Christian Devotional Works

These are devotional works that I have read over the years that I found valuable. These are written from a variety of conservative Christian denominational beliefs. This list is not intended as a defense or support of the various belief systems represented by the writers but rather as works I found of personal value at various points in my life. Take from them what you find of value and abandon the rest. I grew up in a church that was historically descended from the German Brethren movement, which influenced my early devotional reading. These were all books that I read as a teenager.

  • The Works of A. W. Tozer

    A. W. Tozer was a Christian and Missionary Alliance pastor and editor of the Alliance Weekly. Some of the editorials he wrote for the Alliance Weekly were published in collected editions. I highly recommend the following books by Tozer: The Pursuit of God, Knowledge of the Holy, Man: The Dwelling Place of God, and The Root of the Righteous. Tozer wrote a number of other works, but these four are my favorites.

  • Principles of Spiritual Growth by Miles J. Stanford (also known as The Green Letters)

    A Dispensationalist and influenced by writings of the Plymouth Brethren, including John Nelson Darby, The Green Letters grew out of devotional writings that Stanford shared in correspondence with other Christians.

  • The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whiteall Smith

    Hannah Whiteall Smith was a Quaker lay speaker, mystic, and part of the early Holiness movement in the United States and Higher Life movement in the U.K. She was also an activist in support of women's right to vote.

  • In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon

    Charles M. Sheldon was a Congregationalist pastor and a leader in Christian socialism. The popular meme "What Would Jesus Do" is drawn from his book In His Steps. Rather than focusing on personal salvation, Sheldon focused on moral responsibility. He was an activist in support of equal rights for blacks and women.

  • The Normal Christian Life and Sit, Walk, Stand by Watchman Nee

    Watchman Nee was a Chinese teacher and church leader eventually imprisoned for 20 years after the Communist Revolution in China. Nee was influenced by the Plymouth Brethren and the writings of the Apostle Paul, the book of Romans in particular.