First Timothy, one of the Pauline Epistles, is written to a young pastor named Timothy. It is the first of two letters written to him from his mentor in ministry, Paul.

Luther noted that 1 Timothy “provide[s] a model to all bishops of what they are to teach and how they are to rule Christendom in the various stations of life, so that it may not be necessary for them to rule Christians according to their own human opinions” (Luther’s Works, vol. 35, p. 388). Today, we trust that all pastors—young and experienced alike—teach and preach the Word of God faithfully.

The Gospel for today comes from Luke 18:1-8. Our devotional reading today is adapted from the Concordia Commentary Luke 9:51–24:53 by Arthur A. Just Jr. 

The number one comment I hear from people about prayer is this: “If only I could pray like that.”

I think we often see the prayers we pray in church or that pour from our pastor’s mouth as “fancy” prayers. I admire lovely words, so on the one hand, I really appreciate prayers that use lovely words in such a way that they sound fancy, holy, and absolutely worthy of a God who is just that—very worthy. Fancy, prewritten prayers definitely have benefits. They keep us on a straight path so that we don’t end up saying something that contradicts God’s Word because we haven’t given it a thought ahead of time.

Today we commemorate Ignatius of Antioch, both a pastor and martyr, who wrote many epistles during his last days. We take our devotional reading today from Reconciliation and Justification by Theodore Dierks. 

In three days, she would return to Germany. I was 16 and had become friends with a German foreign exchange student the year prior. She was back in the states for a month-long visit, and we were soaking up every little bit of time we had  before she left and we would be back to not knowing if we would see each other in person again. Nicky and I were alike in many ways. We both were into theater, loved to sing, and were committed to what we set out to do.

During her first-round time in America, Nicky’s host family had taken her to church. Through her stay, she had become a Jesus-follower. When she returned to Germany, she got plugged into her local church and became a key part of their ministry. Again, our lives weirdly mirrored each other, as my life had also changed after a church invite.

So here we were in my bedroom, three days before her trip ended, and she handed me a wrapped gift. When I opened it, I started crying. It was a Bible.

Today’s Old Testament reading comes from the first chapter of the book of Ruth. The devotion for today is adapted from Ruth: More than a Love Story by Elizabeth Ahlman.

The Epistle for today comes from the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy, where he writes about his suffering and not being ashamed to claim that Christ is his God and redeemer to his friend, Timothy. Our devotional reading is adapted from God’s Word for Today: 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus.  

The Gospel reading for today recounts Jesus’ parable of the shrewd manager. Our devotional reading comes from A Year in the New Testament: Meditations for Each Day on the Church Year.

Overview

The Book of Amos is a series of prophecies by the prophet Amos, who predicted the fall of Judah by the invading Assyrians. He warned the Israelites that destruction was impending, and he described God as angry, crouching, and focused like a lion stalking the sinful, carefree nations.

I consistently remember to do my devotions but rarely think about going further into God's Word. It’s definitely a problem. I love that devotions center me on Christ, guide me through passages in Scripture, and help me apply the Word to daily living. But reading directly from God’s Word is incredibly important for growth. While I do my devotions regularly, I’ve wondered how I can use that practice to launch into deeper studying of the Bible.

Enter a devotional Bible. Why does a devotional Bible make it easy to remember to study the Word? Because it incorporates devotions (which I am already doing) directly with the Word.

Here are some suggestions for using a devotional Bible to enrich your Bible-reading routine: