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Why have daily devotionals?Smith Wigglesworth Daily Devotional
A good Christian daily devotional must be God-centered, Bible-based. They must also acknowledge God as Sovereign. Its ultimate goal should be to direct you to the God of the Word. The daily devotionals should acknowledge the Holy Spirit who in turn glorifies Jesus Christ. Though not compulsory, a devotional for the day should end with a prayer, a deeper appreciation of the grace of God leading to uncommon peace; The devotionals should be seasoned with grace; and aim at making Christians complete and proficient in the Word and thoroughly equipped for every good work. WHEN TO DO YOUR DEVOTION The daily devotion should be done at a time when one can concentrate on God and God alone. A person’s devotion time may differ according to one’s schedule, but whatever the time – God will hear and He will answer because HE is seeking those that are seeking HIM. I love those who love Me and those who seek Me find Me. (Proverbs 8:17) Most people however prefer to give God the first fruits of their morning time and therefore do their devotional in the morning. While some prefer to do it on their own, others do it as couples or as a family or a group of friends may have their devotion together. Some people also take time to do their devotion at night before going to bed. For many Christians this time is spent thanking God for the day that has come to an end and asking Him to keep them throughout the night.
WHERE SHOULD DEVOTION BE DONE Time spent with the God is sacred and should be taken seriously. Spending time with God should be in the right environment. We should have our own secret place where we can meet with our Lord. In the Bible we read of occasions when Jesus went away to a quiet place to commune with the Father. These were His secret place, away from the hustle and bustle. As a young shepherd boy David spent time in the woods singing psalms to the Lord. That was his secret place. We read that Daniel always prayed three times a day in his private with the windows open This was his secret place. This is not to say that God cannot speak anywhere. He is sovereign and can so anything. Your bedroom for bedtime/night devotionals is great. Your sitting/living room for morning devotional is wonderful. Should you choose to do it in the woods or in the fields that is great too. HOW DO WE HAVE DAILY DEVOTIONALS? Our devotions depend on how much time we have. There are three kinds of devotionals: DEVOTIONAL STRATEGY FOR THOSE WHO ARE BUSY – Some people are very busy and have little time. Such people can only read short devotional during the week. They are likely to read them on the train, bus or just before leaving the house in the morning. These daily devotionals are usually one page with a pre-written scripture and a short prayer or declaration at the end. Those that fit this category are like those by Billy Graham, The Daily Bread, etc. Remember that God is not impressed by the quantity of time you are giving Him but the quality of the heart that you are giving to Him. These short devotionals should however be completed with lengthier devotional during weekends or the days when you have more time. As a family these have been our favourites – Charles Stanley, Smith Swigglesworth, Spurgeon, Stamm. DEVOTIONALS FOR THOSE WHO ARE MODERATELY BUSY One thing that I always remind people of is that we have all been saved by grace not by works lest anyone should boast. Therefore. I emphasize purity of heart when it comes to dedication of a time to be with the Master. God knows your schedule; He did not come to condemn but He desires you to be with HIM. Give Him time that is comfortable for you. Read the Scripture and make the declaration or say the prayer that goes with the devotion. Give yourself some time to reflect on the devotion of the day more so, as much as it affects you. Devotionals that are of moderate length, (i.e. not too short and not too long) include Stam, Spurgeon; etc. As earlier mentioned, when time is available, do not forget to have handy with you devotionals as those written by Smith Wigglesworth. Charles Stanley, etc. Smith Wigglesworth a plumber, discounted by men, Smith Wigglesworth raised up more men from the dead than any in his generation. DEVOTIONALS FOR THOSE WITH TIME The key to effective devotional time is to ensure that the fire still burns for discipline, persistence and a passion for the time of devotion. Start off with a song. You can start by singing two or three worship songs to usher you into the presence of the Lord. Call on Him in prayer, to cleanse you and then just adore Him. Welcome His sweet presence. Welcome the Holy Spirit. Worship Him in silence. Read the scripture. Remain silent. Meditate on it. Read the devotional. Pray the prayer. Make the declaration. Discuss the impact of the devotional. Pray based on what God is ministering to you through the devotional. As a family, Smith Wigglesworth devotional, that of CH Spurgeon and Stamm have been our favourite devotionals. They are bible based, faith filled devotionals. |