How to drown out the noise and build a consistent devotional life

Happy New Year!

I know we are all in the spirit of setting new resolutions, and building new habits. Today I want to share one habit that is sure to change your life; building a consistent devotional life

Let’s start with a simple definition of devotion;

Devotion: love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person or activity.

All the three emotions that fuel devotion can be expressed through certain actions.

If you say you love God, and are loyal to Him, it must show in your devotion!

So beyond just being a religious activity, devotion has more to do with the state of your heart!

”Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

WHY BUILD A CONSISTENT  DEVOTIONAL LIFE?

God loves you and wants a relationship with you, that’s why he gave his life on the cross for you.

”But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Always remember from what you have been saved, and who God has made you!

With every relationship, you can only get to know the other person better when you spend extended periods of time together.

How do you want to know God when you don’t take out time to search the scriptures and see what they say about him? Or by not talking to him everyday in prayer?

You can only know God from his word, and through prayer!

Also, prayer and study causes tremendous change in you.

• It builds you up; ”But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,”Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

• It births hope; ”For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.“ Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Here are some practical steps you can take to ensure you have a better devotional life in 2024;

1. Set a specific time to pray and study Gods word, and keep to it! In worldly relationships, we make plans with the people we love. We  even plan special dates, get dressed and show up on time. Do the same with your Heavenly Father. Mark our specific times everyday to meet with him even just for 15 minutes. (Remember the goal is to be consistent, and not just show up once a while) You can also plan special long dates with your father where you pray for longer than usual, or just sit still before him with no distractions.

2. Do not neglect the gathering of saints; One thing the devil wants is to keep you isolated because it’s easier for you to fall for his trap than if you’re part of a community of believers. No man is an island, it’s important you have fathers, mothers and siblings in the faith to uplift you and remind you of who you are in Christ  when the going gets tough (and tough times will most definitely come but we have overcome the world!) Times of cooperate prayer are also important. Make sure you join a church, and have prayer partners. It’ll be a lot harder for your devotional life to turn cold when you have people holding you accountable.

3. Don’t give up, even if you slip up; for someone who is just embarking on this journey of building a consistent devotional life, I’ll be the first to let you know that you might slip up and miss a day or two of praying and studying.  It’s good to acknowledge that you can do better, but don’t be give up.  Puck yourself back up, make adjustments to your routine where necessary, and continue to strive for consistency!

I want you to always remember that your devotion does you more good than it does God.

As a believer, you should always strive to have a better devotional life than the previous year because it’s the only way to grow in the knowledge of who God is and who you are in Christ. It’s also the same way to new levels of intimacy with your creator.