The Names of God - Book Review

Knowing God by Name, a Girlfriends in GodFaith Adventure is an eight week devotional with daily readings that include some stories or personal antidotes and a section of Scripture that includes that days focus on a certain name of God. Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith, and Mary Southerland, who together are Girlfriends in God, have teamed up to put together this devotional. Each one separately writes the different days of the devotional. They are known for their online devotional and each is a speaker and writer in their own right.

Knowing the names of God and what they mean is a great way to know more of the character of God and who He is. After all, knowing more of God’s character helps us to grow closer to Him. Focusing on one name a day is great idea for a devotional. There are forty names of God that are studied in this devotional. Each one is discussed in a simple way that isn’t too deep or overwhelmingly theological. The writing makes it very easy to read and make applicable to your own life.

Each daily reading, if you choose to read the book in a devotional fashion, is usually only 3-5 pages and a quick read. Each day includes a portion of Scripture and a reflective prayer. There is also a day for reflection that includes review questions and personal reflection. This book could be used as a personal devotional or as a group Bible study. Personally I think that I would have gotten more out of it if I were using it in group setting and discussing with others the material. It was good to read just on my own too though.

Having previously read a book by Sharon Jaynes, I knew that I enjoyed her writing, and this was one thing that drew me to this book. Also, reading an excerpt from the book made it seem like it would be interesting. I did enjoy reading this book. At times the personal stories and antidotes seemed to almost distract from what the focus of the book is, the names of God. Although, the names of God were talked about and explained, I felt that more focus could have been put on them and the portions of Scripture that they were taken from. This book is of course directed at women, thus the "Girlfriends" part. It would be a great read for a women's group, an individual woman, or someone who just wants to know more about who God is.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.