Jesus Calling is a daily devotional book written by Christian author Sarah Young and published by Byron Williamson at Integrity Publishers, based in Brentwood, TN.
The book is written in the voice of Jesus Christ speaking directly to the reader and thereby claiming new revelation from God.
Sarah Young has a degree in philosophy from Wellesley College; and earned a master’s degree in biblical studies and counselling from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis.
Young is a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), where her husband Stephen is an ordained minister and third-generation Christian missionary to Japan. The couple served as Mission to the World missionaries in Japan and Australia. They currently reside in the United States, where Young has two married children and two grandchildren.
Young has been described as a humble person who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Both The New York Times and Christianity Today had interviews with Young by email. The Daily Beast referred to Jesus Calling as “The Evangelical Bestseller You’ve Never Heard Of.”
The book offers readers a 365-day personal spiritual journey intended to help the reader experience a deeper relationship with Jesus. The book was inspired, in part, Sarah Young’s reading of a related book God Calling, authored by A. J. Russell. According to Publishers Weekly, Jesus Calling had sold 30 million copies as of 2015.
Sarah’s writings also include Jesus Listens, Jesus Always, Jesus Today, Jesus Lives, Dear Jesus, Jesus Calling for Little Ones, Jesus Calling Bible Storybook, Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids, Peace in His Presence, and more, each encouraging readers in their journeys toward intimacy with Christ.
Jesus Calling is more than a devotional book. It is also a Christian brand whose offerings include a quarterly magazine, TV show, podcast with over 7 million downloads, and daily inspiration over email and social media.
A Jesus Calling podcast features stories from readers of Jesus Calling and focuses on how the devotional has made a difference in their lives. Phil Keaggy, a Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Award-winning performer, provided the background music and offered his services because Jesus Calling has positively impacted his family.
On April 25, 2015, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker read from Jesus Calling to more than 1,000 people at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition. A HarperCollins publicist said, “We had no idea Scott Walker had the book and would use it. It’s always nice to hear about how ‘Jesus Calling’ touched someone’s life.”
On June 27, 2017, Louisiana First Lady Donna Edwards delivered copies of Jesus Calling to women prisoners of the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. The books were donated by The Next Door, a non-profit organisation that serves women in crisis and provides Jesus Calling devotionals free of charge to jails and prisons.
Rating: 8/10
Christ & Co.
