, and observations from having used them with children. Be sure to check back for more great resources to come!
Family Devotionals
Talking Point Cards
By: Ben Jones
Talking Point Cards
Best for ages 5+
We received these Talking Point Cards from my sister-in law for Christmas, and my 11 and 13 year- old kids REALLY look forward to dinner time where they can choose a card, read it to the family, and then take turns answering the questions as we eat dinner together! There are four different topics: Your Faith Journey, Personal Beliefs, World Around Us, and Biblical Truth. I love how it gives our kids an opportunity to talk about their faith and practice sharing their faith with others. It also opens up great discussion as a family on spiritual topics and allows us to encourage and shape our kids in their understanding of Biblical matters. The questions are great for kids as young as 5, but some questions will work best for older kids or will need to be reworded for younger children to understand.
The Purpose Driven Life Devotional for Kids
By: Rick Warren
Zonderkidz
Best for ages 8-12
Well known author Rick Warren has created a Purpose Driven Life devotional for families to do with their children. A mom I know who serves in children’s ministry is using the devotional with her children this year to start their homeschooling day and is loving it! She likes the way it is organized and the message it delivers, centered around God’s purposes for His children. She says the real life application has sparked many fruitful conversations with her boys. Each day has a Bible verse, a message with relatable examples that kids commonly face, and a concluding prayer. There are sections focused on service and missional life, making it a great devotional to encourage children to be missional minded as well!
180 Prayers to Change the World
By:Janice Thompson
Barbour Kidz
Best for ages 8-12
This devotional will get your kids praying for their friends, families, neighborhoods, schools, cities, country, and beyond. Kids will be inspired by how they can make a difference through their prayers. The “Be the Change” sections after each prayer will also encourage children to be “doers of the Word” as they hear practical ways to be a light to the world around them.
Kingdom Family Devotional: 52 Weeks of Growing Together
By: Tony Evans and Jonathan Evans
Focus on the Family
Best for ages 5-15
This devotional, based off of Tony Evan’s “Kingdom” series, is a virtue-based devotional that is perfect for the whole family! There are 52 topics, one for each week of the year, and 5 devotionals for each week. Topics such as love, respect, salvation, prayer, giving, family, and friends are discussed, and families are encouraged to grow in their knowledge and desire to live for God. Each Friday includes a “Fun Friday” activity that allows your family to do something fun while learning about the topic from the week. I know a family going through it together, and they love the practical examples and believe their kids are learning from it.
The One Year Book of Josh McDowell’s Family Devotions: A Daily Devotional for Passing Biblical Values to the Next Generation
By: Josh McDowell, Bob Hostetler
Tyndale House Publishers
Best for ages 10-17
This devotional was recommended to me by a friend, and it seems to be a great for families to discuss together and focuses on encouraging children to make wise choices and grow in Biblical character. Each month has focused virtues, and each devotional has a scenario-type story that relates to that virtue, giving children real life examples to help them learn how to stand firm in their faith and do the right thing in different situations. Every reading also contains a Bible reading, discussion question or call to action, and a prayer.
Case for Christ for Kids 90-Day Devotional (Case For… Kids)
By Lee Strobel, Jesse Florea
Zonderkidz
Best for ages 8-12
This devotional is based off of the famous Case for Christ book by Lee Strobel. A good friend of mine read it with her kids at age 8 and 10, and she thought it was a great book for teaching them the fundamentals of the Christian faith and why we believe what we do. Each devotional discusses a thought provoking truth about God’s Word by using fun examples and stories. The lessons help children understand the validity of our faith in Jesus by looking at historical facts, personal stories, and research in a fun way that even kids can grasp.
Field Guide to Bible Promises
By: Helen Haidle and Martin Lemmelman
Zonderkidz Publishers
Best for ages 6 and up
I borrowed this devotional to try with my kids, and I have enjoyed it so much! It has 18 lessons on specific promises of God, such as how God takes care of us and answers our prayers. Each lesson has a true testimony from a child and their family about how God kept His promise in an amazing way, and the stories are very faith building! Next there is a discussion about how the promise relates to your child, followed by a Bible story related to that promise. At the end of each lesson are questions to get your child thinking about how to trust in God’s promise, an “Always Remember” section with truths, and Bible verses related to the promise. This book could be done as a family devotional or for your child’s personal quiet time if they are able to read chapter books. This is a very faith building book, and I think I enjoyed it as much as the kids!
A Kid’s Guide to the Armor of God
By: Tony Evans and Jonathan Evans
Harvest House Publishers
Best for ages 8-12
Many Christians today neglect to remember the spiritual battle in life and prepare their kids for the spiritual warfare surrounding them. A good friend of mine went through this devotional with her kids and loved it! She felt that the book explains the armor of God and spiritual warfare in an age appropriate way that teaches the basics of the battle and the importance to standing firm against Satan’s attacks and lies. Tony Evans discusses each piece of armor and what it stands for and explains why it is so important to wear our armor to protect ourselves. Your kids will learn how to speak truth, stand firm in their faith, and be bold at sharing God’s message with others.
One Year of Dinner Table Devotions and Discussion Starters: 365 Opportunities to Grow Closer to God as a Family
By: Nancy Guthrie
Tyndale Publishers
Best for ages 6 and up
We bought this devotional to do with our family this year around the dinner table, and I have been highly impressed so far. The content is so relevant to today’s world, and the questions are really thought provoking and encourage deep discussions that even my husband and I enjoy. Some questions and topics are geared more towards older kids, but younger elementary can still learn from this devotional too. Even for our 5 year old son who is probably not at the ideal age, there are still truths that he can grasp from each topic that we can relate to his little world. Each day includes a brief topic-based devotional, scripture readings, and three discussion questions. The devotion can be be done very easily over a short dinner, yet the questions can lead to lots of great spiritual discussions that you may not think to have during your typical family dinner time. This family devotion is great for elementary students who have a basic foundation in Bible truths and is very applicable for middle and high school students as well!
Want a different version of Parenting with Scripture..see below:
Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments
By: Kara Durbin
Moody Publishers
Best for ages 5 and up
A couple of Christian moms recommended this book to me, and it sounded so amazing, I just had to buy it. As a mom who has a passion for training children to become like Jesus in character, this book is at the top of my list. I love how the author uses scripture as a guide for our kids to learn how to display godly character. Each topic includes a character trait (positive or negative), its definition, several verses related to the trait, discussion questions, challenges for application, and a parenting tip. This book can be used as a family devotional, perhaps weekly to have time to apply each truth, or it can be used as a resource guide as specific traits or attitudes come up that you want to work on with your child. I will be referring to this book as a resource frequently as I discuss ways to teach character traits each month.