How to Have Daily Devotions

He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
—Luke 5:16


One of the greatest applications we can make from studying God’s Word is a decision to set aside time each day for personal devotions. The purpose of this time is simply to quiet our hearts before the Lord and have fellowship with Him. Our daily devotions are not meant to be a time of in-depth Bible study. During your quiet time, plan to simply draw closer to the Lord through meditation on His Word and communion with Him in prayer. In this chapter, we are going to focus on some of the essentials that go into planning a daily devotion time that will help us be more deliberate about enjoying Jesus’ presence, every day.


NOTE: Daily devotions are an opportunity to enjoy God’s presence. An attitude that daily devotions are “nice but not necessary” isn’t going to help you be consistent. You must make it a non-negotiable priority, otherwise you may sell yourself short on experiencing abundant life.



Why Have Daily Devotions?

• God created people in His image for the purpose of fellowship (Genesis 1:26). Humans are the only created beings that have the capacity for intimate fellowship with the One who created them. When Adam sinned, fellowship between man and God was lost, but when Jesus Christ died and rose again, He restored the possibility for man to have fellowship with God. All who believe in Jesus have the privilege of enjoying a personal relationship with the Father (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3–4).

• Jesus’ quiet time was a source of His strength. Personal fellowship with His Father in heaven was a top priority of Jesus’ life on earth (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 22:39–44). Even when His days were filled with exciting ministry, He spent time in prayer (John 5:30). If a time of quiet prayer was a priority for Jesus, how much more do we need to make it a priority in our lives?

• Have you ever gone without food for a day? If so, you know how quickly hunger sets in. And if you go without food for too long, your strength will begin to diminish. The same is true in our spiritual lives. The Bible is our soul’s food. It is a sign of health for a Christian to have an appetite for the Word of God. It is the only way that we will be well nourished and spiritually strong. Yet, many Christians consistently try to get by with only one meal a week—Sunday morning. You could not survive long, physically, if all you were eating was one meal a week, and neither can you make it spiritually, on such small portions of God’s Word.

• How long would you go without bathing? A daily quiet time is like a spiritual bath (Ephesians 5:26; John 15:3). We wouldn’t have many friends if we went for long periods without bathing. The Bible says that reading the Word of God is what cleanses us—our lives will begin to stink if we neglect the Word.

• We gain tremendous rewards from having a quiet time. The final reason we should have a daily quiet time is the tremendous results it brings into our lives. God has promised many things to those who take the time to get to know him through His Word and prayer. Some of the rewards of having a daily quiet time include:

Joy (Psalm 16:11)
Success (Joshua 1:8)
Strength (Isaiah 40:29–31)
Answered prayer (John 15:7)
Peace (Psalm 119:165)
Personal testimony (Acts 4:13)


The Privilege of Meeting With God

During our quiet times, we have the privilege of meeting with God—we get direction from Him, gain delight in Him, and become more like Jesus as we sit quietly in His presence. In our personal time of fellowship with the Creator, we reap the following benefits:

• An opportunity to worship God: The first benefit of time spent quietly with the Lord each day, is that it allows us to give to God instead of getting from Him. Psalm 29:2 says, “Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Many Christians overemphasize their work for God and neglect to spend time simply worshipping Him. God deserves and desires our devotion (John 4:23). How long has it been since you sat quietly with Jesus and simply told Him that you love Him? When was the last time you sang a worship song to Him outside of a church service?

• We get direction from God: The second benefit of our quiet time with the Lord is that we get direction from Him for our daily lives (Psalm 25:4–5; 40:8). When we sit quietly with the Lord it gives us the opportunity to hear from God and to get the wisdom and direction we need. In our fast-paced world, we desperately need to slow down and hear from the One who knows the end from the beginning. Pascal once said, “All the troubles of man arise from his inability to sit still.” Ask God to show you His will for your day and commit your schedule to Him.

• We gain delight in God: The third benefit of our personal time with the Lord is enjoying Him and basking in His presence. The secret of real joy comes from knowing God (Psalm 34:8; Philippians 3:10). Do you know Jesus Christ personally, or do you merely know about Him? When we know a person intimately, we:

1. Spend quality time together.

2. Enjoy meaningful communication.

3. Know what each others likes and dislikes are.

When we expect to meet with Jesus during our quiet time each morning we will never be disappointed. We will always find that He’s waiting to meet with us too.

• We become more Christ-like: How do we become more like Jesus? We are made holy through the Word (John 17:17; Romans 12:2). Our sanctification comes directly through the time we spend in the Scriptures getting to know God intimately, and allowing His Word to correct our hearts.


No Time to Pray!

We often make the excuse that we are too busy to pray, but the truth is we all have exactly the same amount of time each week—168 hours—and we spend that time on the things we think are important. So, it’s not a matter of having enough time, but of having the right priorities on how we spend our time. What is important to you? When we put God first, He will multiply our time and efficiency (Matthew 6:33). So, don’t let anything rob you from spending time with Jesus. Preserve it at all cost. Someone once said, “If you want to find out what a man is really like, find out what he is like alone with God.” Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation is quoted as having said, “I have so much to do today that I must spend at least three hours in prayer.” The busier he was, the more he prayed. If you are too busy to have daily devotions, then you are too busy, period. We must simplify our lives or we will lose untold treasures from God.


How Do We Have Powerful Daily Devotions?

A script cannot be written for our quiet times with the Lord. We can be as close to Him each day as we choose to be. He delights in our desire to simply be with Him. So, while I am not going to give you five easy steps to planning a successful quiet time with Jesus, what I do have to offer are some general suggestions that you can prayerfully consider as you sit before the Lord.


1. Begin with the Right Attitude

If you have been spending a lot of time dealing with hectic schedules or anxieties over your business or family life, you cannot expect to pick up the Bible and immediately enter into its heavenly mysteries. Just as you ask a blessing over your meal before you eat it, so to, it is a good rule to ask the Lord to bless you as you partake of this heavenly food. If you don’t take the time to pray before opening God’s Word, it is completely possible that even though you are doing the right thing—reading the Bible—you will be doing it with the wrong attitude. Begin your time with God in prayer and you will have the right attitude:

• Expectancy: You will expect to have a good time of fellowship.

• Reverence: Your heart will be prepared and still before His Majesty.

• Alertness: You will give Him your best.

• Teachability: You will come for the purpose of doing what God asks.


2. Choose a Consistent Time

Always give God the best part of your day. Make sure you are consistent with that time, and that it is free from as many interruptions as possible. Don’t try to squeeze the Lord into your already tight schedule, have a plan that provides a set time—put it on your calendar if necessary. For most of us, early in the morning usually works best. In fact, Jesus often chose to pray and meet alone with the Father early in the morning (Mark 1:35) and so did king David (Psalm 5:3). Time spent with the Father is more important than an extra hour of sleep. Pioneer missionary Hudson Taylor once said, “You don’t tune up the instruments after the concert is over.” How true! It’s logical to tune your instruments before you start to play. The same is true for our spiritual lives. If Jesus is really in first place, we ought to give him the first part of the day. After all, doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast because it determines our energy levels, alertness, and even our moods. Likewise, we also need a “spiritual breakfast.” When we start the day with the Word of God, we are beginning on a high note. We will often be able to share what we receive in the morning as an encouragement to others throughout the day.

However, whether you choose to spend time with the Lord in the morning, afternoon, or evening, remember:

1. Be consistent—make an appointment with God.

2. Look forward to it.

3. Don’t stand Him up.

You might even consider having two quiet times (morning and evening). Stephen Olford, a well-known pastor once said, “I want to hear the voice of God before l hear anyone else’s in the morning, and His is the last voice l want to hear at night.”


3. How Much Time Should We Spend With the Lord?

Aim to spend not less than fifteen minutes a day with God in your personal devotions. Out of the 168 hours we all have in a week that will only take, one hour and forty-five minutes of your weekly routine. That seems terribly small when you consider that you were created to have meaningful fellowship with God. Here’s a helpful hint: Watching the clock will ruin your time with God, instead try setting an alarm.


4. Choose a Consistent Location

Jesus had a custom of praying in the quiet garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39). The place you choose ought to be a quiet and secluded place where you can be alone and undisturbed. In today’s noisy world this may take some ingenuity, but it is important. As you consistently meet with the Lord in that place, it will become special because of the wonderful times you have had with Jesus.


5. Practice True Reading

Do you read the Bible in a hurried way: Just a little tidbit and off you go? Do you soon forget what you have read? Do you quickly lose what little effect it had upon you? Be resolved to get at its soul, its juice, its life, its essence, and to drink in its meaning. If you don’t read carefully enough to understand than your reading is a dead reading and is unprofitable. In C. H. Spurgeon’s sermon “How to Read the Bible” he speaks of some people who comfort themselves with the idea that they have done a good action when they have read a chapter of the Bible, even though the meaning of it has not been found by them. Nature itself rejects this as ridiculous. If you had turned the book upside down and spent the same time looking at the different characters you would have gained as much good from it as you will reading it right side up without understanding it. You will never get comfort for your soul out of what you do not understand, nor find guidance for your life out of what you do not comprehend. Understanding the meaning is the essence of true reading. With some people they can read a very great deal, because they do not read anything. The eye glances but the mind never rests. The soul does not discover the truth and stay there long enough. Such reading is not reading at all. If reading is a mechanical exercise it profits nothing.

If you are to understand what you read, you will need to meditate upon it. This simply means to carefully and slowly consider what you have read until you fully understand what God is speaking to you from that passage of Scripture. There are certain texts, which almost seem to be designed, purposely, to make you think. The diligence of the heart in seeking to know the Divine Mind, in such instances, does more good than vast knowledge that is easily found. So press forward to understanding! Heavenly gold is worth digging for, but you are not likely to discover it unless you spend the time meditating on Scripture.


6. Have a Basic Plan

It’s been said, “lf you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it!” To have a meaningful quiet time, you will need some general guidelines to follow. It could be something as simple as:

• Briefly Pray: Invite Jesus to be with you (Psalm 139:23–24).

• Praise God: Read a Psalm out loud or sing a praise song to get your heart and spirit in an attitude of worship.

• Read the Bible: Read slowly and systematically (not randomly), and read only a small portion. If you follow a Bible in a year reading plan, after you have finished your assigned reading for the day choose a small portion of it and review it more devotionally.

• Meditate: You can meditate on Scripture by reading the passage out loud a few times, asking questions, memorizing a verse, reading in a couple of different translations, paraphrasing it in your own words, and so forth. Talk with God about how this verse relates to your life and how He wants you to practically apply this truth.

• Journal: Write down any key thoughts the Lord gives you.

• Close in Prayer: After God has spoken His Word to you; speak to Him. Include times of adoration, worship, thanksgiving, confession, intercession, and petition. Occasionally vary your physical positions in prayer (kneeling/standing). Tell God how you desire to respond to Him today.


7. Vary Your Plan Often

Guard yourself from routine. Any good relationship is built on a variety of activities and experiences, and the same holds true with your relationship with God. Maybe you should spend the whole time in prayer or song, maybe one day you can walk as you read and pray, or maybe you should write a letter to God expressing your heart for Him instead of your normal journaling. However you mix it up, keep it exciting—don’t let your devotions become a duty. Never become devoted to the habit—only to the Savior. J. Wilbur Chapman wrote this about the core components of his quiet time:

• Study it through: Never begin a day without mastering a Bible verse. Ask God to help you focus on a specific verse within the passage you are reading.

• Pray it in: Never lay aside your Bible until the verse or passage you have studied has become a part of your being. Meditate.

• Put it down: Record any thoughts that God gives you in the margin of your Bible or in your notebook or journal. Writing is key!

• Work it out: Live out the truth you receive in the morning through each hour of the day. Don’t let your day end without applying Scripture.


8. Read With the Purpose of Meeting With Jesus

Some read the Bible from cover to cover, and yet it remains a dead book. When you are reading the Scriptures ask the Lord to help you grasp the truth of how much greater His Word is, than just the inanimate book that you are holding in your hands. Specifically, that you would see Jesus Himself in all you read. When His presence illuminates His Word, it comes alive: He leans over you, He runs His finger along the lines, He breaths life into every Word, and His pierced hand begins directing your heart. Those who read to meet with Jesus, find the soul of Scripture. Indeed, if He is not found in the Scriptures, they will be of small service: For what did Jesus say? “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). Cling to the Scripture, for it is in them that you will see Jesus.


9. Each Day Have a Take Away—A Favorite Verse to Carry With You

Consider buying a new Bible and reading one chapter a day. Each day underline your favorite verse from the chapter you read. After you are finished reading the entire book, go back and circle one verse that is your favorite verse of the book from the ones that you underlined in each chapter. Write a few sentences in your Bible about why that is your favorite verse for that book. After you’ve read the whole Bible, you’ll have 1,189 favorite verses underlined (one from each chapter) and sixty-six all time favorite verses—one from each book. Think about how valuable that Bible will be to you, as you can now turn to any page in Scripture and remember which verse spoke to your heart the most. Then read your Bible a second time through and use a different color pen to repeat the process, but you aren’t allowed to choose the same verses. Imagine how alive your Bible will become as you spend time in it over the years. It’s a simple, but fruitful and personal way to study the Scriptures.


10. You Will Feel the Spiritual Battle

Satan will fight to keep you from meeting with the Lord each day. He hates nothing more than seeing a Christian getting down to business with God. He knows that such believers are dangerous to his kingdom of darkness, so watch for his tactics.

• The Battle of the Blankets: Almost every morning you will be tempted to hit the snooze button and sleep in and shorten or miss your quiet time with the Lord. Resist at all costs! Go to bed early enough and with thoughts of Scripture. Leave your Bible open to the passage you’ll read the next morning, and get out of bed as soon as you wake up.

• Concentration: Our minds easily wander. So, be aware. If you are sleepy, pray aloud and with your eyes open in order to stay alert. Never have your quiet time in bed. Wake yourself up; take a shower, drink some coffee, eat breakfast. Remember to keep a notebook handy, so when your mind wanders to something you need to do that day, you can write it down and forget about it until later. Take control of wandering thoughts by constantly bringing your mind back with quiet firmness, and without scolding yourself.

• Dry Seasons: Sometimes you may feel like you are not getting anything out of your daily devotions. But obedience is more important than our emotions. Feelings come and go, but the Word of the Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1:25). If you only had your quiet time on the days when you felt like it, the Devil would make sure you never felt like it. Dry seasons come into all of our lives, some of the things that cause them are:

• Disobedience—Are there sins that you need to confess?

• Your physical condition—Are you getting enough rest?

• Rushing—Don’t try to do too many things. Keep it simple.

• Routine—Watch for staleness—mix it up a little.

• Selfishness—Share your insights with others. Don’t hog them!

Satan’s strongest attacks will come in connection with your desire to be diligent in your quiet time. He knows that if he can keep you out of the Word, he has defeated you. If he can keep you from spending quality time with the Lord at the start of a day, then he’s won the battle.


11. Don’t Give Up

Wilbur Smith once said, “If the time has gone for our devotional reading on any one day before the chapter has yielded some truth for our souls, then we can give it further thought while riding down to work in your car or as you go about your normal activities … but do not let that particular passage in the Word remain for you a barren area: keep drilling through the soil and rock until you strike Living Water!”

If you miss a meal, it does not mean that you should give up eating. The same is true of your quiet time. It takes time to develop and maintain good habits. Remember, a habit is like a ball of twine: every time you drop it, many strands unwind. Develop good habits by doing your best to:

• Be consistent. By spending time with the Lord each day, you will develop a habit that will become rooted in your life.

• Avoid exceptions. Steer clear of anything that takes you away from your quiet time. Recognize that yielding to such distractions will only reinforce the idea that other things are more important.

Our daily devotions should be as regular as our mealtimes. Be aware of allowing too many exceptions to occur, even those you feel will be “just this once.” One reason why I’m stressing this so much is because whether you are involved in ministry, or desiring to be a witness for the Lord in the workplace or on campus, or raising young children in your home, wherever the Lord has you, you will never be able to take another person any farther spiritually, than you have gone yourself. So a good question to ask is, “If everyone else had the same devotional time that I have—how would they be doing spiritually?”


Andy Deane, Learn to Study the Bible: Forty Different Step-by-Step Methods to Help You Discover, Apply, and Enjoy God’s Word (Maitland, FL: Xulon Press, 2009), 41–50.