Closet: Bible Reading

Today being Sunday, I thought it would be fitting to post what I try to do for my morning devotion time.  I'm not always successful, but ideally, this is what I would like to do:

• Morning devotion from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening (if you don't have it - get it!  I try to make it a point to read the Morning selection before I get out of bed.)
• One chapter from Great Women of the Christian Faith by Edith Deen (I really like to read about and be inspired by Christian women over the years.  This book is far from perfect as it praises some of the women who did things that I completely disagree with - put their children in boarding school so they could ride around the English countryside preaching (they were the ones preaching, they weren't going around with their husband who was preaching), for instance...  But, on the whole, it is a very inspiring book.)
• A prayer from Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett
• Ten 1 chapter segments from the Bible (thank you Mrs. Beaver for the idea!  I don't know why it is, but sometimes I would struggle with keeping my mind focused to read half that amount of chapters.  Now that I started reading the shorter segments, I find I am staying focused and am totally blessed by reading all over the Bible!  For instance, today I read a chapter from Genesis, Joshua, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Matthew, Acts, Romans and 1 Timothy!  I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for your first time through the Bible, but if reading through the Bible in a year was part of your home school curriculum for years, so you know your way around the Bible and what's going on at all times, it's great!)

Before going to bed:

• One chapter (or more if I can't put it down!) of whatever biography or theology book I am reading
• Evening selection of Spurgeon's Morning & Evening

Other books I have read/used in the past and liked:

• My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
• Daily Light on the Daily Path by the Samuel Bagster Family (a collection of related scriptures for morning and evening readings)
• Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper (I had the idea to read one reason every day between Easter and Pentecost, but it didn't happen this year - I think I made it to Reason #15 because I kept forgetting or wasn't able to do my devotion.  Here's hoping for next year!)
• The Narrated Bible by F. LaGard Smith (this is what my mom used to read us every day to begin our school day.  The entire Bible is put into daily readings for a year in chronological order with Psalms and Proverbs organized by subject, the books of the law also organized by subject and the gospels harmonized.  There is also occasional introduction and history.  For instance, there is a whole daily reading that is comprised of the history of the inter-testament period that is great!  It's really a great way to start reading the Bible or to just read the Bible in one year!)

What do you use for your devotions??  Post up! :)

Blessings in Christ,