Queers The Word: A 40 Day Devotional for LGBTQ+ Christians

by Brian G. Murphy, Shannon TL Kearns

Deepen your relationship with God by diving into Scripture through a queer lensHave you ever wanted a daily devotional but couldn't find one that affirmed your sexuality/gender identity? or took social justice seriously? Do you want something you can do in five minutes in the morning OR can use for an extended time of study? Are you looking for a devotional that takes Scripture seriously, but also affirms the goodness of queer and trans people? In this 40-day devotional you'll find entries from a queer and trans perspective written to support you in strengthening your faith and affirming your identity. 40 entries-40 different Bible passages with a queer/trans reflection for each one. Journal prompts-several journal prompts for every day. Use them to reflect more deeply on how each passage relates to your faith and life. Action items-ideas for things you can do *right now* to put your faith into action in the world.The first in a series of devotionals from the creators of QueerTheology.com designed to offer insight and inspiration to queer and trans Christians.

Genres: Spirituality, LGBT, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Faith

111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 14, 2020

About the author

Brian G. Murphy is an organizer, author, and certified relationship coach. Brian is the co-founder of QueerTheology.com, a resource hub, podcast, and online community, which explores how queerness and spirituality enrich one another, and also founded Relationshift, a relationship coaching practice helping LGBTQ+ and polyamorous people build thriving relationships on their own terms. He is a sought-after speaker at colleges, churches, and conferences across the country and his work has been featured in Vice, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, The Advocate, Upworthy, and NBC News.

Brian has two books coming soon:
Love Beyond Monogamy, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, will release September 18, 2025. Reading The Bible Through Queer Eyes, co-authored with Shannon TL Kearns, published by HarperOne, will release in spring 2026.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the devotional I have needed since I was a kid. This is an approach to scripture and to faith that resonates with who I am.

Queers the Word has been a blessing. It is blessing to hear myself named; it is a blessing to have my experiences spoken about with love and brought into the talks about faith in positive and uplifting ways. Father Shay and Brian have shown us what affirming theology and reflection looks like and I hope we see many queer writers and people of faith adding to this body.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read the Queers the Word daily devotional and I’m so happy that I found it! The devotional offers a refreshing lens to familiar texts that starts from a queer affirming perspective and goes even deeper. It offers journal prompts and actions which I really appreciate (but also is short enough for those particularly long or busy days). Brian Murphy and Fr Shay Kearns offer relatable stories and thought provoking reflections. A great read and great way to mediate!

[Brianna Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has had a very formal and traditional relationship with the Bible, this devotional was a game changer. It was thought provoking, refreshing, and exciting to be given the freedom to look at passages through a new lens. As someone who is a straight ally, it was life giving and I found myself feeling seen in a way that I would have never expected. I strongly recommend this devotional to both members of the LGBTQ+ and allies alike!

[Melissa Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great starting point for opening the doors for more literature of this kind, but it didn’t always feel as deep into Christianity and who I can be as a bisexual Christian as I would have liked. It felt like it was trying to hard to please all types of people and bring up activism as much as being gay as much as the Bible and it’s applicable teachings to a gay person. Great starting point but tried too hard to be too many things all at once.

[Max Pins · Rating 5 out of 5]

"we all reflect the image of God. May you always remember that" affirming and great reflection guidance

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a Presbyterian pastor for 22 years. And while I have now been retired from parish ministry for 8 years, I still enjoy reading books on theology, church history, and of course devotional materials. I came across this book recently and it caught my attention. The understanding of homosexuality has evolved. It wasn't that long ago that it was still viewed as a mental disease. Now we know that sexual orientation can no more be a "choice" than having blue eyes or being left handed. Biblical study has also helped the church to understand that those seven "clobber passages" about homosexuality often quoted by those fearful of LBGTQ people do not necessarily say what many people think they actually say. But, where does that leave the church and LGBTQ people? How would a LGBTQ person use and reflect on Scripture, especially in light of the fact that is has so often been used as a weapon against them?

This 40-day daily devotional resource was insightful and enlightening. Beyond the "clobber passages," how do LBGTQ people look at biblical texts and apply them to their lives? How might Scripture be read from an LGBTQ perspective that would augment traditional theological interpretations? This resource brought new and refreshing perspectives for me, and I think would be insightful for any reader, regardless of sexual orientation.

The format of the book is a short passage of Scripture to be read as the focus. Then a reflection written by one of the two authors - Brian Murphy, a gay personal relationship coach, and Father Shannon TL Kearns, a transgender man priest. Following the reflection, readers are encouraged to do some journaling on a particular thread, and then given small daily action items to consider.

You may/may not agree with some of the biblical interpretations and applications. But each daily reading was challenging and thought-provoking. Many new wonderful insights for me. I think any serious student of the Scriptures would benefit from this resource.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly worth buying and reading twice. Easy to read at your own pace and interact with to a degree that you find comfortable. I would have liked to see a bit more depth in some of it but the way it is written makes it accessible for a varied demographic. Happy to see a resource like this!

[Mychel Vandover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always had trouble maintaining an active prayer life and daily Bible reading, but this devotional has really helped me get started on one. Having a resource like this from other queer people, particularly ones I have lots of respect for, has been inspirational and deeply meaningful. The reflections give me a new and fresh perspective on stories I have heard my whole life. Thank you both so much for blessing us with this devotional.

[Jasmine Banasik · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so nice to see a devotional that positions being queer not as something to be loved despite but to be loved because of. To see being queer as being holy is revolutionary and I might have teared up a few times. Ooops.

[Kevin Woodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daily devotional

This is a good 40day reading that can be read in any season for the queer community. With these encouraging devotionals the lgbtqia+ community can rest aside that God does not hate you in fact God loves you.

[Ambrose Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent devotional! Too bad it wasn’t longer. After Pascha/Easter I’ll have to read it again.

[Terry Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good 40-day devotional that allowed you to take time out and reflect. I used this this year has my lent devotional, but it easily could be used again at another time of the year

[Mark Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lot more active of a devotional than my last one ! i really enjoyed it.
good prompts for reflection and/or journaling and more involved scripture compared to my last devotional.

i love the invitation to read more in depth or just read a small passage. there are always options for deeper reading or deeper reflection/journaling

i wasn’t always able to directly relate to some of the takeaways, but the human experience is vast !

i’d say it’s a good devotional for people who want to focus on social justice based messages. each day came with a call to action that aim to inspire to be more active in your community or with social justice initiatives. a good devotional for queer people, allies, and really anyone.

one downside was some of the messages were repetitive.