In life, situations and circumstances can get the best of us. Some things we may have to suffer through and won't be able to change. But there is good news! With God, we ALWAYS have the victory. When we let the Lord lead and guide us, nothing can stand in our way. The devil will attack us when we least expect it, so we have to prepare for whatever he throws our way.
Spending Time with God
The best way to prepare yourself for you day is to first spend some time with the Lord. One way to spend time with God is through the study of your bible, or daily devotionals. A devotional is a book that helps you grow in your relationship with God. It is usually broken down into daily chapters that you can read and pray about. If you are new to devotionals and don't know were to start,
The key to understanding the devotional is to actually break down the word. The word devotion is used because you are showing your devotion to God by reading the passage and praying on it every day. Devotionals are not meant to be read in one sitting, they are designed for you to read a bit every day and pray on the passages. By praying and reading His word every day, we develop a stronger relationship with God.
The Pretty Girl
Top 10 Tips for Reading Devotionals
Looking for ways to get the most out of your personal Bible study and prayer time? Check out these 10 tips to help you to get started and encourage you to keep going.
1. Read a Proverb a Day
Don't know where to begin? Start off with the book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs and 31 days in most months. Starting on the first day of the month, read a chapter from Proverbs each day. Each one is packed full of insights for living a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Each day, read the proverb that correlates with that day of the month.
Don't know where to begin? Start off with the book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs and 31 days in most months. Starting on the first day of the month, read a chapter from Proverbs each day. Each one is packed full of insights for living a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Each day, read the proverb that correlates with that day of the month.
2. Write in a Journal
Write out your prayers in the form of letters to God. Then, search the Word for verses that provide wisdom, encouragement or answers to the situations you wrote about. Write those verses near your journal entries. You will be amazed as you read back at past journal entries how faithful the Lord is and how powerful the Word is when applied to your life. Don't have a journal or notebook? Check out our free journal pages.
Write out your prayers in the form of letters to God. Then, search the Word for verses that provide wisdom, encouragement or answers to the situations you wrote about. Write those verses near your journal entries. You will be amazed as you read back at past journal entries how faithful the Lord is and how powerful the Word is when applied to your life. Don't have a journal or notebook? Check out our free journal pages.
3. Find a Quiet Spot
Find a quiet, comfortable place in your house where you can concentrate on being with the Lord. Maybe it’s a big comfy chair in your living room, or a quiet spot on your back deck. Set this space apart as sacred and use it regularly as a place to come into God’s presence.
Find a quiet, comfortable place in your house where you can concentrate on being with the Lord. Maybe it’s a big comfy chair in your living room, or a quiet spot on your back deck. Set this space apart as sacred and use it regularly as a place to come into God’s presence.
4. Pick a Special Time of the Day
Find the time when you are least rushed and most able to focus, and commit to spending that time with God each day. If you find it hard to think clearly in the morning, that probably isn’t the best time for you to get serious about prayer and Bible study. Instead of watching T.V. or surfing the net during the late night hours when you are most awake, set that time aside for reading your Bible. If you wake up feeling awake and alert, spend the first few minutes of your day in the Word. Try to spend time with God approximately the same time each day and make a commitment that you won’t go to bed until you have read your Bible.
Find the time when you are least rushed and most able to focus, and commit to spending that time with God each day. If you find it hard to think clearly in the morning, that probably isn’t the best time for you to get serious about prayer and Bible study. Instead of watching T.V. or surfing the net during the late night hours when you are most awake, set that time aside for reading your Bible. If you wake up feeling awake and alert, spend the first few minutes of your day in the Word. Try to spend time with God approximately the same time each day and make a commitment that you won’t go to bed until you have read your Bible.
5. Pick a Partner
Ask a Christian friend to be your accountability partner in this area. Encourage her to ask you weekly if you have been faithfully spending time in prayer and Bible study. Do the same for her. Get together regularly at your favorite coffeehouse or restaurant to share about what you are learning in the Word and what God is teaching you during your prayer time.
Ask a Christian friend to be your accountability partner in this area. Encourage her to ask you weekly if you have been faithfully spending time in prayer and Bible study. Do the same for her. Get together regularly at your favorite coffeehouse or restaurant to share about what you are learning in the Word and what God is teaching you during your prayer time.
6. Celebrate God’s Creation
Pack up your Bible and journal and head outside. Find a lake, a flower-filled meadow, or a hiking trail and dig into passages about God’s role as the Creator. You will likely experience His presence and His Word in new and exciting ways when you surround yourself with the sights and sounds of his creation.
Pack up your Bible and journal and head outside. Find a lake, a flower-filled meadow, or a hiking trail and dig into passages about God’s role as the Creator. You will likely experience His presence and His Word in new and exciting ways when you surround yourself with the sights and sounds of his creation.
7. Commit it to Memory
We learned our ABCs, our friend’s phone numbers, and math formulas the same way. We repeated them over and over in our minds, through our speech and often in writing. Nothing is more important to learn than the Word of God. Work to memorize Scripture. You may find that when you repeat verses over and over, they take on new meaning as they begin to saturate your heart and mind.
8. Focus on the Red Letters
If you are not sure what to read during your quiet time, focus on the words of Jesus. Often His exact words will be highlighted in red in your Bible. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). His words are the source of truth and guidance. When you aren’t sure what to read, focus on what He has to say to you.
9. Dig DeeperDo a study on words or subjects in Scripture: What does the Bible say about the tongue (speech)? Baptism? Rules? Clothing? Heaven? God’s sovereignty? Holiness? Friendship? Prayer? Look for answers to these topics in the Word. I promise, the research will change you, and as you dig deeper, I bet that your appetite for Truth will increase.
10. Find Great Resources
There are tons of Bible studies available to help guide you and enhance your personal studies. Head off to your nearest Christian bookstore, the library, or search online and spend some time finding the best one for you. Look for studies that focus on topics you are interested in, and require you to spend time in the Word. Here are a few recommendations to get you started:
The Pretty Girl Studies
http://www.PrettyGirlStudies.blogspot.com
The Pretty Girl Studies
http://www.PrettyGirlStudies.blogspot.com
The Confident Woman Devotional
by Joyce Meyer
A Young Woman After God's Own Heart
by Elizabeth George
Girlfriends in God