HOW TO DO A DAILY DEVOTIONS!
STEP BY STEP
DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
The Bible is its own best teacher. The Bible however is not arranged like an encyclopedia. You cannot go to chapter 1 and read everything about God and go to chapter 2 to read everything about Jesus, etc. Remember when reading the Bible the verses and chapter breaks are placed in the scriptures by man. It is better to read by paragraph, these too are man-made but they do conform better to the original language than verses. Some ground rules need to be set up first:
- Pray first before opening God's word. Ask for guidance and to be able to accept what is written and to be able to apply His will to your life.
- Never read the Bible trying to proof your belief on any subject. It is only human nature to take ideas out of context.
- When you are reading and come across something that does not make sense, reread the paragraph or chapter again. If you still do not understand, write down the problem area and continue onward. You may discover the answers later in your reading.
- Do not read large amounts of the Bible in one setting. Take breaks often or stay with about 2-4 chapters a day.
- Start with the New Testament, people who start with the Old Testament almost never read the Bible all the way through. The New Testament is what is binding on us today. We need to follow God's will for us today.
- Forget everything you have ever heard about Jesus, God and the Bible before you start reading the Bible. Don't take what you want it to say with you first.
Now with those in mind, let's lay out the way to read the Bible to let it build on itself:
- First read "Gospel of John." It contains a lot of the life of Jesus not before read, especially his last two weeks before the crucifixion. (John is the 4th Book in the New Testament).
- Next read "Matthew." It goes into better detail of some events and adds more about Jesus.
- Next read "Mark." It is written in chronological order.
- Next read "Luke" Both Luke and Acts are written by Apostle Paul's traveling companion Luke.
Then read "Acts."Acts is a continuation of Luke. It describes the early church and contains the examples of New Testament conversions. Both Luke and Acts are written by Apostle Paul's traveling companion Luke. - Next read "Galatians." It deals with the reasons why we do not follow the Old Testament Laws in a more simplified way than does Romans or Hebrews.
- Then read the rest of the New Testament starting at Romans and going to Revelation.
Request a Personal (Individual) Devotional Guide read online here or for more information on our daily Devotionals here or sign up for a daily devotional email sent to your inbox each morning here.
We recommend one of our 21 day Study Guides sent daily by email to your inbox here.
How to Do Daily Devotions Successfully
Takes a little planning to get started with daily devotions. There is no set of rules of what your devotional time will look like, but here are some step by step ways to be successful with your quiet time with God.
1. Pick A Place
Lying in bed with the lights off is not the best place as failure is inevitable. Finding the right place is very important for your success. Have a specific place you go to each day for your daily devotions. A comfortable chair in a quiet place in your home with a good reading light. Keep your Bible, a pen, your journal, devotional Book and a reading plan their. The quiet place could vary depending on your circ*mstances. Over the years found quiet spots in a 2nd bedroom, basem*nt, backyard, deck, a quiet beach, bench in the park and even kayaking out in the middle of lake. Main thing make it work for you and your situation.
2. Pick A Time
There are not right or wrong time of day in doing devotions. First thing in the morning is the best time to avoid interruptions as phone calls or unexpected visitors or children awake. Always great to start your day off with time with God and it definitely makes the day go smoother. If you view your time spent with God as important it will be easier to commit to each day. Some folks enjoy evenings, please do what works for you. Whatever time you choose, let it be the best time of day for you to have quiet time with our Savior.
3. Pick A Time Frame
Pick a time that you will be successful at. Only you know how much time realistically you can commit to each day. Recommend starting with 15 minutes and as time passes you may develop into more time. Just be realistic in your goal. If you aim too high, you will quickly get discouraged.
4. Spend Time In Prayer
Prayer is simply a two way conversation with God. Just as you would talk to your best friend. Talk to God, tell Him about your concerns and cares and then listen. God talks to us through His Word the Bible, through other people, through circ*mstances, and a still small voice. Most of the time God uses a voice inside us to let us know when we are on or off of the right path. Sometimes that after reading the Bible or having a time of prayer you just be still and mediate on God's word by the Holy Spirit. Or could be in the middle of the night and you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit talking to about something in your life.
5. Spend Time in Worship
Be thankful. God created us to praise Him. Express your praise and thankfulness in a quiet voice or out load. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen people... belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
6. Writing in a Journal or Notebook
Journal or writing in a notebook helps put your thoughts down and stay on track. Give it a try and see if it is for you. Myself personally I use a highlight pen on scriptures and leave little notes in my Bible. When I come back to that passage it is a great reminder and am encouraged to note the progress made. Try it and see if it is for you.
7. IMPORTANT: Make Your Daily Devotion Time a Priority
In life committing to something is hard in getting started. From my experience that is one of the most important commitments you can make, having a devotional time with God. IT IS LIFE CHANGING!! GUARANTEED!
8. Be Flexible With Your Plan
Determine in your heart to stick to it, even when you miss a day or so. Just pray and ask God to help you, and then be sure to start over again the next day. Sometimes it helps to reevaluate steps 1 to 5 to find the right time and place. Perhaps your plan is no longer working for you. Change it up until you find the perfect fit. Soon it will be a regular routine and I can honestly say it is the most important thing you can do each day. The rewards you will experience as you grow deeper in love with God will be worth it.
8. Pick A Agenda
You don't want to wander aimlessly without purpose in your devotion time and not accomplishing nothing. There are many types of way to have a devotion time here. Decide on how you want to structure your devotion and much time spent on each part. This is explained more in the next few steps.
Here are a few helpful tips on how to study the Bible and grow spiritually this year. Ask God to give you the desire and discipline to spend time with God each day.
Are you ready? Here goes...
Do devotions for 21 days, by then it will become a habit. Study a Book of the Bible - If you are new to the Bible or a new Christian we highly recommend starting at the Book of John in the New Testament. We have two study guides on the Gospel of John.
Plan 1 - With the21 day Bible Reading 5 minutes a day challenge, you'll walk with Jesus through the Gospel of John and engage God's Word on a daily basis. It's as easy as reading a chapter a day here.
SEE THE PLAN
Plan 2 - This plan is 21 day Bible Reading 15 minutes a day challenge for new Christians and for those searching and people on the go. Start your day by talking to God, reading the Bible and reflecting on your day. We have created a special series of study guides to go along with your daily reading on Gospel of John sent once a day by email for 21 days on the Gospel of John here. MORE INFORMATION HERE
9. IMPORTANT: DO A BIBLE STUDY OR A BIBLE READING PLAN
This step is the most important step for a successful time with God. Some folks pick up their Bible and open it up and start reading any place and do the same day after day. That is absolutely the wrong way to do just randomly picking a few verses each day. You will have a difficult time in applying what you read and understanding it.
Highly Recommend either of our free Bible Reading Plans or our free Bible Studies sent by email daily.
FREE BIBLE STUDY GUIDES
Bible Study Guidesthat are relevant, engaging and life-changing — making your life better now, and giving you a real, solid hope for your future. Use thesestudy guidesto improve your understanding of theBibleand strengthen your faith. They are as varied as each individual so you have many to choose from. Consider the following options, but remember to choose one. Regular reading in God's Word is not optional. It's anecessity!
Request any of our free Study Guides here.
FREE STUDY GUIDES MORE INFORMATION HERE
70 BIBLE READING COMPLETE PLANS HERE
70 Bible Reading Plans designed for children, adults, those new to the Bible, new Christians and mature Christians. Some are two weeks plans and everything between to 2 year plans here.
Remember have a quiet place with a Pen, notebook/journal, Bible Reading Plan or a Study Guide.
Chose a Bible translation that helps you understand the Word of God. Recommend Bible translations to buy for a reasonable price online here.
To be Successful in Your Bible Reading!
Encourage you to study the Bible with our free Study Guides designed for you here.
You can unlock God's Word by using our free 7 Bible Reading Cheat Sheets here. Cheat Sheets is a concise set of notes used for quick reference used for Bible reading and studying here.
Also join us in unlocking the scriptures with our free Bible Reading Plans designed for you as an individual here.
We would encourage you to find a good local Church to attend and fellowship with and grow spiritually. Below is a link to find Churches close to your location. Please check them out on Sunday's and see which one you feel a connection to.
1. Suggested Churches to attend here.
2. http://www.churchfinder.com/ then type your address in the box Find Churches near You
3. Or go to Google Search engine and type in Churches in with your street address, city, and state.
If you need help finding a good vibrant Church contact us here and I will gladly help you and will send 3 to 5 Church contact information to you.
Books and Resources
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Commentaries / / Bible Dictionaries / Topical Bible / Topical Biblical Subjects / Encyclopedia. All Resources here.
You can also search the Bible and use commentaries and other resources online at our sister website here at Bible Study Toolssection or you can Download Resources here.
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Highly recommend these Sites - a. For Smart Phones https://www.youversion.com/ read your Bible on any phone.
b. Bible Software http://www.e-sword.net/ read Bible and Study Tools on your computer.
c. Bibles Online https://www.biblegateway.com/ read the Bible and Study Tools online.
Any questions contact us here.
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