Follow the Guidelines for Devotion Writing - Submitting to ChristianDevotions.us

Follow the Guidelines for Devotion Writing - Submitting to ChristianDevotions.us
Friday, February 13, 2026 by Martin Wiles

By Martin Wiles

Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist, had a motto for his gonzo journalism and approach to life: “Anything worth doing is worth doing right.” The same holds true for writing our devotions.

For seventeen years, I have been privileged to write devotions for websites, devotional magazines, and curriculum-based quarterlies. I’ve also had the opportunity to manage three devotional websites, plus my personal one.

One commonality I’ve noticed is the similar general outline publishers want the devotion to follow. Christian Devotions, in many ways, parrots this outline. At the same time, one of the most common reasons we return submissions is because writers don’t follow the guidelines. Following a publication’s guidelines is critical if we want our devotions to see the light of the reading world.

At Christian Devotions, we use the Hook, Book, Look, and Took outline—and in that order. Other sites or magazines may suggest another way to pen a devotion. Ours is one of many, but this is what Christian Devotions has found works best for us.

The Hook

My maternal grandmother was an old-time fisher who fished in a small boat, powered by a small motor. She also used only two cane poles. One was larger in circumference and used for bottom fishing for catfish. The other was smaller in circumference and used for shallow fishing for bream.

But one thing my grandmother never did was fish with a bare hook. She decorated her hooks with fat back, live crickets, or live bait worms. According to her, the only thing that would bite a bare hook was “trash”—fish so small that they weren’t worth keeping, cleaning, or eating.

Good writing—in this case, devotions—should begin with a hook that does what a fishhook is designed to do: catch something. And for the writer, we fish to snag readers who will read more than the first sentence or paragraph of our devotion.

Many writers struggle with the hook. A Google search will reveal many articles on writing a good hook, but the bottom line (no pun intended) is that a devotion needs a good one. M. Scott Peck, in his best-seller, The Road Less Traveled, begins the book with an effective hook: “Life is difficult.” Of course, I read the book because I wanted to know when, where, how, why, and under what circumstances life was difficult.

The Book

We also want our devotions to focus on one Bible verse. With a four-hundred-word limit, this is all we can effectively address. The Book is the second part of the devotion. The Hook should transition smoothly into this section and not be forced. This is also the portion of the devotion that many writers fail to mention. Remember, a devotion is not about the Hook, which is often a personal story, but about the Bible verse and what it means for the reader.

The Look

Equally essential is the Look, which is where the writer must apply the teaching of the Bible verse in at least one practical way. Readers rarely want deep commentary in devotions—and four hundred words does not give opportunity. Instead, readers want to know how the verse relates to them personally and to their spiritual journey.

The Took

This is the shortest section of the devotion—and the only section where the writer should use Second Person POV (you, your). This is not the place for a question, but where the writer suggests an action the reader can take that relates to the Bible verse.

Many writers feel pressured to write a book, but a devotion can reach more people than most books ever will. Just make sure to follow the guidelines so your devotion can do what God intends.

For Practice

Try writing a devotion following the above guidelines.