5 Keys to Kickstart Your Devotional Life
If you’re like me, you’re
already thinking about how to make your devotional life better. Been thinking
about that for a while, actually.
I also think about how I
want to recalibrate my own relationship with God.
Like any relationship, it
can fall into a rut. If you’re not careful, what was once meaningful can easily
become mechanical.
Or maybe you’re new to a
relationship with God, and you’re looking for a way to begin a relationship
with him. I realize my tips are mostly around reading the Bible, but here’s
what I find:
The more I engage the
Scriptures, the more I am engaged with God.
Here are five ways to kickstart your devotional life:
1. Find Your Best Personal Time.
For me, it’s a
no-brainer. I’m always best in the morning. If I try to spend time with God at
night, I fall asleep (it’s nothing personal—I also treat late-night movies,
friends and family the exact same way after 10 p.m.). I love having time with
God between 5 and 6 a.m. I’m fully awake, engaged and present.
What’s your best personal
time? Give it to God. You’ll grow.
OK, I better come clean.
I have a bias. I think everyone should become a morning person. I think there
are inherent advantages you don’t get any other way. I started becoming a
morning person in my early 30s and have never looked back.
2. Find the Medium That’s Best for You.
I’m a reader, so a
written Bible has always equaled awesome for me. But a few years ago I
discovered I had stopped reading my Bible in a fresh way because I had been
reading it for so many years. The words didn’t feel fresh anymore because they
had become so familiar.
Around that time I had
bought my first iPhone. I downloaded the YouVersion app
and suddenly I found I was reading the Bible as though it was the first time.
Every word looked new, even though I had read it before. And that meant my
connection with God and the Bible was stronger. The only thing I changed was
the media. Now I read it off my tablet with the same effect.
Experiment with mediums.
See which one works best for you. If you don’t like reading, get an audio Bible
and listen.
3. Get a Translation
You Can Understand.
Many new Christians I
talk to think there is something sacred to the King James Version of the Bible.
There isn’t.
It’s a beautiful
translation that works powerfully for people with a solid command of
17th-century English, but that’s not me.
There are many great translations
out there. I personally prefer the New Living Translation. The TNIV (Today’s
New International Version), the Message and even the English Standard Version
are used by many people effectively.
4. Use a
Random reading can get
you started, but it often doesn’t keep you going. Like many others, I use a
reading plan.
After a few years of
trying different plans, either the One Year Bible or the reading plan prepared
for PEC by brother
So whether you use a
paper Bible or an app, it’s all there for you. So easy to
use. If reading through the Bible in a year is not something that will
help you, there are a ton of.
5. Take Time to
Reflect and Pray.
A combination of prayer
and some kind of reflection time is advised. Some people love to journal. I’ve
tried to journal, but I’m not sure it’s me. (I might again in the new year.) Other people reflect when they pray. I often do
when I cycle.
If you make your prayer
time a time of asking God to help you apply what you’re learning and apply what
you’ve read, you will never run out of things to pray about.
So those are five things
that help me kickstart my devotional time with God.
David
Jones with excerpts from C.N.