Devotions - A Battle Worth Fighting

Below are the thoughts and yearnings of a Christian fighting the battle of life. I have not even remotely begun to win the battle or even get the upper hand. I find myself to be in a humble position of writing on such a topic as I struggle to learn the true meaning of a relationship with God.

Relationships:

No checklist, new reading plan, or another Bible help book is going to make your devotions what they ought to be. There is only ONE thing that will keep you going back to your Bible every day - A relationship with God.  There are three kinds of relationships:

1) One that doesn't exist yet. 

2) One that has been broken

3) One that is growing
So choose which relationship best describes your relationship with God and let's get started!

If you have no relationship with God I encourage you to start reading the Bible in the book of John. If you have access to someone locally that you know can answer your questions about God and spiritual things then do that. If not, I am always available to share how wonderful the Creator of the Universe is!

If you have a broken relationship with God there is one thing that must done right away. ASK FORGIVENESS.

 I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 

Daniel 9:9 "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him." 

Just like a marriage relationship, or a parent/child relationship or a best friends relationship, it must go two ways, if you have wronged God you must ask his forgiveness before expecting to move forward with your relationship.

If you have a growing relationship with God thats wonderful! Don't ever stop! Don't ever think it's perfect or that you are done. Don't ever give up, give in, or let go. Don't just walk away or disappear.

In all of these situations remember that this is a two way relationship. God is never going to slack on his end, and you should always be working on keeping up your end of the deal. No kind of relationship thrives when one person is always talking about themselves whether it be their accomplishments or needs. Relationships never thrive when one person is quiet and aloof, eventually disappearing from the relationship all together. All relationships are hard work and your relationship with God should be no different.

STOP!

If you are struggling with devotions or have no relationship with God please don't read any further. Stop now and work on your relationship with God. Everything listed below are simply helpful tips and ways to encourage better devotions. They are not quick fixes, all cure-ing remedies, or guaranteed perfect devotions. Only a relationship with God can get you where you want to be.

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Morning Quiet Time

Exodus 16:21 "So they gathered it [manna] every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted."

I love the comparison of the children of Israel being provided with manna each morning and the modern day christians having morning devotions. Our time with God is like us going out in the dawn of morning and gathering our daily bread. Gathering together morsels for us to meditate on throughout the day. And just like when the sun became hot and melted away the manna, so our daily lives quickly come in to melt away our opportunities of concentration and quietness.

Psalm 5:3 " My voice You shall hear in the morning, 

O LORD; 

In the morning I will direct it to You, 

And I will look up. 

Mark 1: 35 " Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He [Jesus] went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed."

Psalm 119:147 "I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word."

Lamentations 3:22-23 "Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."

Psalms 143:8 " Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning."

There are many wonderful passages in the Bible that describe times of morning devotion and worship. Mornings are not the "official" time for devotions, but if you read about great men and women of faith or these passages above and the many others in theBible it is clear that mornings are a good time and one of the best times to share with God. 

Living Your Devotions

James 1:22-25 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."

I don't understand why we think we can "vote" per se  for God and then go and candidate for the opposing team. Reading the literature for God and then acting like a team leader for the devil and the world. James 2:14-24 is a great passage about how our actions and our faith go hand in hand. I encourage you to read it and mediate on it. 

Many times we get carried away decorating our houses just so, and being in timely fashion with our technology and books, etc. I encourage you to decorate with scripture art instead of book or author quotes. Fill your home with reminders of God's word and love for you. Make your computer or phone background a verse you are trying to memorize, carry 3x5 cards of encouraging verses for moments of waiting or down time. Make God apart of your day - Candidate for him everyday, all the time. 

Galatians 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit  reap everlasting life."

Life isn't a game that can be restarted when you die, it's not an opportunity to try everything once. We have been created for the glory of God and God is who we should imitate every day. This isn't just for you, your family should be involved also. You should be leading them to living a life like Christ. It's not for your children to figure out on their own, it's not for you husband or wife to plug away at it alone, it's a Christian community of family that encourages one another and builds each other up. It's an attitude that we should have flowing from us. Not an attitude put on for others. God doesn't believe for a second the Sunday smiles. He looks deep into the heart, hardly even noticing the facade "look at me". He is looking and He sees what you are truly in love with. 

Getting Started

II Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

God has equipped each Christian with the ability to persevere through the glitter of the world. He will never ask us to do something we can not handle. 

When you start or are restarting your devotional time with God it's important to not bite off more than you can chew. Start small and make a habit, then you can grow and personalize your time with God. I struggle with devotions and have struggled with devotions for years. Some days I can't focus, other days I feel like I can't understand anything I'm reading, and other days I don't want to sit down to even start devotions because I only have a few moments and I want to read and study for hours. Feeling come and feelings go, but the Word of God is forever. Don't feel like you need to create a  long or complicated Bible plan. Remember it's not about works or show, it's about your relationship with God. Don't you appreciate those quick phone calls, texts messages, or notes from your best friend? So does God. Whether it's lunch break, bathroom break, or a full day of shopping, God wants your time.

Colossians 3:23 "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."

Tools

Have you read through the entire Bible? This is always a great place to start when you are rethinking your devotional time. It's important to read all of God's Word. Never leave something out because you think it is boring or irrelevant. 

Pray first and Pray often - Prayer is our communication to God, and reading the Bible is God's way of communicating with us. Talk to God before you start your day/devotions and continue to communicate with Him throughout your day. Ask his advice, ask for wisdom, praise and thank Him, sing praises, reach out to Him for others in need. 

Find a quiet place. Don't set yourself up for failure. Get away from distractions and noise. (There are  a lot of good e-books and websites with devotional guides but be aware that electronic devices can quickly pull you away from your focus on God.) 

Find a translation that you can easily understand and use books like a concordance to help you look up the meanings of words. The Bible wasn't written in English and when you translate anything, there are always things that don't translate the same. Many times phrases can sound confusing because we use a word differently than what it meant many years ago.

Journal about it. Writing down verses helps you think about them more and also helps you memorize them. Putting onto paper your thoughts helps you think through things you don't always slow down to think about.  Ask yourself questions to prompt writing and thinking. 

1) What verse or passage stood out?

2) Can you summarize that verse or passage in a few short sentences?

3) How can I apply them to my life today?

Write in your Bible, underline and cross reference. Make it work for you. Use it the way you learn best. 

Final Thoughts

I am struggling with keeping consistent in my devotions. I researched and looked up verses about this topic of having daily devotions because I needed it. I used the pretense of writing a blog post to get myself to slow down and consider what devotional time means to a Christian. It's not about the lists, the Bible studies, or the checklist, it's about creating a relationship with God. The more I consider my relationship with God, the more I realize how I focus my life around working my way to heaven. I see myself bypassing God everyday. When you read your Bible - read it for you, don't think about Your spouse, your kids, your friends - this time isn't for you to find ways to mentor others, it a time for God to mentor you. 

Thank you for sticking through this incredibly long post, I hope you find a new tugging at your heart to get to know the God behind your religion, your works, and your devotion time. 

Keeping Fighting the Battle - It's worth it! 

Sarah