How to Develop a Devotional Time with God
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2 AMP
My arms feel heavy as I reach over to turn off my alarm. In the past, I would never be up before the sun, but I cultivated a simple devotional time with the Lord in the mornings before the chaos of my day began. Daily I need steady assurance and peace from spending time with our God.
Have you ever lashed out on somebody because all you needed was a little more caffeine and a lot more Jesus? When we are overwhelmed with the demands of the day and our souls are deprived of the nourishment we need from our Heavenly Father, this can leave us depleted.
So how can we minimize distractions and prioritize our time with God? I found keeping it simple will set us up for spiritual growth one day at a time.
Set a designated time
Whether you are a morning person, evening person, or grabbing-onto-any-free-moment-you-can-person. Don't complicate your devotional time with the Lord no matter what season you are in. There were seasons when I had an hour to devote to reading and journaling. Then there have been seasons where I cling onto a verse a day, that's it. It's not how much time you spend but the quality of time spent. God is always available. He is waiting for you to come and join him in his presence, and that is where you will find true peace by abiding in Him.
Remove all distractions
I get distracted easily. I can't have the TV on while reading, and I definitely cannot be in a coffee shop. Too. Many. Distractions. However, maybe you like reading in a coffee shop, which is how you focus; being in an area with noise makes you tune into what you are reading. Removing distractions looks different for all of us, but the key is to know what is distracting you and temporarily remove that so you can enjoy quiet time with God. If you are in a season where you cannot remove the distractions, find a few moments where you can find time alone, even if it is turning on the audio Bible app while you are showering.
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Document your thoughts in a journal
Do you ever look at the blank piece of paper and think about what will I write? Me too. I use a specific journaling prompt while reading the Bible: SOAP. The SOAP method is;
S stands for what scripture stood out to you?
O stands for my observations about this text (who is speaking, what is going on ETC).
A stands for how can I apply this to my life? And lastly,
P stands for prayer. Write out a prayer to God.
Diving Deeper:
Okay, so maybe you have already developed the steps above, and you think I am ready to dive even deeper into my relationship with Christ.
Here are three simple tools to add to your devotional time:
Add a commentary. Commentaries provide a rich layer of historical background (they help us understand what was happening during that time in history). They also offer a broader understanding of the context of scripture while also developing our knowledge in keywords used throughout the verse or verses.
Listen to a theology podcast such as Lisa Harper Back Porch Theology, She Reads Truth Podcast, and Christine Caine, to name a few. There are so many excellent podcasts, too many to list!
Build up your library. Reading biblically-based books is a great way to understand the Bible.
Once again, don't complicate your time with the Lord. He is eager for you to come to him. His arms are opened wide.