As autumn moves in, the changing season often brings on a time of reflection. The daylight hours grow shorter, the cooler weather sends people indoors to rest near fires or cuddle under blankets, and many people find they have a desire to read, learn new things or return to beloved hobbies.
Perhaps, this seasonal spirit is a throwback to school days, when cooler weather meant returning to the classroom. Whatever reason for it, it can impact people of all ages, including adults in retirement. Whether you're living a vibrant lifestyle in an assisted living community or living in your existing home, if you're a senior of faith, a new devotional might be just the thing you need to spend a quality hour or so of each fall day with the Lord.
And if you're a loved one who wants to surprise an older relative or a friend with something in keeping with their faith, gifting a devotional can be a great idea.
But before you search Amazon for "senior devotionals," check out some of the creative options below. Thinking outside of the box can help you find a devotional that better resonates with your own personality and interests.
Bob Goff is a beloved Christian author and storyteller. He has a knack for bringing Biblical truths into the everyday and helping readers see the truth of the Gospel in their own lives. This 365-day devotional includes a year's worth of meditations, each with in-text Scripture references and questions to provoke thought for journaling, prayer or discussions with others. The devotionals in this book are one to two pages long, so they're short enough to get through in a single sitting while being long enough to provide some good "meat" for faith exploration.
You can find this book at local Christian bookstores and online. It's also available in digital format for reading on Kindle or Nook.
This 30-day devotional book is part of the 30 Days With a Great Spiritual Teacher series. This particular volume contains teachings, devotional thoughts and wisdom from Teresa of Avila. She was a Spanish noblewoman and Catholic nun in the 1500s and was canonized as a saint in 1622. This series is a great introduction into Biblical, theological and faith-based writings from a wide range of Christians from all types of backgrounds and historical ages. The short daily readings can help guide older adults as they pray, think about Jesus or explore various Biblical truths in their own lives.
If this particular volume doesn't seem right for you, you might explore others in the series. Other devotionals in this series include writings from people such as St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Merton and Henri J. M. Nouwen.
This book is full of short but powerful devotionals that might be ideal for morning quiet time or any time you need a little dose of faith in your thoughts. The hardbound version includes a ribbon bookmark, making it easy to keep your place so you can quickly flip to the day's reading whenever you're ready.
This devotional is a bit different from others on this list because it has readings for the morning and evening. You can obviously use the readings in a way that fits your own schedule, but they're designed to support quiet devotional time in the morning and a reflective mood in the evening.
The devotionals are also excerpts from Young's other books. The morning devotionals come from Jesus Calling while the evening readings are selections from her other works. Other features of this devotional include guided thought and questions, Scripture-based direction and written-out Bible verses to help you connect the devotional thoughts to God's Word.
The book is also designed in both hardback and softcover leather editions, which make gorgeous gifts for loved ones.
This daily devotional provides readings for an entire year. The devotionals are presented in the traditional format, which might be of comfort to older adults who have long practiced devo or prayer time in this format. Each reading has a Scripture verse, a selection from Bounds' writings and a prayer to help lead the reader into prayerful time or worship.
The readings take only a few minutes to get through, which may be ideal for seniors who are enjoying busy lifestyles in assisted living communities or their own neighborhoods.
Bestselling author Joyce Rupp is known for going outside of the box to contemplate God from a global perspective. This devotional book has readings for every day of the year and draws from a variety of sources, including the Christian gospels, Psalms, contemporary writers and even Hindu poets or Native American stories.
The book is designed to present a name of God for each day. A 10-line meditation in poetic language, and a single, simple sentence accompanies each. This devotional may be best used by seniors of mature faith or those with a love of language and exploring how the mythos of all types of peoples can point back to God.
