Practicing a Devotional routine (with or without a devotional book) includes the following four steps:
- Make the time to read scriptures (a Psalm, a Proverb, a chapter, etc.).
- Pray about what you’ve read. Ask God to give you understanding.
- Meditate on your reading. Think about what you’ve read.
- Be still. This is probably the hardest. Just sit before God and listen for what He might have to whisper to your heart.
One way to get started is purchasing a good daily devotional book. A devotional book typically has 365 pages with particular readings for each day.
You can also subscribe to a devotional that will come to you daily via email or an app.
I started reading by subscribing to daily devotionals written by people I knew I could trust. If you’re new to reading scriptures then I would recommend you do the same. Find a writer or a teacher that helps you understand scriptures and start reading scriptures daily, with their help (Joyce Meyer and Proverbs 31 Ministries were my go-to resources).
If you prefer a book you can hold in your hand then I personally recommend you purchasing Max Lucado’s 365 day devotional, God is with you Everyday Max writes with great clarity; he makes it easy to understand Scriptures.
Starting your day in the Word can charge you for the day ahead and, over time, you will have stored some good truth in your heart about who God is, who He says you are, some promises and instructions on how to live. This is how we begin to grow and mature.
Here’s a link to an article that goes into greater detail about Lectio Divina, or, the practice of a daily devotional.
Wherever you choose to start isn’t as important as actually starting a daily routine of making time to hear from God through scripture reading.
What can you commit to start doing today?
[…] For more about developing a daily routine read this post about Daily Devotional Time. […]