Challenge yourself to shake off spiritual apathy by digging into unfamiliar and often overlooked Scripture passages. Each of these 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions—one from each book of the Bible—spotlights an unusual verse or passage and only takes five minutes to read. Then dig a little deeper with an uncommon thought to ponder, an unusual faith action step to take, and an … unfamiliar passage suggestion that invites you to further explore the Bible’s hidden gems.
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A devotional like none other I have experienced. Each devotion brought calm and peace as I read, thought about the reading and considered my daily walk with God. This book made me want to slow down and truly absorb the words. From personal stories to Scripture examples, this is a book I will read more than once. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required.
Let’s face it, sometimes even things we know are good and necessary for our well-being can become monotonous or shall I dare to say it – boring or stale. At various points in my Christian life, I have found it becomes easy to look at my devotional time as just another box to check off my to-do list. Yet that is exactly when I try to dig in deeper or shake up my devotional time in some manner.
This devotional can do exactly that. As I started reading the beginning of this book, I found myself agreeing with the author on her thoughts. A number of years ago our family attended a church where every January the pastor challenged his flock to read through the Bible with him. I took the challenge, and I am glad I did so. This book is another one of those things I am glad I took the opportunity to do or read.
These devotionals may not be the longest, but the words are powerful words. From the opening of each devotional with a verse of Scripture to the devotional itself to the Uncommon Thought section to the Unusual Faith section to a longer passage of Scripture for you to read, this book offers some wonderful insights about people and verses you may not have concentrated on in the past. So if you are looking for a devotional to shake up your time with God, check out this book for yourself.
I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS DEVOTIONAL
Even though I read the title of this Devotional, I was expecting the usual devotions. Most of the Devotionals are key verses throughout the Bible which are all really good. But this one has a twist to it. It has a devotion from each book of the Bible. And author Lori Hatcher pick an uncommon verse from each book and gives her take on it. She uses many of her own stories to explain each devotion. And I enjoy that she does it in a simple down to earth way so everyone can understand.
I like the three statements at the beginning of this book description, Unfamiliar verses. Uncommon insights. Unlimited possibilities. This is an excellent way to describe this Devotional. And really, I like reading this book as a regular book, like a novel. Only its non fiction. I hope we will see more books like this from this author. She sure captured my attention in the things I read from this book. If you are looking for some new devotions, or maybe you want to know some different things in the Bible, uncommon things. This is the book you need to check out.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
There are a plethora of Christian devotionals available these days, in print format and online, and while finding one is relatively easy, finding the right one for you based on your spiritual needs is crucial and can be overwhelming. As someone with this same struggle, I try to check out and review devotionals whenever I can in the hopes that at least one of them will speak to someone’s heart. With that in mind, I can highly recommend Lori Hatcher’s new devotional book, “Refresh Your Faith: Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible.” This is one of the most interesting devotionals that I have had the pleasure of reading.
“Refresh Your Faith” consists of one devotional for each book of the Bible, each written to take 5 minutes to read and reflect upon. An aspect of this book that I appreciate, and one that I’ve mentioned before in previous reviews, is that there are no chapter numbers or days pre-assigned to the readings. Instead, the chapter heading is comprised of the Bible book about which it is written, a title that gives insight into what the reading will be about, and a corresponding Bible verse. Following each reading is an Uncommon Thought that summarizes that day’s lesson and an Unusual Faith segment that brings the teaching home through personal questions and suggestions about how to accomplish what the Lord is calling us to do through that examination of Scripture. Each chapter concludes with listing a chapter or two from the Bible to look up and read. I like this setup because closing with Scripture allows readers to end with God’s Word fresh in their minds, and hopefully with a greater understanding of it.
Taken as a whole, this devotional uniquely provides an overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This is what I find most unique about it, and this is what especially attracts me to it. Because of how it touches upon every book of the Bible and thus gives a general overview of the Bible itself, this is an ideal choice for a devotional for both seasoned Christians and newcomers to the faith. In fact, since it focuses on the lesser-known Biblical figures and stories, this is a great resource for all Christian women!
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
Sometimes we drift from the excitement for God’s Word we once held. In “Refresh Your Faith,” Lori helps bring the joy and wow-factor back to our Bible reading. She uses overlooked stories and passages in Scripture to bring fresh light and truth to applicable areas of our lives. If your faith and devotional time need a boost or something different, this is the devotion for you.
I love devotionals and Refresh Your Faith is one of the best that I’ve seen lately because each devotion is based on a different book of the Holy Bible. Author Lori Hatcher has written sixty-six devotions centered around scripture that is often lesser known and they all end with the same sections: Uncommon Thought, Uncommon Faith, and Read (even more Bible scripture to read)!
The topics covered include hope, trust, forgiveness, and God’s love, but there are also mentions of pride, jealousy, and the poor choices that we sometimes make. I was especially touched by the devotion based on Lamentations 3: 31-33 and Hatcher’s story of a friend who suffered a fatal disease as a result of poor choices. The ‘Uncommon Thought’ of the devotion “Does God Delight in Our Suffering?” reminded me that “God never celebrates when the results of our disobedience wreak havoc on our lives. Instead, he weeps with us.” Isn’t it reassuring to know just how much He cares?
My knowledge of God’s Word has certainly increased from adding this book to my devotion time and I highly recommend it for personal Bible study. I can also see Refresh Your Faith as a wonderful resource for a group Bible Study!
I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit. There was no obligation to post a positive review. These are my own opinions.
I love the concept behind this devotional. To bring out some of the verses that are often overlooked and underappreciated. The Bible is full of so many wonderful verses and it’s high time we focused on them a bit more!
This is a unique devotional and I enjoyed reading through it. I will definitely enjoy slowing down and savouring the bits and pieces throughout as I reread the book with a devotional a day.
I highly recommend this devotional to anyone looking for a devotional but especially for those who do often read devotionals and might want something a bit unique, a bit off the beaten path.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Refresh your Faith, uncommon devotions from every book of the Bible, by author Lori Hatcher is a unique devotional. The author uses scripture from each of the sixty-six books of the Bible and molds a refreshing, inspiring devotion around them. Be prepared to become enlightened.
Most of the devotionals that I have read draw upon the same, favorite, and familiar scriptures. This one is the exception. It is a breath of fresh air. I was given a sampling of lesser known books and scripture to help deepen my daily Walk. The lessons stayed with me long after I had finished them.
The style of writing is personal and soothing. It was easy to imagine discussing scripture and stories over a glass of iced tea with this author. Her devotions are smooth and clear. They give insight and inspiration. I will definitely read this book again.
This would make a lovely gift for anyone – man or woman, any age, no matter where you are in your Walk. I highly recommend this. Be sure to get a copy for yourself, too. It is certainly different but in a good way. I gladly give it a 5 out of 5 star rating. A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but these are my honest words.
I loved this book by author Lori Hatcher. A different look at each book of the Bible through devotions. I enjoyed how she brought out often overlooked people or passages in each of the books.
At the end of each chapter, she gives us a thought to ponder, a question to answer and scripture to read.
A nice new concept on a devotional book. And a nice way to find new gems in the books of the Bible.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of the book with no expectation in return. The thoughts above are my own and in my own words.
This devotional book varies from the norm since it offers a devotional from every book of the Bible. Each starts with a less-common verse from the featured book then moves into an anecdote or thoughts from the day’s passage. The book would make a good one for family devotions or to use as you read through the Bible—you could read the selected book’s devotional before or after reading that Bible book. I appreciated the author’s insights and personal sharing. She sounds knowledgeable and personable. This book can help you get to know the Bible better and discover some things you may not have noticed before. I like the insightful titles for each devotional too, such as “Spiritual Sandpaper” and “The Tricky Part about Being Deceived.” The first entry really piqued my interest with its two questions, one from the Old Testament, “Where are you?” and the answering question from the New Testament, “Where is He?” I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.
Finally someone has written a devotional where almost forgotten Books of the Bible are brought to the surface. How often do we hear anyone talk about the book of Micah or Zephaniah? We are all familiar with the story of Adam and Eve but what if we studied it with different scriptures? Would we then get to glimpse what the Bible was about? I love this devotional because it is not the typical scriptures many of us are accustomed to. It gets us out of our comfort zone and helps us gather new insights that we have not studied before.
The author takes us through the sixty-six books of the Bible using little known Books of the Bible and scriptures to refresh us and deepen our knowledge. I loved how the author uses examples we can all relate to and at the end of every chapter are sections called, Uncommon Thought and Unusual Faith. These are wonderful nuggets to feed our hunger for more truth and understanding of His Word. As a bonus the author also includes specific scriptures or entire books from the Bible to study on our own.
Obadiah is a very unfamiliar book from the Bible. The author uses the book about being deceived. “The pride of your heart has deceived you.” Obadiah 1:3.
With only one chapter for this particular book of the Bible it nails what we all at one time have dealt with. The ugly word pride is exposed and guides us to the truth that will set us free from our doubt that God has never left us. I know this devotional will have a place close by me at all times as I become more acquainted with overlooked books from the Bible that share truth, hope, forgiveness and God’s unconditional love.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Lori Hatcher has created a wonderful devotional in Refresh Your Faith: Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible. By exploring lesser known passages and tying them to other books in the Bible, we see God’s work, mercy and faithfulness throughout.
I personally really love that she includes devotions based on every book in the Bible. Many times, I have tended to skim through some of the books rather than give them their proper due. Each of Hatcher’s entries demonstrates that the Bible is as vital, alive and relevant today as it was when it was first written. This devotional has become one of my favorites and would make a great gift!
My thanks to NetGalley and Our Daily Bread for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed are my own.
These days when the country is on lock-down due to a virus, it can be hard to focus on faith. Even though I know that’s exactly what I need to do! This book is perfect for dipping in here, there, wherever the Spirit leads. With a devotion from every book of the Bible there’s always one that fits THIS moment. Grateful for such an outstanding resource–refreshing indeed!