Book Review: Voices of the Faithful Book 2 (Moore and Davis)

Title: Voices of the Faithful Book 2: Inspirational Stories of Courage from Christians Serving Around the World
Author: Compiled by Kim P. Davis, Introduction by Beth Moore
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN:9780849946233

 
Summary from Publisher's Website:

A willingness to go is all they have in common," says Beth Moore and Kim P. Davis, speaking of their friends on the front lines who are spreading the gospel around the world and with whom they collaborated to create this book. This second book of 366 daily devotionals features stories of God's faithfulness, written by hundreds of missionaries worldwide.

From stirring miracles to heroic adventures, this second volume highlights those who daily go to the outer limits of spiritual devotion. A follow-up to the first book which has now sold 300,000 copies.

My Review:

I absolutely love the concept behind this devotional! I wasn't familiar with the first book, though now I wish that I had been!

Growing up in Southern Baptist churches I quickly developed a heart for missionaries and missions in general. Though I no longer attend an SBC church, I still have that love and desire to support missionaries in their work. Voices of the Faithful (Book 2) is a fantastic way to integrate missions into your life. The format of the book is typical of any dated devotional. Simply follow along by date and you will be treated to an appropriate verse, a glimpse into the life and work of a missionary and the families that they live and work among, and a closing prayer that will help you be specific in your missions-focused prayer life. What makes this devotional special - apart from the content - are the monthly divisions. Each month has a well-written introduction with a specific focus in mind. You'll spend approximately four weeks guiding your thoughts and prayers around topics such as Prayer, Divine Appointments, Lost and Found, and Hope for the World just to name a few. Use this devotional in chronological order as written, or use one of the two indexes to locate devotionals specific to a certain verse or topic. Voices of the Faithful Book 2 is definitely arranged in a user-friendly manner! The devotionals are moving. The format is user-friendly. And, I have to say it... the cover art is gorgeous.

Personally, I plan on using this devotional in one of two ways: I plan on using the short readings first thing in the morning to give me a verse and focus for prayer that day. I'm not fully awake in the a.m. so in-depth study is out. However, I can use this to help me set my day (and attitude!) straight. I also plan on using one reading a week to help focus my daughter's attention to missions. When she was smaller we used various books to study about other areas and the work of missionaries, and this, I believe, will be a more teen-friendly way of doing so. It will be easy to focus on a specific people group or area of the world to read about or pray for after reading an interesting glimpse of their story.


Rating: 5 stars! I can honestly say that I will read this book in the future, even after completing it in 2011. I will also be seeking out Book 1 as well. It's going on the recommended list for those interested in missions or those looking for a nice change in morning devotions.


Now a little personal disclaimer:

Due to the daily devotional format this is not a book that I read from cover to cover. I did read a generous amount of entries and skipped throughout the book to verify that consistency remained throughout. I plan on reading through the entire book this calendar year as a personal goal.


And for the folks at the FCC:

*Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book through the Booksneeze blogging program in exchange for my honest review.