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Devotion can be defined as love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. ‘Devoting’ time is the intentional act of dedicating or reserving time for a specific person or thing. If you think about what you do or love most, what are you devoting most of your time to?
Sometimes in the daily hustle of life, we get so tied up and busy with responsibilities that we forget to take time to spend with God. Spending time in daily devotion has the power to increase your faith, strengthen your mind, and renew your Spirit. As you spend intentional time with God, you are building and cultivating a personal relationship with Him.
Spending time with God is a vital and necessary part of every Christian journey.
Through daily devotion, we are renewed daily. As we meditate on His Word, we are being reminded of everything God has said to us. If we don’t constantly fill ourselves with the Word of God, it becomes easy to forget His truth, and the weight of the world can start to weigh on us.
In today’s political and social climate, it is easy to become discouraged or upset at all that is going on in the world. In these times, we must learn to depend on God the most. There will always be things we have to go through and won’t be able to change, while other things we can pray for God to give us the strength to make it through. Spending time in daily devotion keeps our minds focused on God instead of what is going on around us.
Reading a daily devotional will help you keep your mind focused on God in the midst of a crazy world.
When we start our day with prayer and devotion, we open our hearts to receive what God wants to speak to us for the day. Through prayer, we give God permission to lead us and guide us throughout the rest of the day. Another way to spend time quiet time with God is through the study of your bible, or pre-written daily devotionals.
Christian Devotionals are designed to help grow your relationship with God.
Devotionals can be found in many different forms. Some daily devotionals come in the form of:
- books
- devotional apps
- websites
- blogs
- emails
- journals
- guides
Christian devotions are usually broken down into daily summaries or chapters that give you specific topics for you to read, study, and pray about. Devotional times are quiet times of reflection, confession, examination, and worship. Our devotions should always be Christ-centered and seek to move us into a more intimate relationship with God.
Devotionals help to guide you during your intimate time with God.
Devotionals help to guide us during our quiet times. Some devotionals teach how to read the scriptures, while other devotionals give practical examples of how to apply the Word of God to our life. Devotionals are not meant to be read in one sitting but are rather designed for you to read a little bit every day.
10 Tips for Spending Time in Daily Devotion
Looking for ways to get the most out of your personal devotion time? These 10 tips will help you to get started and encourage you to keep going.
1. Read a Proverb a Day
Don’t know where to begin when it comes to starting your daily devotion? Start off by reading the book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs and 31 days in most months. Starting on the first day of the month, read Proverbs 1. Each day read the Proverbs chapter that corresponds with that day. For example, on May 2nd, read Proverbs 2. On May 3rd, read Proverbs 3, and so on. Each chapter of Proverbs is packed full of insights for living a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
2. Write in a Journal
Write out your prayers in the form of letters to God. Then, search the Word for verses that provide wisdom, encouragement or answers to the situations you wrote about. Write those verses near your journal entries. You will be amazed as you read back at past journal entries how faithful the Lord is and how powerful the Word is when applied to your life.
3. Find a Quiet Spot
Find a quiet, comfortable place in your home where you can concentrate on being with the Lord. Maybe it’s a big comfy chair in your living room, or a quiet spot on your back deck. Set this space apart as sacred and use it regularly as a place to come into God’s presence.
4. Pick a Special Time of the Day
Find the time when you are least rushed and most able to focus, and commit to spending that time with God each day. To initiate consistency with your daily devotion, try to spend time with God at the same time each day. Make a commitment to yourself that you won’t go to bed until you have spent quiet time with Him.
5. Pick an Accountability Partner
Every now and then, daily devotion can be done with someone you love and trust. Ask your husband, sister, or close Christian friend to be your accountability partner in this area. Encourage one another to spend time in prayer and Bible study, then get together regularly at your favorite coffeehouse or restaurant to share what you are learning what God is teaching you.
6. Celebrate God’s Creation
Pack up your Bible and journal and head outside. Find a lake, a flower-filled meadow, or a hiking trail and dig into passages about God’s role as the Creator. You will likely experience His presence and His Word in new and exciting ways when you surround yourself with the sights and sounds of his creation.
7. Commit Scriptures to Memory
As you spend time in daily devotion, challenge yourself to memorize scripture. You may find that when you read and repeat verses over and over, they take on new meaning as they begin to saturate your heart and mind.
8. Focus on the Red Letters
If you are not sure what to read during your quiet time, focus on the words of Jesus. Often His exact words will be highlighted in red in your Bible. The bible tells us that His words are the source of truth and guidance (John 14:6). When you aren’t sure what to read, focus on what He has to say to you through His words.
9. Dig Deeper
As you spend time in God’s word, dig deep for meaning and revelation. Ask yourself questions or do an in-depth study of words or subjects in scripture. As you ask questions, look for answers to these topics in the Word. The bible tells us that when you seek Him, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). As you ask questions, He will meet you right where you are. As you dig deeper, your appetite for His Truth will continue to increase.
10. Find Great Resources
There are tons of Bible studies available to help guide you and enhance your personal studies. Head off to your nearest bookstore, the library, or search online and spend some time finding the best daily devotion for you.
I hope this helps!
