A major key component of my daily rituals includes some significant devotional reading. The vast majority of this is from my Bible, utilizing a pretty comprehensive reading plan. I then narrow my study down to a specific portion of the Bible, using what I call the Nugget Approach to Bible study. But a third part of my daily devotional time is focused on something much lighter.

I have switched up this third component over the years to include several different items. Sometimes it’s a devotional book, like Today Is Your Best Day. More recently, I used the Ancient Christian Devotional, which includes several key passages from the Early Church Fathers, paired with a yearly lectionary reading cycle.

But even as those resources cycle in and out of my daily routine, one item has remained steady throughout the past several years. That is ICR’s Days Of Praise daily devotional email.

The Institute for Creation Research has long been a strong voice in the discussion about Genesis and Creation. As explained on their website, “For over four decades, the Institute for Creation Research has equipped believers with evidence of the Bible’s accuracy and authority through scientific research, educational programs, and media presentations, all conducted within a thoroughly biblical framework.”

ICR was founded by Dr.Henry Morris in 1970, for the purposes of research and education surrounding the early chapters of Genesis. For more than forty years, they have had a solid approach to Bible study and have created multiple tools to aid believers in their own studies.

In fact, ICR’s School of Biblical Apologetics offers several opportunities to pursue further study, at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

But ICR has one simple tool that has been an encouragement to me more than almost any other, and for a very long time. It’s called Days of Praise, and it is a simple, short, encouraging devotional for each day of the year. I receive this in my email every day. It arrives overnight, and has become one of the very first things I do daily. It helps me set my focus for the day.

As far as I can tell, I’ve been utilizing this incredible resource since about 2005, although it has been around longer than that. All of the previous articles are archived on the ICR website, and available to read at any time.

Each devotion is structured around a biblical passage and truth. Often, they are themed for the season. For example, Halloween was the topic for the October 31st article. Each devotion offers compelling truth, paired with a poignant image or metaphor to drive home the point. And each can be read in a matter of minutes. But, brief as they are, I often find myself dwelling on these thoughts throughout the day.

I have found this to be an excellent resource to kick start my day, and have enjoyed it for years. A few of these have even made their way into my lessons and sermons in some fashion. But mostly, I use these daily doses of encouragement to start my day and strengthen me for the task.

I highly recommend that you check out Days of Praise. You’ll find them to be encouraging and helpful for your daily walk.

Click here to subscribe at ICR’s website.

Question: What daily resources have you found to be helpful devotionally? You can leave a comment by clicking here.