Tools Needed: Bible, journal, pen and a humble heart.
Intimacy with God is the key to fruitfulness in every area of our lives. As we become more aware of His presence in us and around us, we understand and experience the security that we have in belonging to the Lord. By taking time in the secret place with God, we learn to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, which can permeate every area of our lives. We can experience that peace that surpasses understanding, no matter what is going on in our circumstances.
There are as many ways to practice devotional times as there are the people that practice them, but here are some tips to get you started as you develop your own daily communion with God.
Position yourself through prayer:
Find a private place and position where you can be both comfortable and attentive to God.
Practice just sitting before Him quietly, maybe on your knees with lifted hands, or stand before Him with outstretched arms. Sometimes, no words are needed. Use your body to communicate and offer yourself to Him.
Take time to quiet yourself before Him and then let the emotions and thoughts surface. Move to a more comfortable position and ask Him to reveal what is going on in the deeper parts of your soul. Are you afraid? Of what? Bring that to Him, ask Him to increase your faith in His power and goodness. Are you tired? Ask Him to renew and restore. Do you have realistic concerns? Unrealistic concerns? Bring those to Him. Don’t be afraid of who you are. God can handle it.
Once you have addressed the stuff swirling around in your soul, quiet yourself again and just listen to hear what the Spirit is speaking to you. What Scriptures come to mind? Any pictures, memories, feelings, impressions or songs? Do you see things from a different perspective? Is compassion and forgiveness rising instead of anger? Faith instead of fear? Remember that God never condemns, He only corrects. He will build you up, not tear you down. If the thoughts coming to you are good and right and true according to the Bible, trust that God is speaking them to you. If they are negative and condemning, rebuke the lies and ask God to teach you more about His goodness.
Practice different ways of praying; out-loud, journaling, walking, all praise, lament, intercession, petition…in all of them practice complete honesty, with yourself and God. He already knows the truth of where and who you are right now, don’t deceive yourself.
Studying God through His Word:
Remember that of all the things in this world we need, we need God the most. Just like our bodies cannot live without proper amounts of food and water, our souls can not be healthy without the Spirit filling, quenching, teaching, guiding and correcting us.
As we pray and read our Bibles, remember that our purpose is always to get to know God’s heart, character, desires and plans better. We don’t read and study our Bibles just for more information, we study so that we can have a better relationship with our Father and King. We also learn His desires for us, for who He created us to be through reading our Bibles.
Try reading a different translation of the Bible than you normally do (CSB, NLT or the Message) or reading a different passage than you normally turn to. The minor prophet books (Short ones at the end of the Old Testament in the index of your Bible) could be interesting right now. People throughout time have gone through so much, we may relate more to them at this moment in time.
Don’t feel pressured to read a certain amount or a certain Scriptue. Ask God to reveal His Truth to you as you read and just read something. If you don’t understand it or find it weird, ask God to teach you and feel free to go to a different part of the Bible. There is no right or wrong way to spend time with God. Have a reading adventure with Him. If you still struggle after trying to read different parts of the Bible, ask a friend who loves to read their Bible for guidance.
There are also apps that allow you to listen to the Bible (even pick an accent) if you hate reading and would rather listen. The YouVersion Bible app is good! There are reading plans on there as well, set up around all sorts of different things that can be interesting and fun.
Biblegateway.com allows you to do a search of any word. I.E. If you want to do a study on “peace” just plug that into the search bar and you will get to see every verse in the Bible that has that word in it! You can print out the ones you love and meditate on them.
Ask a couple friends to do an on-line Bible study with you. Read the same chapter each day and discuss it later in the day. Be creative.
With all of the concern for our physical health right now, don’t forget the most important part of you - your eternal soul.
Go with God.
-Tawny