Book Review: 90 Days with a Heart like His

As 2014 came to a close, I needed a Bible study to get me in the word personally. Ever since I attended a Christian-based university, I have believed that a person’s quiet time should not be the same passage that they are reading for homework, studying for a paper, or researching for a sermon. I do well with personal goals so I decided to start this study because it had a reading plan, thought, and prayer for every day. I love that.

There is a video that goes along with the study that I did not watch, so I cannot speak for the video portion.

On a physical, non-spiritual note, this book is HUGE! It’s 437 pages long and a beast to haul around with you. So this book took a permanent home in my car and I read and reflected on Scripture every day on my lunch break. I don’t know about you, but by 12:30, I need more Scripture in my life to make it through the afternoon with a Christ-like attitude.

The set up: Each day starts with a passage for you to look up in your Bible and read. One verse is printed for you to consider in depth. Then there are two questions with lines to answer for you to reflect personally on the passage and how it applies to you. A one to two page commentary on the passage follows. Each day ends with a written prayer based on Scripture with an entire blank page for you to write your own prayer.

What the book does well: It is a great grab for a quick Bible-filled pick me up. It was exactly what I needed during my lunch breaks. The reading was a very minimal commitment. The end of every day had a prayer that is adapted from Scripture. My prayer life has droughts where it feels like it’s lacking substance and praying Scripture is a great way to get started.

Possible weaknesses: If you are looking for a deep study that dives into passages and does in-depth analysis, this is not the Bible study for you. Most of the comments are quite surface level and do not dig deep into issues that the text presents us. Many days had to do with your anguish and emotions which, honestly, I wasn’t struggling with while reading the study. This book seems geared toward women who are going through a particularly difficult time in their lives.

Overall: I would recommend Beth Moore’s David: 90 Days with a Heart Like His, especially to women who are getting deep Bible learning from another source and simply want a quick read to remind themselves to live out God’s love throughout the day. I do believe it would lend well to a group study as women could encourage each other through prayer and share their personal reflection on the passages.