Connecting with God: Daily Devotional Practices by Denise Floe, Director of Small Group Ministry
HOW do you get started with a practice of daily devotions? Start a practice of daily devotions and you are intentionally carving out time in each day to pay attention to God’s presence! You are creating enough space, enough quiet, enough breathing room for your relationship with God to grow. One way to start is to check out the link to “How to Have a Daily Devotional Time” by Mary Lou Redding. Think about asking a friend or a family member to partner with you!
WHY do daily devotions? Here are five things I’ve discovered, even as a relative newcomer to this practice:
It reshapes and reframes the messages of the world with God’s messages of love, hope, comfort, encouragement, and grace. It offers an alternative way of living in the world and an alternative way of viewing the world.
It helps me to dig into the Bible and read stories and texts that I would not read on my own.
It adds immensely to my worship experience and draws me into worship, to hear what others are saying about the texts I’ve been reading all week. The Upper Room Disciplines and some other devotionals follow the same texts used in worship each week, giving me a preview and a chance to reflect all week.
Because I know that others are reading this same devotional, I find myself wondering what they’re thinking about the reading (and sometimes asking!). Doing this “in community” nudges me to do the reading on days when I might not without others around me. I’ve asked friends, family members, small group members, and many others to read the same devotional I’m reading, giving me this rich sense of community.
Having a regular time set aside and something to read makes all the difference! I don’t have to decide whether to do it or when to do it or what to read. And, when the time comes around and I’m doing something else, I really miss it!
Creating a SACRED SPACE Creating space in your schedule may be the first thing to do as you start a new daily devotional practice. It’s also good to find a physical location or a place where you can go regularly to connect with God. This could be a quiet corner in your home or it could be a coffee shop or lunch spot that you can slip away to during the day. You might place things in that spot (or bring things with you) that will remind you of God’s presence (a candle, a Bible, a meaningful photo, etc.). As you use this space, it will become a place where you begin anticipate God’s presence and you can more easily let go of distractions and concerns to pay attention to God. Your space can be simple or it might grow over time.
Walking with a FRIEND Ask someone to partner with you in your daily devotions or in simply talking about your faith. Here are some questions to get started:
When or where do you feel most connected to God?
What have you thought about doing to connect with God or what are you doing now?
