Words for Life Daily Devotions

Welcome. We're so glad you're considering using the Words for Life Devotions. These devotions are designed to help you engage with, and delight in God's word on a regular basis.

Reading God's Word in the Bible is how we can get to know God, and along with praying, it's how we express our relationship with Him. Ofcourse we can do this with others, like in church or in a growth group. But there's something special, and indeed essential, about doing this 1-1 with our heavenly Father!

The format for receiving these devotions is via a dedicated, opt-in email.

Sign Up below now, or find out more using the FAQ

Do you want to help?

Are you interested in contributing to the devotional material?

Are you a good reader? Do you have technical skills in audio and IT? Would you like to help produce the podcast format of the Words for Life Devotions?

FAQ

How many emails will I receive?
We will be sending out one email for every weekday – Monday to Friday, and a special weekend edition containing the passage for church that weekend.  So that’s 6 per week. It will arrive in your inbox at 6am – but you can read it a time that suits you.
What can I expect in the email?
We’re aiming for a simple format:
Bible – Comments – Prayer
We’ll publish the relevant Bible passage (from the CSB). Then we’ll have some comments/reflections on the passage from a JAC member. The comments will usually be short and personal. It won’t be a thorough commentary on the passage read.  Then we’ll include some suggested wording for a short prayer, based on what’s been read.
Sometimes the comments/reflections will follow a consistent pattern, using sub-headings or questions. We will explain the structure when that appears. The purpose of this structure is to model how you could read through a Bible passage on your own, and generate your own thoughts on what God is teaching you.
How long will it take me?

We’re going for short and simple. We expect you’ll only need about 10 minutes. However, this will depend on the length of the Bible passage. Sometimes we might read a whole chapter of a certain Biblical book, such as in the Old Testament. At other times, it might only be a few verses.

Who is writing the devotional material?

Comments following the Bible passage will be written by a range of members of Jannali Anglican Church. This includes staff and non-staff members. There will be a range of men and women, different ages, from across different gatherings. Each email will tell you (and have a picture) who the author is.

Can I unsubscribe if I don't like it?

Yes, ofcourse. There will be a link in each email, to help you do this.

What topics or passages will be covered?
It won’t be random! And it won’t be aligned with the sermon series from church.
Our normal approach will be to work through books of the Bible, or sections of books. Normally, we’ll stay in one book for a few weeks (depending on the length of the book). From time to time, we will do some passages related to a topic or theme.
Is this designed for adults or children/families?

The emails are primarily designed for adults. There is no reason why you couldn’t read the same passage with your children and ask some simple questions like

  1. What’s one thing you found interesting in this passage?
  2. Do you have any questions about what we read?
  3. Is there anything God wants us to do or not do, based on what we’ve read.

In the future we are aiming to include material that is designed for families to use together

Will anyone know whether or not I open or read the email?

Not really. Our email system, Mailchimp does record who opens the email and when etc., but we won’t monitor that data closely.

Can I make suggestions or offer feedback?
Yes, we’d love to hear from you. Many people will have good ideas. We’ll consider them carefully, and will always aim to produce something that’s helpful for all. This means we may or may not integrate your feedback. But we will always listen to it.
There will be a link in each email to send feedback, or alternatively, you can contact [email protected] at anytime.
What tips can you give me to help me form a good habit?
Great question.
1. Pray for God’s help
2. Persevere in reading God’s word regularly. Habits are hard to form and easy to lose. Keep going, even if you miss a few days.
3. Try link your time for reading the Bible to another regular habit (like when eating breakfast, or your commute to work etc). It can also help our mind to develop a habit, to pick the same place in your home our workplace where you read the Bible.
4. Share this habit with others. Arrange with a friend or your growth group to all sign-up together. Then check in with each other and/or discuss what came up in a reading on a particular day
5. Some people find it to write some notes as they read and think. Maybe you could keep a notebook with your Bible.