Why have personal devotions? Is it even important? Today we are going to take a look into the necessity of having personal devotions. I know from experience that it can be hard to take the time to have devotions. But I also know that there is a major blessing in spending time alone with God.
You cannot expect to have a deep relationship with Christ without putting anything into it. To build a human relationship, you need to spend time together. It’s the same way with Christ. The more time you take to study the Bible and talk to God, the deeper your relationship will grow.
It’s easy to read your Bible and pray a quick prayer first thing in the morning and then go on with your day and never actually take in what you read. But if you truly want to study the Bible and have a meaningful time with God, He will bless that desire. Before you read a chapter ask God to help you understand what you read and make His Word come alive to you. Something I have found helpful is to write a portion of Scripture in my own words after reading it. I’ve found that this makes me think about what I have read and helps it stick in my mind. The more we read the Bible over an over the more it makes sense and new things stand out. Make it a point to read your Bible everyday and allow God to speak to you through His Word, silence and prayer.
Focusing when having devotions can be a struggle for me. Sometimes I find it helps to ask Jesus to clear my thoughts and help me to focus. I have been told that when you have so many thoughts going through your mind to simply pray about what your are thinking on and give it to Jesus. When I am struggling, I find it helpful to write a list of things for which I am thankful.
I have been continually blessed in the times Jesus has blessed me with Himself in my time of need. Times when I just felt too tired to read my Bible but did, Jesus gave me a verse that helped me so much. Journaling has been a big help for me. Coming to Jesus in prayer by writing my heart to Him. When my mind feels too full to focus on His Word, I write.
An easy way to communicate with Jesus is simply having solo time with Him. Come to Him in stillness and quietness. We need to come to Jesus as we are. Invite Him to wherever you are, in whatever state. He already knows our needs, but He wants us to present them to Him. Even our angry questions and hard feelings. Then come to Him in thankfulness and praise. Praising Him because you know He already knows and has a plan for you. Ask Jesus to come to you continually, and allow Him to guide your words, actions, and thoughts!
Resources
There are several websites and other resources that we have found helpful.
- I tend to be the type of person who believes what I read. So, if you’re like me, you need to be careful what you read or use for Bible studies. I feel like this company’s Bible studies are reputable. You can get them as a book or digital format.
- This website also has plenty of well-written Bible studies and podcasts. They also have various 30-day challenges. I suggest you get a couple of friends and do the challenge together. Some cover a book of the Bible and some a specific topic.
Tomorrow’s Forefathers– Speak Truth In Your Heart
- This book is great to read by itself, but paired with the workbook it makes a great Bible study!
pursuingourpurpose.com 