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Simplify Your Spiritual Life: 90 Ways to Make the Spiritual Disciplines Less Overwhelming and More Sustainable
256 pages, Paperback
Published June 9, 2026
About the author
Donald S. Whitney
32 books323 followersDON WHITNEY has been Professor of Biblical spirituality and Associate Dean at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, since 2005. Before that, he held a similar position (the first such position in the six Southern Baptist seminaries) at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO, for 10 years. He is the founder and president of The Center for Biblical Spirituality. Don is a frequent speaker in churches, retreats, and conferences in the U.S. and abroad.
Don grew up in Osceola, AR, where he came to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. After graduating from Arkansas State, Don planned to finish law school and pursue a career in sportscasting. While at the University of Arkansas School of Law, he sensed God's call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He then enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1979. In 1987, Don completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. He earned a PhD in theology at the University of the Free State in Bloemfonteine, South Africa in 2013.
Prior to his ministry as a seminary professor, Don pastored Glenfield Baptist Church in Glen Ellyn, IL (a Chicago suburb), for almost 15 years. Altogether, he's served local churches in pastoral ministry for 24 years.
He is the author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which has a companion Study Guide. He has also written How Can I Be Sure I'm a Christian?, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, and Family Worship. His hobby is restoring and using old fountain pens.
Don lives with his wife, Caffy, in their home near Louisville. She teaches classes for seminary wives and is an artist, muralist, and illustrator. The Whitneys are parents of Laurelen.
Don's website is www.BiblicalSpirituality.org. He's on Twitter @DonWhitney and on Facebook.
Don grew up in Osceola, AR, where he came to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. After graduating from Arkansas State, Don planned to finish law school and pursue a career in sportscasting. While at the University of Arkansas School of Law, he sensed God's call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He then enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1979. In 1987, Don completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. He earned a PhD in theology at the University of the Free State in Bloemfonteine, South Africa in 2013.
Prior to his ministry as a seminary professor, Don pastored Glenfield Baptist Church in Glen Ellyn, IL (a Chicago suburb), for almost 15 years. Altogether, he's served local churches in pastoral ministry for 24 years.
He is the author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which has a companion Study Guide. He has also written How Can I Be Sure I'm a Christian?, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, and Family Worship. His hobby is restoring and using old fountain pens.
Don lives with his wife, Caffy, in their home near Louisville. She teaches classes for seminary wives and is an artist, muralist, and illustrator. The Whitneys are parents of Laurelen.
Don's website is www.BiblicalSpirituality.org. He's on Twitter @DonWhitney and on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 12, 2026
“Simplify Your Spiritual Life” by Donald Whitney encourages us with 90 different ways to solidify our spiritual life so that it is more consistently sustainable. In fact, I would have instead titled it “Solidify Your Spiritual Life.”
This book could be read as a daily devotional or in sections. Topics include prayer, Bible reading, journaling, community, and technology use, as well as simplifying our lives, time, minds and hearts.
My favorite entry was the one about being disciplined in our personal devotional time. Whitney (who also penned the well-known “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”) says,
“Tomorrow morning, I don’t have to decide if I’m going to read God‘s Word and spend time in prayer to Him.” He goes on to say that this is a commitment he’s already made ahead and so he remains faithful to it.
In a world of overwhelmingly increasing demands and distractions, the suggestions that fill this book provide richness that all believers can put into practice.
Highlights:
“Do what you can. God does not love us more when we do more devotional, nor less when we do less. He accepts us not because of what we do for Him, but because of what He’s done for us in Christ.”
“The goal of biblical spirituality is intimacy with and conformity to Christ, and it is practiced in connection with the local church.”
“Through the words of Scripture, the power from Heaven shines a divine and supernatural light into our minds and ignites a passionate love for God in our hearts.”
“Don’t turn to people as models and teachers of spirituality if you could not also turn to them for guidance in theology and doctrine . . . If some of their foundational beliefs—especially regarding the nature and authority of the Bible, the gospel, the person and work of Jesus, and the Trinity—are contrary to Scripture, they will eventually mislead you regarding important matters of spirituality.”
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.
This book could be read as a daily devotional or in sections. Topics include prayer, Bible reading, journaling, community, and technology use, as well as simplifying our lives, time, minds and hearts.
My favorite entry was the one about being disciplined in our personal devotional time. Whitney (who also penned the well-known “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”) says,
“Tomorrow morning, I don’t have to decide if I’m going to read God‘s Word and spend time in prayer to Him.” He goes on to say that this is a commitment he’s already made ahead and so he remains faithful to it.
In a world of overwhelmingly increasing demands and distractions, the suggestions that fill this book provide richness that all believers can put into practice.
Highlights:
“Do what you can. God does not love us more when we do more devotional, nor less when we do less. He accepts us not because of what we do for Him, but because of what He’s done for us in Christ.”
“The goal of biblical spirituality is intimacy with and conformity to Christ, and it is practiced in connection with the local church.”
“Through the words of Scripture, the power from Heaven shines a divine and supernatural light into our minds and ignites a passionate love for God in our hearts.”
“Don’t turn to people as models and teachers of spirituality if you could not also turn to them for guidance in theology and doctrine . . . If some of their foundational beliefs—especially regarding the nature and authority of the Bible, the gospel, the person and work of Jesus, and the Trinity—are contrary to Scripture, they will eventually mislead you regarding important matters of spirituality.”
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 of 1 review