Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day: A 40-Day Journey to Deeply Change Your Relationships

by Peter Scazzero

Part of the bestselling Emotionally Healthy Spirituality book collection, this 40-day devotional by Peter Scazzero will help you nurture the kind of healthy relationships you long for. Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day-- just like its sister devotional, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day-- is your invitation into the ancient yet powerful discipline of the Daily Office, the practice of pausing morning and evening to reflect on God's work in your life. Each devotional will reflect on emotionally healthy relational themes, such You'll will be ushered into a transformational practice that will deepen your daily walk with Jesus, and along the way, you'll discover the spiritual nourishment, joy, and peace that comes from meeting with him every day. Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day is also available in Spanish, Relaciones emocionalmente sanas Día a día .

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help

272 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2017

Reviews

[Elizabeth Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. The idea of having a daily office was helpful for me to expand my idea of a “quiet time” to more than just a morning routine, but opportunities to stop & connect w God throughout my day.

[Peggi Tustan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best devotionals I've read in a long time. I read it for a Sunday School Class on Emotionally Healthy Relationships. The devotional topics followed the class session topics, such as: Take Your Community Temperature Reading, Stop Mind Reading, Explore the Iceberg, Incarnational Listening, etc. I read this book slowly, savoring it. I plan to re-read it immediately because I found it so rich and encouraging!

The book is set up for Daily Offices, i.e. morning and evening devotions. It is a time to stop our activity and turn our attention to God. You are encouraged to begin and end with two minutes of silence being still before God (Psalm 46:10).

[Bert van der Vaart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A second daily devotional book by Peter Scazzero--this one has a sub theme of how we should walk with God in relating to our personal relationships. He usefully explores how the Bible provides guidance to issues like how to listen, the importance of retaining integrity, how to clarify expectations, sharing burdens/delegating responsibilities, and how to sense deeper emotions in others running beneath the surface. Most days contain a deep nugget of wisdom, and all teachings/passages appeared sound. I found his other book--Emotionally Healthy Spirituality--somewhat deeper and enjoyed it even more. However, I recommend both for pithy daily devotional readings.

[Brandon Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When I close my eyes to sleep, I release to God all the unfinished work of the day and trust him with my life. I am reminded of the fragileness of life and my dependence on him. When my eyes close to sleep, I am profoundly aware I may awake to see him face-to-face because he has called me home. Otherwise, I will awake the following morning to serve him for another day on earth.”

[Maria Dunlap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great guide.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this compact devotional that prompted me to be silent before God every day while I took the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality course at my church. The daily readings were deep, rich and powerful, though they only took a few minutes to read. The questions were thoughtful and profound, and have truly shaped my faith this year. An excellent book to use on your own or in tandem with your small group.

[Martha Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe my favorite daily devo to date. I think the title does this book a disservice. 10/10 recommend.

[Jessica Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

When one passes judgement on a person who stands before God moving at her own pace, one is projecting ones own discomfort with her choice to live differently than him. Respect is how you treat someone - not a feeling. It is important to tolerate discomfort for growth. The Bible is honest when discussing its heroes on each page. Moses murders, Hoseas wife is a hooked, Noah gets drunk, Peter rebukes God, Jonah remains racist, Jacob- a liar, Elijah burned out, and Jeremiah was suicidal and depressed. Each human in the stories show that although they have gifts, they also have weaknesses and must depend on God. The book explains Christians as "fun deprived".

Our emotions are there and listening to them gives us our realities. We meet God in reality. Emotions are soul language. The cry that gives the heart a voice. If we turn a deaf ear to our emotions, our attempts to control our inner world will only always be an attempt. We fear and feel shame when darkness enters our awareness because it can extend within our consciousness. While what happens is not by our hands, we still feel at fault when we did not help. While I did not bomb them, I am American, for example.

Identify why you have an emotion to come to terms with it, and heal.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scazzero's first Day by Day book was pretty life changing when you consider the accessible format that truly helps someone slow down, practice silence, immerse themselves in scripture and reflect towards inner change and life action.
So it's tough to create a sequel with similar impact of the original. Positively, this book helps one focus on loving others and healthy relationships, with the kind of self reflection needed to support that outward other focused love. A slight negative might be that Scazzero seemed to try hard to keep the format and therefore stretched some of the texts towards an application (though that only happened a few times). And honestly, sometimes lectio divina type of reading sometimes leads us to focus on one word or overarching narrative rather than the fullest contextual reading of the text.
That said, it's totally worth using it for 40 days to hammer down the necessary scripture and reflection that leads us to better know ourselves and love others (all in our journey of knowing and loving God.)

[D.J. Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this Daily Office Journey devotional book every month since March of 2021 along with Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (and I'll continue to do so). After reading it and praying the "daily office" 4 times now, I still recommend the book. I kept brief notes in the margins on what the Holy Spirit is saying to me on that particular day through the scripture verse, commentary, reading, and/or prayer. Scazzero, through the two books, has also multiplied the number of books I have bought and read (or going to read)...lol...via his sources used.

I have to comment on how much I love how Scazzero does his notes. They are simply numbered 1-97 for the entire book. I wish all authors did their notes this way.

Eight weeks for a 40 day journey so this could be used during Lent if one desired to do so. Possibly I used it that way the first time, but since then I have used it primarily one reading in the morning either from both books or alternating.

[Amanda Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some helpful sections, and I like the structure of it: 2 minutes of silence before reading and 2 minutes of it after, with a morning devo and an afternoon one. I believe silence with God, quieting one's mind from the distractions of the day, is highly beneficial. The author has an excellent rebuttal in Appendix C to those who think certain recommended practices are New Age. 

The main downside of the book is that many of these devotionals contain stories and excerpts from Catholic individuals, which is really out of place in a Protestant Christian devotional. It's akin to including excerpts from Mormon writings - they may have nuggets of truth, but it's still pulling material from a false religion and giving credence to it.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent follow up to the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day devotional to continue developing the practice of silence and stillness in God’s presence. As you practice this skill daily, 2 minutes can easily become 20 minutes over time, rewiring your brain and helping you be more aware, empathic and less stressed. Be sure to read the Appendices as well, covering breath prayers and complines. Now our family is trying to slow down enough each week from the addiction of screen time and Pokémon Go to do this together. Be patient with yourself! It takes 3-6 weeks to learn a new habit, as we put off the old man and put on the new. 🙂

[John Patch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the second devotional that I have read through, and I must say it was fantastic! I usually read straight through the bible every year or so and at times I read commentaries which I like quite a lot, but this was simply delightful to have so many different verses, themes, comments, authors quoted, and great women and men of Christianities thoughts on various matters. I also loved Scazzero's directions of twice a day readings and sitting quietly before the Lord four times a day. His guided prayers and thought-provoking questions were a welcomed addition to my time with God. I highly suggest this book.

[Jennifer Tse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great devotional that helps to become healthier in our relationships with God and people. I enjoyed the meditations for the morning and evening. I already had the habit of doing morning devotionals that was developed from my college church. Incorporating the evening devotionals took work and effort. Sometimes I missed the evening ones, so ended up doing double devotionals the next day. It helped that it comes with a workbook, to jot down my answers to the question each day and remember the content after the course is over.

[Natalie Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at the suggestion of my counselor. It was a breath of fresh air and a balm to my heart. It is a broadly written book on ALL relationships. It details not only how we ought to treat others, but also writes about how we should expect to be treated ourselves as humans created in God’s image. For anyone who has experienced trauma, abuse, or other relational hardships, this book is such a good reset for your heart. There is a companion DVD and workbook, but I read it as a stand alone.

[Courtney Gras]

1. Am I fully present or distracted?
2. Am I loving or judging?
3. Am I open or closed to being changed? Page 28.

“We may demand people meet our needs for love, approval, and self-worth – a weight too heavy for them to bear…We need people, but they can never fully fill us with the perfect love that can only be given by God. For this reason, it is vital that we consistently practice silence and stillness with God.” Page 34

[Julianna Steen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might have enjoyed this set of devotions even more than the “OG” day-by-day book. Since this one was focused on how to have emotionally healthy relationships, it felt very practical and was filled with beautiful reminders of why and how we are to love people well. I haven’t done the EHR course but I definitely want to after reading this + would highly recommend this book as the perfect, quick start to your day.

[Marlise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favourite daily readers. It’s a Bible study with a built-in prayer and meditation guide and focuses on how we communicate, deal with, and serve others in our lives. 40 days long, it’s a great length to get a lot of valuable information without getting cumbersome or monotonous like so many other devotionals I find.

[Daniel Kleven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second "Emotionally Healthy" book I've read, and I rather liked it. Based in the contemplative tradition, it's a twice a day devotional featuring a number of quotes by figures like Brother Lawrence, Henri Nouwen, the Desert Fathers, Teresa of Avila, Thomas Merton, Eugene Peterson, and more. The content was good, overall. Would recommend.

[Daphne Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if you don’t take the course with which this devotional partners, there is wisdom on each page. It is especially helpful to someone who wants to make space for the spiritual discipline of the daily office.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

great devotional. experienced more benefits at start when I practiced silence (2 min) then “the office” (praying 2x a day). but also first few chapters were more refreshing bc themes reminded me of unseen. key theme: the heart of healthy relationships is rooted in a relationship with God.

[Chris Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s got some great stuff, but all too often it was just excerpts from his book attached to an unrelated Bible verse in my opinion. The practice of silence, scripture, commentary, prayer, and silence are great though. Just sometimes was working too hard to make his writing fit a devotional format.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s mostly a collection of ancient writings, but there is some more contemporary material. Then it uses these writings to create an application for our lives. Although it’s an impressive amount of material I didn’t really connect with it.

[Emily Borland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this little guided devotional all about relationships, so much that I will hang onto it so I can do it again sometime. It also got me into the habit of a little meditation, something I haven’t really done. 2
Minutes at a time, baby steps, but opened the door for more!

[Nikki Bramwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great devo and practices!

I'd recommend this book anyone that wants to *reconstruct* their spiritual with practical steps to help them love people better while letting go of religious fluff.

[Evan Hoekzema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I thought there were some devotional thoughts and exercises in here that were incredibly powerful. It hit at the right time for me and definitely spoke to me. A great accompaniment to the Emotionally Healthy Relationships course.

[Kingsley Wientge III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life Changing

I have already given out over 2 dozen copies. A foundational bool for anyone who wants to grow beyond the restrictions of their past.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read this in 40 days, but spread it out a little more. It is challenging, but deep. Will probably reread after a break.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended! Simple yet thought provoking, an invitation to a deeper life with Christ in community

[Krysta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical, helpful and transformative.