8 Tips for a Fulfilling Devotional Time-Tip #3 | By Angela Howard

by | Nov 19, 2012

In my last post I shared Tip #2 Find
a Bible Translation You Enjoy and Understand. 
I pray that you are well on your way to developing a love for
the word of God.  If you have yet to
begin, don’t be discouraged because today’s tip is just for you!


Tip #3—Start small…but begin!

Joanna shared in our webcast about her struggle with
maintaining a quiet time over the years. 
She had set such high and unrealistic expectations for herself she was
often disappointed that she couldn’t keep up. 
The idea that any of us can achieve perfection is a recipe for
discouragement and defeat.
Don’t aim for perfection just aim for consistency.  Consistency is simply the refusal to quit
trying.  If you have never set aside time
for prayer and study, then aim for about 10-15 minutes to start.  Read smaller portions of Scripture and then
meditate on what it says.  Reading verses
aloud can help you to stay engaged if your mind tends to wander.
One of my favorite ways to start small with my
devotional time is to take a short portion of scripture and ask the following
questions:
What
does it say?
Simply write out the verse(s)
What
does it mean to me?
 
Paraphrase the verse(s) and make it personal
How
can I apply it to my life today?
 Write out a prayer to Lord reflecting how you
desire to apply the verse(s) to your life in a meaningful way.  Obedience is the key to transformation.
Spending time at the feet of Jesus is a time to rest from
our labor and enjoy His company.  My dear
friend Jennifer said to me to the other day, “How can we have intimacy with the
Lord if we never spend time with Him?  It
is just like any relationship.”
So let’s get away from the busyness of life and remember it
is not out of guilt that we cultivate a quiet time, but for relationship with a
Savior who has given all so that we may know Him.
“Oh,
that we might know the Lord!  Let us
press on to know him.  He will respond to
us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”  Hosea 6:3 (
NLT)
How
have you begun to spend time at the feet of Jesus?
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT WEBCAST: On November 8thJoanna and I had the joy of connecting with many of you through a live webcast about the launch of the new devotional At the Feet of Jesus. For those of you who were unable to join us you can view it here.

Angela is an inspirational and educational speaker who teaches the hard truths of God’s Word in a fun and relevant way. She is also a writing assistant to Joanna Weaver, author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. Whatever she is doing, she has a passion to see spiritual growth and an increased sense of purpose in people’s lives. Angela and her husband Michael graduated from Northwest University in 1997 and have been married for 17 years and have 2 children. They currently live in Washington State.

You can follow her on her blog at No Ordinary Days

 

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