Burden or Blessing?
Devotions. Ugh.
Yes, I have thought that many times in the past. I am not afraid to admit that devotions have been a continuous struggle for me all of my life. Many, many times in the past I would start a new year by saying “This is the year I will do it. I’ll do devotions every day and fix my relationship with God.”
Yeah, it was a good thought, but it normally did not last more than 2 weeks. I think the longest time I consistently did devotions growing up was probably a couple months. This was because of many things, but mostly a lack of desire and discipline. That, and the fact that I was not even a Christian during most of those times.
Fast forward to the beginning of last year. I had been a Christian for about half a year, but still had no solid devotional life. Having never started the habit in the past, devotions were hit or miss. I would simply forget, or just wake up with absolutely no motivation. For a long time, devotions felt like a burden. A trial. Something I just didn’t want to do because it wasn’t fun. I would read quickly and recite a prayer that I’d prayed many times.
It was not because I didn’t want to grow in my relationship with God. It was more a lack of discipline and even a lack of understanding. I didn’t know how to have meaningful devotions. Yes, I grew up in church, but I still felt I had no idea what I was doing in my devotions. “Read your Bible and pray” isn’t good enough. It is so much more than that.
I remember feeling so confused. “Aren’t devotions supposed to be good for you? Why can’t I feel the “blessing” that I am supposed to get by doing this?
Changing My View
One of my main problems was that my view of what devotions should be was completely wrong. I saw them as a “duty.” A task I had to complete to be a Christian.
If this is how you view devotions, you are probably not going to get anywhere.
I remember getting so frustrated that one day I finally said, “God, I don’t know how to pray. You’re going to have to teach me.” I talked to other people about my struggle. Someone told me that I should talk to God just as if I were having a conversation with a friend.
“Just talk to Him about anything. Even your waitressing stories, or your long day of classes.”
Sure I had heard the “talk to God like a friend” before, but for some reason, a light bulb came on in my head. I realized I had been trying so hard to sound like the people I hear praying at church. I had not been making it personal. It was rough at first. But I began learning.
My view changed from “devotions are a required duty” to “devotions are about relationship.” As an illustration, think of first meeting a friend. You probably did not have a close relationship right away. That closeness comes through getting to know the other person through conversation and shared experiences.
Mind-blowing thought: it is the same with God. This is why daily devotions are so very important. As you share your experiences with God, He becomes more and more a part of your life. As this happens, Bible reading gradually becomes easier as well, because it will be less out of habit and more because you have a genuine desire to learn more about Jesus and how to live life better as His Child.
Through this new outlook, devotions became more meaningful. I found myself surprisingly excited to wake up and chat with God about the events of the previous day. 23 years into my life, and I can finally say that I do have consistent devotions. Sure, I miss a day here and there. Life happens. But overall, I have made talking to God and reading His Word a part of my everyday life.
What Can I Do To Improve My Devotions?
1. Desire
You cannot improve your devotions unless you truly have the desire. Reading more, praying more often, etc….. will not help you unless you truly have the desire to improve. (This may be obvious but I had tried in the past to have devotions more often without a desire to actually draw closer to God. It doesn’t work.).
This desire will grow as you become closer to God.
2. Discipline
Devotions, even when they are going well, still demand a high level of discipline. Some mornings, I would get up too late and run out of time. “I’ll just do them later” did not work for me. I have found that if I do not do devotions in the morning, they will probably not happen at all. Therefore, I began setting my alarm an hour earlier to allow for more time. I began cutting out things of less importance (video games/YouTube videos, etc) to allow for what was truly important.
I won’t say it will get easier. It does in a way. But even today, I woke up and badly wanted to hit the snooze button. But my life is extremely busy now that classes have begun. I knew I had to force myself to get out of bed and begin my day with God.
You will not always feel motivated. This is where the discipline is important.
3. Conversational Outlook
This was mentioned above. Talking to God shouldn’t be a recitation of requests that you say every day. It doesn’t have to be eloquent and sound like the preacher or someone at church. It should be YOU.
Being real. Saying, “I had a really bad day today” or “my classes went really well today! I got an A on my test!”— these are totally okay. God wants to hear you.
“Doesn’t He already know this stuff? He knows everything.” Yes. He does. But He wants to talk to you. Sharing your life with Him will help you to form a close relationship with Him.
4. Concerns and Requests
While I am totally against “reciting” the same prayer every day, we always have those daily requests of people we’re praying for or something in our lives. Yes, that’s fine. We have to ask God for help in these situations. I just have to be careful to think about what I’m saying and not just repeat a list of requests without any meaning.
5. Praise and Worship
Devotional time should never be “all about you.” God is certainly our rock and our refuge and we are meant to bring our requests to Him. But do not forget that you are talking to the King of Kings. He deserves our praise.
My pastor just preached a sermon about this. In my notes from the service, I jotted down, “God is holy. He needs to be worshiped. He wants to give Himself for us to enjoy and we need to give ourselves back to Him. Ourselves. Our Worship. Our Love.” (Pastor Grabill, January 13).
6. Bible Reading
Bible reading is sometimes the tough part. Especially if you are wading through genealogies. You may not always feel like you are “getting something out of your reading.” I have been working on reading straight through my Bible and what I have been doing is reading a Psalm every day alongside my other reading, especially when the other text is really heavy. Do what you need to in order to stay focused on the real reason you are reading–not because you have to, but because you want to learn more about God.
7. Shut Out Distractions
This cannot be emphasized enough. Close your door. Turn off your phone. Devotions will not be a profitable time if you keep interrupting your time with God to check Facebook or reply to texts. I turn my sound off and put my phone somewhere on the other side of the room so I cannot even be tempted by its presence. Not only does it blow your focus, but it is also extremely disrespectful to God.
Just as you should not be texting while your friend is talking to you, using your phone during devotions is rude. God may be trying to talk to you, and if you are constantly going back and forth between your Bible and your phone, you are wasting your time.
Do yourself a favor and make sure that you use your devotional time carefully, designating that time to listen and talk with your Heavenly Father.
8. Keep A Notebook Handy
This is not necessary for everyone, but for me, I find that I do better with a notebook nearby. I think much better when I write, so I always keep a notebook beside me while having devotions. I write down things that jump out at me while reading, answers to prayer, things that I may be struggling with, etc. I feel like it keeps me on track just a little better.
I started this habit last June, and it is also really encouraging to go back and read the things I previously scribbled down. The things I struggled with back then are not even a concern to me now. It shows how much I have grown, and has many instances documented of answered prayers. Just flipping through it quickly on a day I’m feeling down can cheer me up easily.
9. Don’t Make A Science Out Of It
Devotions are a special time with God. Over-analyzing what you should be doing could throw you off track. Focus on just being there with God and talking to Him. As you do this, things will fall into place.
10. You Do You
Not everyone is the same. Find what works for you. As long as you are having that special time with God, and it is helping you grow, you will stay on track. Recently, I have started listening to good Christian music at the end of my devotional time, normally after prayer. Since I am musically inclined, this has helped me a lot. Is it necessary for everyone? Definitely not. Nor is keeping that notebook handy. Find out what makes your time with God special and do it.
Conclusion
This blog post definitely got away from me and was much longer than intended, but I definitely felt like sharing my struggle and what I did to improve. Devotions are so incredibly important and feel difficult sometimes, but its a struggle many people have. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them or email/pm me! I’d be happy to chat with you about my experience.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time!
“Discipline is being able to force yourself to do something, in spite of how you feel, over and over until it becomes a habit.”
— Kim Brenneman
Growing in Grace | Stephanie Giles 