Characteristics of Good Devotionals
Mary Lou Redding suggests 8 characteristics of good devotional writing, which are used here with her permission. Posted below are characteristics seven and eight.
7. Authenticity: Good devotional writing is authentic. It is not affected or preachy. Don’t use Christianese—Christian clichés that only certain denominations use. You want nonbelievers to grow from your words, so they need to understand what you are saying.
Good devotional writing is a real person writing to other real people about what it means to live faithfully in a particular situation. It is the author saying, “This is how God is real for me.” Authentic meditations acknowledge that life is complex and sometimes difficult, while pointing to hope in God.
8. Exploration: Good devotional writing is exploratory. It is not arrogant or preachy. It invites people to explore with you God’s truth. It doesn’t offer final answers. It says, “This is my experience. Is it the same for you, or is a different?” You invite the reader to make connections by providing images that will link his or her daily life with God’s ongoing activities in the world.
Try to incorporate these eight characteristics when writing your devotionals. If you succeed, your readers will be touched by your writing, and hopefully they will grow closer to God.