To conclude this 10-part-series on devotionals, here is a devotional titled "Tongues of Fire" I wrote for the Upper Room Devotional Guide.

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages. –Acts 2:3,4 (NIV)

Writing devotionals is a good exercise in fine-tuning your writing. You have only 250 words to focus one idea. In this small amount of space, you need to make your piece real, establish reader identification, and offer a tentative application of how the reader might act on your point in his or her life.

Characteristics of Good Devotionals

Mary Lou Redding suggests 8 characteristics of good devotional writing, which are used here with her permission. Posted below are characteristics seven and eight.

7. Authenticity: Good devotional writing is authentic. It is not affected or preachy. Don't use Christianese—Christian clichés that only certain denominations use. You want nonbelievers to grow from your words, so they need to understand what you are saying.

Characteristics of Good Devotionals

Mary Lou Redding suggests 8 characteristics of good devotional writing, which are used with her permission. Here are characteristics four through six.

4. Concreteness: Good devotional writing is concrete. It deals with what you have seen, touched, and heard rather than abstract concepts. Consider the images Jesus used to help people understand Him. He used bread, water, sheep—everyday items that people living in biblical times as well as today could understand.

Characteristics of Good Devotionals

Mary Lou Redding suggests 8 characteristics of good devotional writing, which are used with her permission. Here are the first three.

1. Scriptural Base: Good devotional writing in Scripture-based. It is grounded firmly in Bible study. It grows out of meditation and reflection on the Holy Word and its meaning for our lives. Don't take words out of context or use Scripture inappropriately, however.

The five basic patterns for writing devotionals listed below were originally suggested by Mary Lou Redding, managing editor, The Upper Room (used with permission).

1. The Interior Monologue: One person reflects on past experiences. An individual looks inward to seek understanding.

2. A First Person Interacting with Others: One individual is talking to and/or sharing an experience with others. (My friends and I, my daughter and I, etc.)

3. A Third Person Reports or Observes: The writer didn't participate in the incident. He is telling about someone else’s experiences.

Often the audience for devotionals is phenomenal. Mary Lou Redding, who is the managing editor for The Upper Room, says that their devotional guide is read or listened to by eight to ten million people in forty-four different languages. It is the most popular devotional guide in print. In 1990, I taught creative writing at the India Communications Institute in Mumbai, India An editor, who had read one of my devotionals in The Upper Room, traveled over 1,000 miles by train to attend my seminar.

Devotionals are normally comprised of three components, although you should check the guidelines for whatever market you wish to submit to because they do vary.

1. Bible Verse: The first component is a Bible verse around which the devotional is created. Be careful not to tack one on at the end. And don't write the devotional and then try to find a verse to submit with it. Instead, start with your Bible verse. Creating the devotional with a scriptural base will add depth to it.

Devotionals are probably the shortest items you will write. They are normally only 250 words long, although some range up to 400 words. In books, they can be as long as 600 words. Devotionals are concise and to the point. There is no room for unnecessary words.

A drop of ink may make a million think. – Lord Byron

The best devotional takes five minutes to read, yet can be remembered for a lifetime. One reason I like to write devotionals is the feedback I receive from people across the country and around the world.

You want people to be influenced by what you write. You want them to say, “That’s what I needed today,” or “I didn’t know anyone else felt that way.” It is amazing how you can touch people’s hearts in so few words with a devotional.