Faith

What is Devotional Life?

A Devotional life reflects one’s willingness and eagerness to spend quality alone time with God. A Christian devotional life is a lifestyle of intentional prayer, study, and reflection on the Bible. The daily practice is geared toward deepening one’s relationship with God and growing in faith, hope, and love. It involves regular practices such as prayer, reading your Bible, worship, and more intentional spiritual disciplines such as fasting, silence, and solitude. 

 As Christians, we should live our lives to serve and please Christ. Born-again believers must be intentional and consistent about their time of fellowship (Romans 12:1). Beloved, God is the believer’s power source. In John 15:5, the Bible tells us that God is the vine and we are the branches; apart from him, we can do nothing. 

Horatius Bonar advises, “Be much alone with God, and take time to get thoroughly acquainted…He wants not merely to be on good terms with you, but to be intimate.”

 A believer’s devotional life involves being intentional about daily and intimate fellowship with God. Our time of fellowship will and should look different from believer to believer. Beloved, your alone time will look different from mine, and mine will look different from yours. Therefore, ignore traditional rituals or customs; don’t succumb to condemnation (Romans 8:1). Beloved, read the Bible to feed and not just to finish. When you finish reading your Bible and spending time with God, you should feel refreshed and recharged. God is a loving father, not a taskmaster or a disciplinarian. 

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

Your private time with your Heavenly Father (Abba Father; God) is a time to sit quietly, pray, study the word, laugh, or cry. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you during the intimate and personal fellowship. Beloved, share your heart with God; if you are hurting, angry, bitter, or feeling hopeless or discouraged, share and journal those feelings in the presence of God. Beloved, I encourage you to be honest with your Abba, Fathers (1 Samuel 16:7). You may also find it helpful to purchase a 365-day devotional or get a bible app on your electronic device to guide you during personal time with God. 

Beloved, having a set agenda when entering your devotional time with God is okay, but be aware; every day may look different. However, it is customary to start your devotional time with adoration – praising God for who He is, allowing you to shift your focus off of you and your concerns, and putting them on God, who is the author and finisher of your faith. You can sing, dance, journal, or draw during your devotional time. Again, beloved, be flexible; your goal may be to read an entire chapter or more, but the Holy Spirit may lead you to read and meditate on one passage of scripture. Beloved, be alright with that- your devotional life is not a sprint is a lifetime journey. Therefore, selecting a bible version that is easy to read and understand will help keep you engaged.  

I found a physical bible helpful because it allows one to highlight passages, record dates, and write notes on the pages. I also enjoy having a bible application on my electronic device, which helps me compare different scripture versions. An essential aspect of any devotional time is to remain alert and flexible. Remember, devotional time should be a monologue, not a dialogue, like any conversation—eagerly anticipant hearing and receiving from God. The voice of God and God’s will is ”always” His Holy word – The Holy Bible. Although God may speak through other people and sources – He will never contradict His word. Don’t get discouraged; stay encouraged. As with any relationship, trust, and intimacy take time to build. 

Why should we, as Christians, be intentional about our Prayer life?

• It is a Standard Set by God.

Jesus Christ lived a life of devotion by prioritizing His alone time with God during His earthly ministry. As we follow the story of Jesus, we see Him rising before dawn and withdrawing to the wilderness to be with God (Mark 1: 35-39, Matthew 4: 1). Those who live a life of devotion, like our Savior – will be able to overcome the storms and pressures of this world. Trusting someone who has proven faithful, trustworthy, and dependable is easy. As you build a relationship with God, you will look forward to getting in his presence and trusting him with your troubles. The Bible is the believer’s owner’s manual. Notice, I did not say you would not have problems or storms in this life because that is contrary to the living word of God. 

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)

As we read the Bible – we see how Jesus mirrored the practice of a daily life of devotion for his disciples. The prison could not stop Peter (Acts 12), death could not stop Stephen (Acts 7), royal decrees could not stop Daniel (Daniel 6), and the fiery furnace could not stop the three Hebrews (Daniel 3). Christ has laid a roadmap for the Christian life, and we must build our lives on this same foundation principle (1 John 2: 6, Hebrews 12: 2, Romans 8: 29).

• It Helps us to Stay Focused Daily and Spiritually Equipped.

Beloved, among the creatures of the air, the eagle is known for strength and courage. However, one of the eagle’s amazing secrets is that it occasionally withdraws to the mountaintop to shed heavy feathers and grow new ones. Seclusion is sometimes needed and helpful. The eagle uses the time of isolation to shed unnecessary feathers; it makes the eagle lighter in the air, enabling it to ride the raging storms. Like the eagle, our daily devotional time should be where we draw strength to carry on.

“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31)

Beloved, when we maintain a consistent prayer life, power, victorious testimonies, and praise become a part of our daily routine, not murmuring and complaining. The secret to keeping your bounce-back power when storms of life come and attempt to overtake you is achieved by having a relationship with God and staying in the presence of God, knowing that He will carry you through (Matthew 25). Joel Beeke stated, “Do not expect to grow in holiness if you spend little time alone with God and do not take His Word seriously.” 

Beloved, the more born-again believers skip daily fellowship and alone time with God, the easier it is for the adversary, the raging lion, to devour them as they drift into complacency, compromise, hopelessness, loneliness, and despair.

You will show me the path of Life;  In Your presence is fullness of joy;

 In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 

• It Establishes and Reaffirms our Faith

Beloved, have you ever studied our faith’s great men and women and wondered how they attain such spiritual heights? Indeed, they didn’t achieve their spiritual fortitude by chance or coincidence. Their life of power is a product of a consistent and intentional walk with God. Henry Ford declared, “Those who walk with God always reach their destination.” 

Similarly, Dr. Dharius Daniels states, “If you want to do what Jesus did in public, you must do what Jesus did in private (paraphrased).”

Beloved, being intentional means being consistent and deliberate about your time with God. As you study the Word of God; commit yourself to God in prayer, you will become well-established and unmovable in the faith (John 8:12). Beloved, every resource we need daily to live a holy and victorious life can download from heaven before going out in the world – the world is a battlefield. 

Prepare and adequately arm yourself by implementing a daily devotional routine today. Beloved, everyone’s devotional time will look different depending on your scheduled responsibilities: you may rise early or go to bed late. You may have your dedicated alone time on the treadmill during your morning or evening walk; the time and schedule are between you and God. 

Every believer’s devotional life will look different; we all won’t do the same thing, but we “all” should be doing something. Our alone time helps us tap into heaven’s resources: strength, wisdom, knowledge, and divine understanding to help us navigate complex tasks and situations. Beloved, God has solutions and strategies specifically for you. God promised to order our steps and direct our paths.

LET’S PRAY:

Heavenly Father, thank You for this time of fellowship and reflection. Thank You for the words of encouragement I have found in reading your word and spending time in your presence and the comfort I have gained today.  Abba, Father, help me always keep my mind on you because you promised to keep me in perfect peace. Continue to illuminate my path and strengthen me when I feel like I can not go on. I know that you will carry me safely through.  In the Name of Jesus,  I pray, Amen.

DAILY PRAYER FOR A BROKEN HEART:

Heavenly Father, I come to You today with a broken and grieving heart. I am  overwhelmed with sadness and confusion and need Your help. I long for the comfort of Your presence and the assurance of Your love. Please grant me guidance and wisdom as I seek to make sense of the pain and suffering that I  experiencing. Help me to find a way to move forward and find peace right here, today, in the middle of my grief. Abba, Father, send Your precious Holy Spirit to bring comfort and peace. Help me to trust in the power of Your grace as you remind me of Your unfailing love. I know that I can rest in the assurance of Your faithfulness and protection. Thank you in advance for filling me once again with Your hope and joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

DEVOTIONAL TIME REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

How can I apply what I have read today to help restore my faith and trust in God?

Is there one scripture that speaks specifically to me about God’s love and faithfulness?

How did I use my devotional time to help grow my faith? 

What is one thing I can do or did to draw closer to God today? 

What is one thing I can do to make a difference in someone else’s life? 

What is one thing I can do to encourage myself as I walk by faith and not by 

sight today?