Gotcha! How to Write a Compelling Devotional Hook

A short form devotional has three sections: a hook, a Bible passage connection, and a connection to the life of faith.

Here are three things that will make your devotional hook compelling to the readers:

1. Begin with the end in mind.

The hook should get the reader thinking about the connection to the life of faith that you will make at the end of your devotional. Before I write a devotional, I read the Bible passage several times and list out the possible application points that are presented in the passage. I pick out only one of these as the focus. If there is not a clear command to follow in the passage, I look to see what the passage tells us about who God is and how that particular aspect of God’s character impacts our lives. Make sure that the hook pulls the reader towards the one focus point of the passage.

2. Draw from a variety of sources.

Use stories or illustrations from history, science, nature, or personal experience. Know your audience. Are you writing the devotional for women? Men? Both? Older or younger people? Make sure that the hook you share will be relatable to your readers. Take care to make your hook understandable across cultures since many devotional markets have an international audience. If you are writing a group of devotionals, make sure that there is variety in your hooks.

3. Use descriptive language.

If you are writing a devotional for a publication, they will have guidelines for a word count. Most of the time, you will have between 270-400 words. You need to make sure every word counts. Budget some of those words to use descriptive language in the hook. You want your reader to paint a picture in her mind so that her heart is ready to hear God’s truth and to remember it. Use words that convey emotion as well.

If you are interested in writing devotionals, keep a notebook nearby during your regular Bible reading. When the Holy Spirit bring a truth to your attention and how it relates to your life, jot it down. From these writings you can write a devotional and submit it to one of these seven places that have open submissions.

Rachel Schmoyer is a pastor’s wife who is loving her church life. She writes about the hard parts of Scripture at readthehardparts.com. She has had devotionals published in the past, but now she is looking forward to getting her first Christian Living book published. You can connect with Rachel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.