DEVOTIONS! They are quite literally my favorite part of the day, and without them I struggle to be a decent human being.
I am here to tell you not only what they are, but my five tips to make your devotion times amazing!
First, let’s start with what devotions are! Personal devotions are intentional times spent with the Lord, often consisting of reading the Bible. Devotions can look different for so many types of people, but I wanted to share with you what works for me!
Here are my 5 tips to boost your devotions…
1. Pray
Always start your devotional time with prayer! I know this step should be a given, but it seriously changes the entire dynamic of your devotion times!
The Bible says, “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Luke 11:10 (NIV)
So… if you are having a hard time finding motivation in your personal devotions, just ask for it and it will be given to you!
If you’re sitting there thinking, “Prayer sounds great and all but where do I start?!” It’s simple! You just talk to God. In whatever way you want, about whatever you want! There is no specific formula to make prayer “work.”
2. Journal
Stop whatever you’re doing and go get yourself a journal! Like seriously, what are you waiting for? Okay… maybe I’m being a little dramatic but I can’t recommend enough using a journal in your daily devotions!
Journals have quite literally changed the game for so many people, myself included! Write down your prayers, things you’ve learned from Scripture, your feelings, thoughts, and of course whatever the Lord speaks to you!
One helpful journaling style for those who don’t know where to start is called the S.O.A.P. method. The S.O.A.P. method is just a simple way to read and journal your way through the Bible! You read one or two chapters from anywhere in the Bible then go through these steps:
- Scripture: Write down one or two Bible verses which stick out to you.
- Observation: What is happening in those verses? What is the context from the rest of the chapter? Write down what you notice.
- Application: What does this mean for me? What are some practical takeaways from these verses?
- Prayer: Write down a short prayer to the Lord. Whether it pertains to the verses you read or not, end your time with prayer!
3. Listen
Take time to pause and listen to the Lord! Hearing God’s voice really isn’t as complicated or scary as it seems. God wants to speak to you! Sometimes God’s voice can be an impression or tug you have on your heart. Sometimes it can be a Bible verse you randomly thought of reading.
God can speak… the question is, are you listening? Spend some time in silence just listening! There is so much more to this topic, which is why we spend a whole week on it in our Discipleship Training School!
4. Change
In his book The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson says, “a change of place + change of pace = change of perspective.”
If you are hitting a “wall” in your devotion times, try to change it up! Try changing the location where you do your devotions every once in a while, or even changing the time of day you have it! Maybe go to the new trendy coffee shop down the road, or go outside to a local park to watch the sunset. Wherever it is, go somewhere different than your everyday devotion spot.
5. Try Devotionals
If you’re completely lost and don’t know where to start, try a devotional. There are so many good resources out there; take advantage of them! Here are some of my recommended devotional resources:
- The Bible App: This app has so many different types of helpful devotionals! There seriously is an app for almost everything.
- She/He Reads Truth: Free daily devotionals sent straight to your inbox! Like seriously, this is almost too easy!
- Blue Letter Bible: Online commentary for each chapter of the Bible! If you’re wanting to do a deeper study, check this out!
- The First 5 App: Short devotionals sent straight to your phone; designed to be the first 5 minutes of your day.
If you begin to implement these five steps everyday, you will start to notice a change in your personal devotions! Guaranteed.
Now that you know my five tips, I want to hear from you! What are your favorite devotion tips? Are they similar or do you have any other tips which have changed the game for you?
Don’t hold out on me, let me know!
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