90 Faith-Building Devotions

by Our Daily Bread Ministries

A Book Review

#GodSeesHerforGirls #NetGalley

What Is This Book?

The preteen years can be an awkward in-between space. Childhood has not entirely disappeared, adolescence is approaching rapidly, and suddenly questions about friendship, belonging, confidence, identity and faith can feel much bigger than they once did.

God Sees Her for Girls enters that space with a wonderfully simple message: God sees you, knows you and values you.

Designed as a 90-day devotional, the book uses short Bible readings, stories, questions and prayers to encourage girls to begin developing a devotional life of their own. The subjects include faith, friendships and feelings, with the underlying emphasis on discovering identity and worth in God’s love rather than in the pressure to be perfect.

That makes this more than simply a children’s book containing Bible stories. It is attempting to help a young person begin taking responsibility for their own relationship with God.

And that is an important transition.

Who Is It For?

The book is aimed specifically at preteen girls, and both the language and presentation clearly reflect that intended audience.

Crucially, however, the sample devotion does not talk down to its reader.

“Creation’s Song” begins with the fascinating idea of trees communicating through networks involving fungi around their roots. It moves through dolphins, dung beetles, forests and the night sky before connecting the wonder of creation with biblical passages from Psalms and Job.

There is playfulness here, including the wonderfully appropriate “Woah!” after discovering that dung beetles can navigate using the stars.

But there is also substance.

The reader is not simply told what to believe. The devotion ends with a question: “How can you find your own unique way to give God glory?”

That movement from information to Scripture to personal reflection is particularly well suited to this age group.

What Works?

Perhaps the most immediately successful feature is its accessibility.

The pages are colourful without appearing babyish. Illustrations, generous spacing, varied typography and relatively short sections make the material feel manageable. For a reluctant reader, presentation can make the difference between a devotional book being opened regularly and being quietly abandoned on a shelf.

The conversational tone also works well.

The creation devotion begins with something genuinely interesting rather than immediately announcing a spiritual lesson. Curiosity becomes the doorway into theology.

I particularly like that instinct.

Faith is presented not simply as a collection of answers but as a way of looking at the world with curiosity and wonder.

There is also a helpful rhythm within the devotion. Scripture appears throughout rather than being added almost as an afterthought. The closing question invites reflection, there is a short prayer, and finally a suggestion for further Bible reading.

The devotion therefore has several possible stopping places. A reader could complete it quickly or allow the question and additional Scripture to take them further.

What Gave Me Pause?

The language of girls being under pressure to be “perfect” immediately caught my attention.

That is an important issue, but I would want a book like this to be careful about the solution it offers.

Telling young people that their value comes from God rather than appearance, achievement or other people’s approval can be deeply affirming. But Christian faith itself can sometimes unintentionally become another arena for performance: Am I praying enough? Am I good enough? Is my faith strong enough?

A devotional centred upon being seen and loved by God has a wonderful opportunity to counter that.

I would therefore hope that across the 90 days there is room not just for encouragement to become confident and faithful, but for uncertainty, mistakes, awkwardness and questions.

A girl should not finish a book about escaping the pressure to be perfect with a new pressure to become the perfect Christian girl.

Grace needs to be bigger than that.

Does the Format Work?

Yes, I think the 90-day format is one of the book’s strengths.

A full year can feel like an enormous commitment for someone beginning devotional reading. Ninety days feels much more achievable while still being long enough to establish a pattern.

The varied ingredients also help: an interesting opening, Scripture, reflection, question, prayer and further reading.

Importantly, the book encourages interaction rather than passive reading.

The question at the end of “Creation’s Song” does not have one correct answer. That allows the young reader to bring something of themselves to the page.

That is exactly the kind of habit I would want a devotional book to develop.

Would I Actually Use It?

Yes.

I could imagine giving this to a preteen who is beginning to move from Bible material chosen and explained by adults towards exploring faith independently.

I can also see value in an adult and child occasionally discussing an entry together. The publisher specifically hopes the book will encourage honest conversations, and the open questions provide natural opportunities for that without turning devotional time into an interrogation.

For those involved in children’s or youth ministry, individual themes could also provide useful jumping-off points for conversation.

But perhaps its greatest value is quieter than that.

It gives a young person something that is theirs: their book, their questions, their prayers and the beginnings of their own devotional rhythm.

The Verdict

God Sees Her for Girls is attractive, approachable and thoughtfully pitched.

The sample devotion demonstrates the book at its best: beginning with curiosity about the world, moving naturally towards Scripture and then turning the question gently back towards the reader.

But the title may contain its most important message.

God sees her.

In years when young people can become increasingly conscious of how they are seen by friends, family and the wider world, there is something powerful about being reminded that their deepest value does not depend upon popularity, appearance, achievement or perfection.

A good children’s devotional should do more than tell young people things about God. It should give them confidence to begin discovering God for themselves.

God Sees Her for Girls looks designed to help them take those first steps.