Devotional Strategies Part III

Hey guys! What’s up? Today I really want to share a more complete devotional strategy post. The past two have been pretty good, but I feel like I really need to get into things and explain them better. Get what I mean? So if you were really looking for a more complete devotional strategy post, today is your day! Hope you find some awesome tips as you read on.

Do It When You Have Time

Ok, ok, I know, no one ever has time for reading their Bible! Are you kidding me? Well, apparently we all have time for YouTube. Definitely not talking about me right now. (Guilty smile…) What I’m saying is this, and you have probably heard it, you make time for what is important to you. So I suggest that if you really want to start having devotional times then really make time for it. And it doesn’t mean you have to wake up at 5 AM every morning. Do it when you know you’ll be able to get into it. If mornings don’t work for you, then don’t force it. You don’t have to be so strict with yourself about praying every morning that you turn devotionals into a chore instead of a treat. So make your life more simple and do it when you have time. Personally, I do it before I go to bed. And although I’ve been trying to change that to morning times, if you are just beginning, then make time for it when you’ll be able to give all your attention to it.

Read the Bible and Pray

A devotional would not be complete if we didn’t read the Bible and pray. That’s what it’s all about. First off, make a quick prayer and ask God to show you what He wants to speak to you today, then continue on and read your Bible. My tip for you would be to choose a Bible plan in YouVersion (They have some awesome ones!) or decide to read a book of the Bible. Then split it up and take it day by day. When you read your Bible, as I mentioned in the previous post, don’t try to rush it. Go at your own pace. Next, take a short time to talk to God about what you read. It doesn’t have to be long. It can be simple and quick, but always remember to spend some time talking to God.

Make It Fun

A lot of the time I feel like we turn Bible and prayer into chores and religion. Believe me, when I hear it’s prayer night, I’m outta here. Not that I don’t like to pray, it’s just that prayer has been turned into a ritual instead of a conversation. Of course, I believe that prayer is one of the most important parts of our lives, but I don’t think that turning it into a religious ceremony is going to help. Prayer is talking to God like besties. Bible reading is reading a love letter from Him to us. So why complicate it?

Since prayer is a vital part of our lives as Christians, then I believe we should do it like we mean it. A tip I have for making prayer more fun would be to write it down like a letter to God. I’ve mentioned writing things down before. It always helps. Another tip would be to chose three people to pray for that day. Or maybe three different areas in your life. Maybe even tell God about a problem you’ve had. It doesn’t have to be long. It can be a short prayer. Just make it personal. Don’t turn it into a ritual!

Listen

I think this is the most important part. True friendship requires both people to talk, right? And if we do all the talking but never let God say something then we won’t get anywhere. We need to let God speak. He sometimes does this by showing us a certain verse when we read His Word or by leaving a deep impression in our hearts. He can also speak to us through other people. Just remember, we need to let Him speak, it can’t always be us talking.

Those are a few tips I came up with for all of you! I hope they help you in your journey.

Anna 😉