Why Pastors Need Devotionals

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

When I was a teenager I remember asking my dad, a pastor for thirty-three years, “Why do so many pastors blow it?” It was my juvenile way of asking why so many pastors disqualify themselves from ministry because of sin. As usual, he was thoughtful and careful in his answer. I think he recognized in me the misperception that pastors are somehow holier than other Christians. So he gently reminded me that pastors are sinners, wholly dependent on Jesus just like every other Christian. And then he said something that has become foundational for me in life in ministry. “Pastors blow it in ministry because they stop spending personal time with the Lord.”

In the years since, I have gained an uncomfortable understanding of what he meant. Uncomfortable because it has proven true over and over again in the lives of men I’ve known and respected. And uncomfortable because of the temptation to stop spending personal time with the Lord myself. Pastoral failure is nearly always preceded by a failure in personal devotion.

Living by God’s Word

It is so easy for us, as pastors, to tilt toward seeing the Bible as our teaching subject matter, as our area of expertise, or as a resource to leverage in leadership. We draw on it to make points and offer compelling arguments. We sprinkle it into our inspirational messages like sanctifying pixy dust. And we spend so much time in sermon or lesson preparation that it’s easy to justify skipping personal time with the Lord. 

Somewhere along the way we easily forget that we “live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” (Deuteronomy 8:3) so we must be fed and sustained by Scripture. We easily forget that “we preach Christ crucified,” (1 Corinthians 1:23) in order to do so we must know him deeply. We easily forget that we are not to “shrink from declaring. . .the whole counsel of God,” (Acts 20:27). This means we must know the heart of God through his word. We forget that “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart,” (Hebrews 4:12) and we are stewards and mouthpieces.

“Devotionals”

The term “devotions” is a take-it-or-leave-it term. Some people love it, others cringe at it. But

the reality communicated by that term is essential: personal time with God through the reading of his word and prayer. Call it quiet time, call it devotions, call it whatever you want, just prioritize it, pastor! We need to hear from God through his word. We need to receive his word as teaching, as sustenance, as correction, as hope. And we need to commune with our Heavenly Father in prayer. Prayer is more than a habit, more than requests; prayer aligns our hearts with his. If we stop doing this, our hearts will align with some other influence, and it won’t be good. And if we are not hearing from God and aligning with God, how can we possibly offer our people anything meaningful from the pulpit, in counseling, or in leadership?

This isn’t easy, but it isn’t complicated either. We need the Bible and prayer like we need food and drink. But unlike eating and drinking, we do not naturally hunger for the Bible and for prayer. In fact, we naturally dislike them. So we must simply refuse to prioritize anything else above our focused time with the Lord. Get up as early as you need to. Say no to other obligations as needed. Leave your phone and laptop behind if needed. Put it on the calendar and coordinate with your spouse as needed. And seek out resources that lubricate the workings of your thoughts and worship so you can engage God closely.

The Benefits of Devotionals

I would be dishonest if I failed to mention that I am lukewarm about most of what is currently marketed at “devotionals.” Much of what is available functions like the fast food of personal worship: ease, availability, tastiness, and little nutrition or substance. If we find ourselves settling for a devotional book or podcast as a substitution for the “pure spiritual milk” (1 Peter 2:2) of the Bible, we are trending toward spiritual anemia and even starvation. If, however, we find devotional resources that enhance our enjoyment of Jesus, open the Bible in new ways, refresh our weary hearts, and give us a spiritual boost then we are benefiting from God’s good gifts prepared by God’s gifted people.

Here are 5 categories of devotional resources I find most beneficial.

1) A Bible Reading Plan.

There is nothing super spiritual or exponentially beneficial about reading the Bible in a particular time frame. However, everyone benefits from following a plan for reading the Bible so that we know where to turn next, especially when we are in the doldrums. An even greater benefit is that many Bible reading plans are designed to get you through the entire Bible, that is, to get you through “the whole counsel of God.” A Bible reading plan aids us in weariness and offers magnificent cumulative benefits as we absorb the entirety of the Scriptures bit by bit over the years so that we can “store up [God’s] word in our hearts.” (Psalm 119:11)

2) Study Bibles/Devotional Notes Bibles

Often the insights and interpretations offered in Study Bible notes are a gift from God to help a tired mind (or a bored one) come alive to the truths in a passage. Some Study Bibles lean more heavily into the technical and explanatory, and that can be fine. Others, however, offer more in the way of reflection and meditation on a text. (I especially appreciate the Spurgeon Study Bible and the Ancient Faith Study Bible for this.) You don’t want to fall into the habit of leaning on the notes more than reflecting on the biblical text itself, but the notes in a good study Bible are like having a fruitful discussion with a wise friend or hearing from a good teacher. Our souls and minds benefit from this.

3) Seasonal/Church Calendar Devotionals

Some church traditions emphasize the traditional church calendar more than others, but in general Lent and Advent are prominent in most churches. These offer wonderful opportunities to incorporate reflective, biblical devotional readings into your time with the Lord. The weeks leading up to Easter and Christmas are so significant given the magnitude of those celebrations.

For pastors, those weeks come with unique challenges given the emphasis on events, planning

and logistics. It is so easy to lose focus on Jesus, so a rich devotional resource can be a centering, worshipful shot from the Holy Spirit for our hearts.

4) Prayer Books and Resources

Prayer is hard and pretty much every faithful pastor feels like he needs to improve at it. Resources like Valley of Vision, Every Moment Holy, The Book of Common Prayer, and others offer wonderful verbiage and frameworks to help us pray. They expand our horizons and enliven our hearts. Again, we don’t want to replace praying with reading, but if we can learn from and be motivated by these kinds of books our prayer lives will be strengthened.

5) Trusted Pastors and Shepherds

Your job is to shepherd others and feed them with the word. Who is feeding you? So many wonderful pastors and theologians from across church history have written rich, worshipful, deep, soul-feeding works. Some of these are laid out as devotionals. Others can simply be visited as such (e.g. a pastor friend of mine has used a plan to read through Calvin’s Institutes in a year). Proverbs 13:14 tells us there is a benefit in “an abundance of counselors.” We are to be teachable, humble, and worshipful. Deep writing from godly authors serves us in this way.

©2025, Barnabas Piper. All right reserved. Used by permission.