The Best Family Devotional Books by Age

The best devotional is the one that fits your kids' ages — and that you'll actually keep using.

A good devotional won't do the parenting for you — but it removes the biggest barrier to family faith: not knowing what to do on a tired Tuesday night. The right book, matched to your kids' ages, hands you the reading, the questions, and the momentum. Here are our favorites for every stage, from board-book toddlers to question-asking teens.

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How We Choose

The best devotional is the one you'll actually keep using — so we favor books that are age-appropriate, short enough to survive a real bedtime, warm rather than preachy, and grounded in Scripture. A devotional that sits unused on a shelf helps no one; a simple one you open most nights shapes a childhood. Match the book to your kids, keep it short, and let consistency do the work.

For toddlers & preschoolers: a story Bible

At this age, a great story Bible beats a formal devotional. The classic pick is The Jesus Storybook Bible — short, beautifully written, and it shows how every story "whispers his name," pointing to Jesus. A board-book Bible or The Beginner's Bible is perfect for the very youngest. Read a page, ask "what did you notice?", and pray a few sentences. That's a complete devotion for a three-year-old.

Find a story Bible on Amazon →

For elementary kids: a wonder-filled devotional

Once kids can sit for a few minutes, a devotional that pairs Scripture with awe works beautifully. Indescribable and How Great Is Our God by Louie Giglio connect faith with the wonders of science and creation — a hit with curious kids. Long Story Short walks a family through the whole Bible in short, do-able readings. Look for something that invites questions rather than just delivering answers.

Find an elementary devotional on Amazon →

For tweens: bridging the gap

The in-between years need devotionals that respect a growing mind without assuming teenage cynicism. Look for books that go a little deeper into the "why" of faith, connect Scripture to real friendships and choices, and don't feel babyish. This is the age to start letting kids do some reading on their own, with a devotional built for their level.

Find a tween devotional on Amazon →

For teens: honest and unpreachy

Teens can smell a condescending devotional instantly. The ones that land take real questions seriously — identity, doubt, anxiety, relationships, purpose — and connect them to Scripture without a lecture. Look for an honest, relatable voice. A devotional that meets a teenager where they actually are can become one of the few faith touchpoints they choose for themselves.

Find a teen devotional on Amazon →

For the whole family together

If you have a range of ages, a single whole-family devotional is often simpler and more unifying than juggling several. Read it together, ask questions everyone can engage at their own level, and let the youngest catch what they can while the oldest go deeper. Family-devotional titles like Long Story Short (and its sequel Old Story New) are designed exactly for this — one story, one table, everyone included.

Find a family devotional on Amazon →

For parents & couples

Don't forget yourselves. A short daily devotional for you — or a couples' devotional to read with your spouse — models the very thing you're trying to pass on: that grown-ups need God's word too. Kids absorb far more from watching you value Scripture than from any lesson, so your own devotional life is part of theirs.

Find an adult or couples' devotional on Amazon →

The Bottom Line

The best family devotional is the one matched to your kids' ages that you'll actually keep opening. Start with a story Bible for the little ones, a wonder-filled devotional for elementary kids, honest and unpreachy books for tweens and teens, and don't skip a devotional for yourselves. Keep it short, keep it warm, and let a simple, consistent rhythm shape your family over the years.

Put it into practice with family devotions that don't feel forced and raising kids who actually love Scripture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best devotional for young kids?

For toddlers and preschoolers, a well-written story Bible is usually better than a formal devotional. The Jesus Storybook Bible is the gold standard — short, beautiful, and it shows how every story points to Jesus. Pair it with a simple bedtime prayer and you have a complete, age-appropriate rhythm.

How do I choose a family devotional?

Match it to your kids' ages and pick something short enough that you'll actually keep using it. A good family devotional does the reading and questions for you, which lowers the barrier on tired nights. If you have a wide age range, choose one aimed at your youngest and let older kids go deeper in the discussion.

What's a good devotional for teens?

Teens do best with devotionals that take their real questions seriously and don't talk down to them — something that connects Scripture to identity, doubt, relationships, and purpose. Look for an honest, relatable tone; a preachy devotional gets abandoned fast at that age.

Should the whole family use the same devotional?

For families with a range of ages, a single whole-family devotional (read together, with questions everyone can engage at their own level) is often simpler and more unifying than separate ones. Younger kids catch what they can, older kids go deeper, and you're all in the same story. Individual devotionals are great as kids get older and want their own time.

Do we need a devotional at all, or just the Bible?

You don't strictly need one — a Bible, a couple of questions, and a prayer is a complete devotion. But a good devotional lowers the barrier by doing the planning for you, which for busy or unsure parents is often the difference between a rhythm that lasts and one that never quite starts. Use whatever helps you actually show up.