Making the Most of Daily Devotions

A large source of Jesus' strength was the quiet time he spent in prayer and devotions each day. A personal fellowship with His Father in Heaven was a top priority of Jesus’ life on Earth according to Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; and 22:39-44. Even when Jesus was busy with exciting ministry spreading the word of the Father he spent time in prayer according to John 5:30. If Jesus could make quiet prayer and devotion a top priority there is no reason why it should not be a top priority in our lives as well.

Daily devotions are an important part of understanding God’s word and finding a personal relationship with Him. If you want to have meaningful daily devotions you will need to develop a plan or some kind of outline to follow for your devotion quiet time. The plan should be simple and help you to develop your relationship with God.

Before you begin your daily devotions follow Psalm 139:23-24 and 119:18 and invite Jesus to be with you. Then read a Psalm out loud or sing a praise song to God to get your mind-set ready to worship.

It is best to read the Bible slowly and systematically and to only read only a small amount each day. You should read passages more than once if you cannot find the meaning the first time you read it. Always make sure you understand the message of the Lord and how it relates to you before moving on. You can try reading passages out loud as if the Lord was speaking to you personally if you have trouble finding the meaning in a passage. Mediating is a great addition to your daily devotions. You can meditate by reading passages out loud a few times then asking questions. Memorizing a verse will help you to remember the verse and its meaning and reading a passage in a couple of different translations as well as paraphrasing it in your own words will help you to find its meaning. During meditation you can ask God how a passage relates to your life and how He wants you to apply the truth to your life.

Using a journal to write down your thoughts, reflections, and any other truths God gives you is a great way to remember the message you have found and how you can translate it into your life. Your daily devotions should be a way to get closer to God and find his meaning for your life.

AUTHOR: Pastor Andy DeaneAndy serves as an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in central New Jersey. In 2009 he published his first book, Learn to Study the Bible: Forty Different Step-By-Step Methods to Help You Discover, Apply and Enjoy God's Word. His greatest desire is to equip and inspire God's people to dig into the Scriptures and begin comprehending and applying the richness of His Word into their lives.

Please visit the following websites for more information:www.dailydevotions.me/ and www.how-to-study-the-bible.net/