God Speaks to Me Through the Names of God in the Bible is written by Lynne Marie Davis. This interactive devotional journal is a softcover book that is approximately 190 pages, and it includes devotions as well as word art pages and additional activities. It is written for children ages 8-12 but could be used with younger children. It is “aimed at training children to know and worship God by studying some of the names He calls Himself in the Bible.” This book is all you will need other than a pencil and art materials, such as crayons, markers, or colored pencils.

The book is divided into three sections titled “God the Father,” “God the Son,” and “God the Holy Spirit” and includes mini posters and an answer key for the crossword puzzles. There is a total of twenty-eight chapters, each covering a different name of God. Some examples of the chapter titles from the three sections include:

• Elohim
• Jehovah
• Immanuel
• Bread of Life
• Counselor
• Teacher

Each chapter consists of a devotion to read, two journaling pages with writing prompts, a crossword puzzle, a coloring page with word art, and a page for drawing. It is written so children can read and complete the activities independently, or parents can read the devotion to younger children and assist them with the activities. This book can be purchased for $9.95 on Amazon.

Even though this interactive devotional journal is geared for children between the ages of 8-12, it is gentle enough to be used with younger children. Children who like reading, writing, or coloring would enjoy this book and activities. It is a wonderful way to introduce a child to a daily time of Bible study with bite-sized activities.

In the first section, “God the Father,” the author included the Hebrew word for each of the names of God. Each chapter could be used as a weekly lesson with the child completing a different activity after reading the devotion. The devotion and activities could be completed in a few days as well. A parent could read the devotion with her children and afterward have each child complete one of the activities, such as the journaling pages. The journaling pages consist of writing prompts to help guide the child to think about what was heard from the devotion read. There is space for the child to write their answers on the page. The other activity pages include a crossword puzzle, a coloring page with word art for the child to decorate, and a page for drawing. Children around 5-8 years old would benefit from a parent guiding them through the book, whereas children around 9-12 years old could work independently. This interactive devotional journal is an excellent resource for parents, whether they homeschool or not.

I used this devotional with my 7- and 5-year-old children in our homeschool morning time together. First, I would read the devotion to them, and we would talk about it. Then my 7-year-old child would complete any additional activities he was interested in. A family could work through it together by taking turns to read the devotions aloud each time, and then each family member would complete the activities in their own book throughout the week.

My children and I enjoyed using this interactive devotional journal during our morning time together. Our favorite activity page was decorating the word art pages. My son also enjoyed the crossword puzzles. Instead of filling in the journaling pages, we would discuss the devotions together, but it was nice to have it available. I would have liked to see variations in the activities instead of every chapter following the same format.

Overall, I would recommend this devotional journal to families with children between the ages of 6-12 years old. It would be a great tool to help an older elementary-aged child develop the habit of a Bible study time or a creative outlet for a child who enjoys expressing what they learn through art. I enjoyed reading the devotions myself as well.

-Product review by Jennifer Chandler, The Old Schoolhouse®, November 2021