For my spiritual formation students and friends I strongly recommend The Life With God Bible. I'm now reading through the Bible using this.
The study notes are very helpful, especially as they highlight the spiritual disciples (prayer, silence, solitude, fellowship, worship, etc.)
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Many people are looking for a new way to read the Bible, not as a text to be mastered. but as a story to enter into and a lifestyle to pursue. This unique Bible, previously published as The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible and spearheaded by bestselling authors Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline) and Dallas Willard (The Divine Conspiracy), introduces the concept of life with God - or the "with-God life" - a model for seeing the whole of Scripture as the unfolding story of God′s plan for our loving relationship with the Creator. This central theme weaves throughout the essays, introductions, notes, and exercises, powerfully revealing how God is present to his people today and throughout history.
Yet our relationship with God should not be passive. Concrete practices - Spiritual Disciplines - have been used throughout church history to guide disciples of Jesus. This Bible integrates the Spiritual Disciplines into the Christian life by showing how they are central to the Bible′s teachings and stories. Abraham and Ruth, Moses and Deborah, Jesus and the disciples all provide amazing examples of the life-changing power of prayer, worship, fasting, celebration, and many other Spiritual Disciplines. Scripture thus becomes a primary means for the discovery, instruction, and practice of these disciplines as well as a tool for spiritual formation.
Combining the highest possible biblical scholarship with the deepest possible heart devotion, this new Bible project seeks to nourish inner transformation by unlocking and revealing the profound resources within Scripture for changing our hearts and characters and bringing them in line with what God wants for our lives. The Life with God Bible will redefine what the Bible means for Christian discipleship.
RECOMMENDATIONS
“The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible … is unrivaled as a classic work of biblical theology suffused with a pastoral heart.” (Brennan Manning, author of Ruthless Trust )
“…[T]he most spiritually-impactful Bible of our time.” (John Ortberg, Teaching Pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, author of If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat )
“This Bible is greatly needed.” (Tony Campolo, author of It's Friday but Sunday's Coming )
“With great enthusiasm, I open The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible. One could not assemble a finer team to compile it.” (Max Lucado, author of Come Thirsty and Traveling Light )
“This Bible helps us desire intimacy with God, not just know the typical facts and knowledge. (Dan Kimball, author of The Emerging Church, and Pastor of Vintage Faith Church )
“[An] outstanding resource...Christians of many different traditions will appreciate this ecumenical resource devoted to spiritual renewal.” (Publishers Weekly )
“...Many original and stimulating insights for the spiritual lives of contemporary Christians.” (Christian Century )
“This study Bible is both serious and accessible.” (Tulsa World )
