Tabitha Oyewole 
If you are a reader and want to explore your Christian faith, you should try reading Christian magazines.
In the real sense, you don’t have to love reading to read Christian magazines. These faith-focused magazines can inspire, motivate and groom you to become a faithful Christian and a person after God’s heart.
Christian magazines or Christian publications contain inspiring stories, how-to’s, Bible verses, parenting advice, fun activities, and cooking tips, among many others topics. These magazines can also be reader-specific. For instance, there are Christian magazines for kids, teenagers, women, men, and Christian family magazines, among many others. Relevant Christian magazines will leave you engrossed in the pages, and by the time you finish reading, ready to take on the world.
Here are a few free and relevant magazines you can read at your leisure. These magazines can be found either online or in print.
Christianity Today: If you are looking for a magazine that creates a thoughtful, biblical perspective on theology, church, ministry, and culture, Christianity Today is a top choice. Billy Graham founded the magazine, and since its inception, it has advocated for the church, shaped evangelical conversations, brought important issues to the forefront, and provided practical solutions for church leaders.
Charisma: Charisma magazine is an interactive and inspiring magazine that shares Christian news, personal stories and experiences from readers, and commentary on Bible passages. Though not its exclusive focus, the publication’s content tends to be tailored for charismatic or Pentecostal readers.
Relevant Magazine: As the name implies, Relevant magazine is a relevant Christian lifestyle magazine focused on faith and pop culture. The bi-monthly Christian magazine portrays “God, life and progressive culture” through its inspiring content. If you want to be inspired for free, you should check out Relevant magazine.
Guideposts: Guideposts is a nonprofit organization that inspires, gives hope, and helps Christians grow spiritually through their stories. They aim to make “the world believe that anything is possible with hope, faith, and prayer.” Many Christians see Guideposts as a place to find hope and increase their faith. Some of their content include; life advice, health and wellness, stories about positive living, recipes, and entertainment. Guideposts is your go-to online Christian magazine if you need to stay strong spiritually.
Sojo Magazine: Sojourners, or Sojo magazine like it is popularly called, is an award-winning online and print magazine for Christians from different backgrounds and cultures. The magazine “inspires hope and action by articulating the biblical call to racial and social justice, life and peace, and environmental stewardship.” You will find life in this magazine no matter your racial background.
The Praying Woman: We also have something for Christian women who enjoy reading magazines. The Praying Woman is a lifestyle magazine for women of faith that includes faith-based stories from various bloggers. The magazine has a series of content on relationships, wellness, Bible lessons, and parenting. We are confident that Christian women will find this magazine inspiring and educative.
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN A CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE
Inspiration: You have to be sure that the magazine you are subscribing to would leave you feeling inspired after reading it. There are various Christian magazines for different people. You have to be sure that the one you are going for is the best one for you. If you don’t feel inspired after reading the magazine, then you should look at other options.
Edification: After reading Christian magazines, you should see improvements, no matter how little they are. Good Christian magazines have great Christian stories and lessons that would leave you enlightened and yearning for more.
Education: Christian magazines should inform or teach you about Christianity and the ways of God. If you are interested in this, you should subscribe to Christian magazines that offer this.
Purpose: You need a Christian magazine that would constantly remind you why you are a Christian and what your purpose is. The Christian magazines discussed above achieve this through various ways like sharing stories from Christians like you, teaching you the Word, giving you the historical background of Christianity, and allowing you to share your stories, among many other ways.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ CHRISTIAN MAGAZINES
As a Christian, you should be conscious of the type of content you consume daily. While you can’t avoid some content, you can deliberately select what you read, watch or listen to every day. This is where Christian magazines come in. You can substitute secular magazines for religion magazines that will equip you with everything Christianity while keeping you in the know.
Christian magazines are encouraging and inspiring. Most of these magazines help you to enjoy your walk with God and crave the things of God. They remind you of God’s promises and your inheritance in His kingdom.
If you forget your purpose, are about to lose your faith, or are ever in doubt, an excellent Christian magazine and a community of Christians can help you get back on your feet. These magazines talk about the love of God, the need to forgive, the importance of relying on God’s strength and much more. Each magazine has its unique way of helping you stay strong in the faith. All you have to do is find the best one for you.
CONCLUSION
There is nothing as sweet as knowing that you are not alone, and there are people like you out there going through exactly what you are going through. This is what Christian magazines offer you; they present stories from Christians of different cultures, races, and backgrounds. Christian magazines offer biblical advice to Christians and give tips on parenting, relationships, and the Christian lifestyle. Some Christian magazines like Christianity Today also educate you on the history of Christianity and the church. When you are sure of what you are looking for in a Christian magazine, you can subscribe to any of the magazines listed above to get your dose of everything Christianity.
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