Have you given any thought to your daily devotions for a new year on this January 1?![Daily devotions for a new year, My Utmost for His Highest, Bible, Praying with Jane, Streams in the Desert, quiet time, choosing a devotional, Rachel Dodge, Jennifer Lyn King, Tricia Goyer]( "Daily devotions for a new year, My Utmost for His Highest, Bible, Praying with Jane, Streams in the Desert, quiet time, choosing a devotional, Rachel Dodge, Jennifer Lyn King, Tricia Goyer")
Many of my friends are praying and thinking about which daily devotional they’ll use each day.
There are many to choose from.
What are daily devotions? Check out these blog posts for insight:
Here are some thoughts about daily devotions for a new year.
Make a plan.
You know the adage, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
So choose a system that helps you spend time alone with God each day.
90+ years of daily devotional books provide good options!
We’re not legalists here, so choose something that works in your life.
Daily devotions for me, like exercise, need to take place first thing in the morning.
My brain gets too distracted by other events if I don’t “do it” early.
Some people have free time to think, however, at night.
Having daily devotions before they fall asleep helps them relax–into God’s arms.
Hmm, maybe this insomniac should try that . . .
Start with the Bible
Obviously, the best book for daily devotions is the Bible.
I’ve used the Bible for my personal devotions since I became a Christian as a teenager.
I like to read one Psalm (to get me started with praise).
Next up is a chapter in one of the Gospels (so I remember Jesus daily).
I finish with a chapter from wherever I happen to be in the Bible at the time.–I continually reread it.
As soon as I finish reading Revelation 22, I turn to Genesis one and start all over again!
Consider adding a daily devotional book
Many use an additional daily devotions book to help them with spiritual growth.
Biddy and Oswald Chambers used The Daily Light for most of their life–which is Bible verses arranged in a devotional format.
Devotional books have served Christians well for hundreds of years. See this blog post.
This January I’ll be using an unusual devotional, Rachel Dodge’s Praying with Jane: 31 Days through the Prayers of Jane Austen.
I’m also going to open up L. B. Cowman’s Streams in the Desert for the first time.
In addition to Rachel Dodge, several other friends offer a new devotional starting today.
Jennifer Lyn King is providing her Enjoy Today: Inspirations for Every Day sent to your email address every day.
Recent devotionals are good, too!
You also might consider Portals of Prayer–which we receive in the mail quarterly.
Or, perhaps like me, you just reread My Utmost for His Highest every year!
How to be consistent with daily devotions?
For many of us, consistency is the issue.
Set a goal that you can make with one more idea to stretch you.
Perhaps start with a planned five minutes each day?
When you open your email, you could read one of Jennifer King’s short devotionals?
My husband starts his workday with that day’s My Utmost for His HIghest.
Or, maybe you can read one Bible chapter right when you get up in the morning, or before you go to bed each night and call it done?
Perhaps when you sit to nurse the baby, you could read a chapter aloud?
Figure out what works for you and just do it.
Don’t worry about including in children either–it wouldn’t hurt them to hear you read a Bible passage aloud!
Accountability?
Having to be accountable to someone could help.
A friend invited me to read Streams in the Desert this year with her.
Knowing she’s reading the same passage encourages me.
I’ve been posting an Utmost Response to each day’s My Utmost for His Highest on my Michelle Ule, Writer Facebook page.
Knowing people expect to read what I think about the passage each morning gets me up and reading it promptly!
It also requires me to think about the passage–which means I gain more from it.
What’s the point of daily devotions?
Hearing God’s direction.
Knowing Jesus better.
Recognizing the Holy Spirit.
Peace.
Joy.
Long-suffering–and all the other fruits of the spirit!
Oh–and never forget–grace.
If you miss a day, you’re still loved by God.
What do your daily devotions look like?
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