Black Woman Changed | Mine
Burdened with college assignments and expectations in the year of 2018, I felt as if I barely had any time to set aside for myself, let alone any for God. My spiritual relationship with God had begun to lose priority in my life, something I had never wanted to happen. The night of December 31st, 2018, as everyone in my family praised God for the great things He had done for them that year, I closed my eyes and sincerely asked God for help. I prayed for forgiveness and begged Him to send me an opportunity, an opening of some sort that would assist me in growing and strengthening my relationship with Him. The very next day, my prayer was answered. On January 1st, 2019, my Aunt Medjina gifted me the Christian devotional entitled Daily Wisdom for Women: 2019 Devotional Collection by the Barbour Staff* (currently sold for about $8.00 on Amazon). As she handed me the book, my aunt told me that she purchased this book with me in mind and hoped that this devotional would lead me closer to God.
Well, my aunt’s wish was fulfilled. Daily Wisdom for Women: 2019 Devotional Collection systematically changed my life. Its simple and readable explanations/interpretations of bible verses in connection to the books overarching goal of forming (or enhancing) “… an intimate connection with your heavenly Father… [as you] fully trust in Him” and its quick and powerful prayers were moments of potency during my days in 2019. The devotional touches on so many emotions and realities that are often experienced in the day-to-day lives of Christian women. Joy, shame, depression, stress, financial problems, familial problems, personal problems—all (and many more) are topics covered and discussed in the devotional and used to demonstrate how such experiences can draw a person closer to God. “Reflect on how He [God] has worked in your life… As you read the scriptures [and this devotional], ask God to reveal Himself to you in truth. Get to know Him as a savior, a provider, a pursuer, a healer, and as a friend” (Barbour Staff Thursday, September 12, 2019).
Through my journey with Daily Wisdom for Women: 2019 Devotional Collection, I acknowledged the hidden insecurities I had pertaining to my faith and its place in the world around me. My eyes were opened to the spiritual self-doubt that I would entertain when around people that would laugh or judge my Christian faith. I’ve had peers and academic authorities (especially in college) blatantly speak badly about God or insult my religious beliefs, yet in the same breath cement that they’re respectful of all religions and a person’s freedom of choice. Daily Wisdom for Women: 2019 Devotional Collection touches upon this common Christian experience and emphasizes how these occurrences are just opportunities for a woman’s Christian faith to grow stronger. Meditating on these devotional writings, I wisely realized that it didn’t matter whether my relationship with God was popular or unpopular to those around me, all that mattered was that it would always remain mine—mine to care for, mine to develop, mine to love.
Daily Wisdom for Women: 2019 Devotional Collection is worthy of a 5 out of 5 star rating for effectiveness and understandability. This devotional stands at the ready for any Christian woman seeking to better their relationship with God and grow as a woman in the faith. Other devotionals similar to Daily Wisdom for Women: 2019 Devotional Collection are Mornings with God: Prayers and Devotions for Women by Emily Biggers and Daily Wisdom for Women 2020 Devotional Collection: I Am a New Creation in Christ by the Barbour Staff. Also, the phenomenal corresponding Daily Wisdom devotional for Christian men is Daily Wisdom for Men 2019 Devotional Collection by the Barbour Staff.
You can purchase a copy of Daily Wisdom for Women: 2019 Devotional Collection here.
*The Barbour staff includes Darlene Franklin, Shanna D. Gregor, Marian Leslie, Donna K. Maltese, Karin Dahl Silver, Janice Thompson, Stacey Thureen, and Amy Trent.