One of the important virtues for the Discipleship Counselor as well as the disciple/counselee is a consistent, grace-oriented personal devotional life. This includes the essentials of daily time in God’s Word and prayer.

Another kind of resource that is a helpful supplement is a daily devotional book. This should not take the place of the Scriptures, but can be a beneficial addition.

Here on ELCmatters.org we have a list of recommended daily devotional books. Some are only available in print, others are online, and some are available in both formats.

In his introduction to his compilation of daily readings Miles Stanford wrote,
“None But the Hungry Heart is a devotional study. There are twelve sections each containing thirty-one daily portions. The following factors have been considered in arriving at this form of presentation:

1. A spiritually hungry heart is the requisite for entering into the growth truths of identification with Christ.
2. Prayerful study on the part of the believer is the means by which the Holy Spirit ministers these truths.
3. The concentration of the Christ-life truths in brief daily studies facilitates their assimilation.

This resource is conveniently available online at AbideAbove.org
(Keep in mind GFI’s glossary for more precise definitions of “old man,” “sin nature,” etc.)

Although we trust God for a breakthrough as our counselee/disciple discovers and appropriates the gospel of identification with Christ, this process is encouraged and supported by him/her “soaking in” grace and truth daily.

In his forward to the daily devotional volume, His Victorious Indwelling, Nick Harrison observes,

“Today, many Christians are wholly unaware of the spiritual resources they possess in Christ. Nor do most believers in Christ daily experience an awareness of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. And yet at what time in history has the Christian church and her teachings been so widely disseminated?… Yet for all this exposure, the perception of many is that the depth of our Christian life and witness is perhaps a mile wide, but an inch deep…”

We can say amen to that. Harrison continues,

“God chooses to work on us from the inside out. He wants to live His life through us, by the agency of His Spirit, so that our lives reflect the presence of Christ to those around us. There will indeed be dramatic change in the Christian who purposes to know God and His victorious indwelling – but it will be largely through the process of learning to abide in Christ, rather than instantaneous, divine ‘touch’ from God.” (His Victorious Indwelling, pp. 6,7. Available in paperback and Kindle)

May we continue to sample and use daily devotionals for our edification and so we can coach our disciples in using one as a “homework” resource and for ongoing spiritual growth.

JBW