Helpful Hints For Great Daily Devotions
Begin with the Right Attitude.
You have just come in from careful thought and anxiety about your worldly business, and you cannot immediately take that Book and enter into its heavenly mysteries. As you ask a blessing over your meal before you eat, so it would be a good rule for you to ask a blessing on the Word before you partake of its heavenly food. Our motivation for doing something is far more important to the Lord than what we actually do. It is completely possible to do the right thing with the wrong attitude. So, when you begin your time with God have these attitudes:
Expectancy: Expect to have a good time of fellowship with Him.
Reverence: Prepare your heart by being still before His Majesty.
Alertness: Give Him your best - be wide-awake, thoroughly rested, and alert.
Be Teachable: Come with the purpose of doing anything God asks.
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 are consistent to meet with the Lord each day in that place it will come to mean a lot to you because of the wonderful times you have had alone with Jesus.
Read With A Purpose - To Meet With Jesus.
When you are reading the Scriptures ask the Holy Spirit to make you feel that there is something greater than the printed book in front of you. Specifically that Someone greater is with you as you read - Jesus Christ. He leans over you, He puts His finger along the lines, you can see His pierced hand guide you. You must read it as in His presence for it to come alive. You may read the Bible from beginning to end and yet it may be a dead book, and you may be a dead soul, if the Lord is not present. But, you will get at the soul of Scripture when you can keep Jesus with you while you are reading. It's been said that Bible reading which does not lead to Christ at all will make demons in hell laugh and angels in heaven cry. So always ask yourself, "How can I get from this text to Jesus Christ?" If you do not find Jesus in the Scriptures than they will be of small service to you, for what did Jesus Himself 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. Scripture is not Christ, but it is the clue which will lead you to Him. Follow its leadings faithfully.
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