The Story Behind Plain and Simple Devotions

I love words. I love language and grammar, and the order and beauty they can convey. I love to read—to learn and to be transported to another time, place or world. I love that Jesus my God is called—by the Gospel- and letter-writer John—Logos: THE WORD. I love it when Christian books are recommended and turn out to be as inspirational as they were described. Yet I know this is not true for everyone.

A Frustrated Friend

A friend at church has struggled with words for a long time. I often jot down simpler ways of saying something which have not been used by the leader or preacher, and she can’t understand why they don’t say “crossed over” instead of “traversed”, for example. Book recommendations have been severe provocations to her as the recommended books are most often beyond her current reading level. They can make her feel frustrated and angry when they are not aimed at her level of literacy. She is growing in her love of reading, from zero a few years ago to the stage she is at now—of always carrying a book with her to read in any spare moments. 

However, when I looked for Christian books that would be accessible to her, I looked in vain… and so I decided to write something that I hoped would encourage her in her faith in an easier-to-understand style. Including trains of thought that span several long sentences or paragraphs was not an option. Using words that are not in everyday use was not an option. Being patronising was not an option—she is not unintelligent and always asks great questions! 

Straightforward Devotions for My Friends and Yours

Plain and Simple Devotions: Explore the Book of Jonah and Explore the Life of Jesus are the results of my thinking and writing. In these books you’ll find…

• short sentences that don’t skimp on content.
• two, or at the most three, verses of Scripture to read and contemplate.
• background information and explanation of words that are not commonly understood outside of church circles.
• questions to help the readers think through how to apply the verses to themselves in their everyday lives.
• a prayer that the reader is invited to pray, which helps embed the daily message and also gives them an insight into how they might shape their own prayers.

There are also pages interspersed where the reader can, if they want, write their own prayers and God’s answers or make a note of questions that have arisen for them.

I am excited because I can see multiple uses for these books, not just for those with reading issues but also for those whose first language is not English, those who are new to the Christian faith and without a church background, or those with concentration difficulties, maybe for health or age-related reasons. It’s my prayer that God will use these for the good of his people and for his glory.

Learn more about Plain and Simple Devotions here. Each devotional is useful for anyone who would appreciate short devotions that are easy to understand.