Have you ever felt like your spiritual routine needs refreshing?
You go through prayers, scripture readings, and reflections, and it all feels stagnant. You know you want that connection, but everything feels forced and uncomfortable. You need something new.
If that’s the case, devotionals might be a great way to set yourself on a new spiritual path. Devotionals are short passages that reflect on spiritual themes. They allow a reader to expand their understanding of spiritual topics by relating to an author. Devotionals include:
Scripture-based reflections
Daily devotionals
Topical readings focused on a specific subject, like writing or gardening
Life-stage devotionals, like a Grandmother’s Devotional
Some devotionals are online, while others are collected in books. No matter the type you choose, you can use them to deepen your faith.
How can I incorporate devotionals into a prayer routine?
Devotionals are easy to incorporate into a prayer routine. Most devotionals are approximately a page long. That means they only take a few minutes to read. They are written in modern English.
Here is a possible order to incorporate a devotional into your Bible study:
Scripture reading
Devotional reading
Prayer
Personal reflection
You may find that you do not have enough time or energy to do a devotional on a daily basis. In those cases, you might want to save devotionals for when you have more time or when your faith is being tested.
What are the benefits of devotional use?
Devotionals allow readers a focused, guided exercise. They allow readers to see how faith impacts events in an author’s life. You can connect those ideas to thoughts and experiences that you have had.
That framework provides grounding. Even in times when life is testing you, devotionals can provide a firm faith foundation. They allow your heart and soul to settle.
Ultimately, devotionals allow for spiritual growth. They encourage you to reflect on life, pray, and walk closely with God.
An Example of a Devotional
As an example, I will be looking at the first devotional in Abundant Rain, volume 2 by Marcia Lee Laycock. This devotional collection is meant for writers of faith. It is in a journal format, meaning that a blank page follows each devotion.
It starts with a title: "Confession." This short title prepares you for what you are about to read.
The first paragraph describes a personal experience Marcia had with a friend. She confesses that when she heard this friend had achieved a goal, she worried the friend hadn’t earned the achievement. The next paragraphs describe some books Marcia was reading. She connects the ideas in those passages to her experience and recognizes she was valuing her work over her friend’s spiritual growth. The devotional ends with encouragement to find the Christ in others.
Most of Marcia's devotionals follow a similar format. Some reflect on Bible passages. This change in format lets you understand scripture in a new way.
The devotional reading is followed by question for reflection and, in the printed book, space to write your own thoughts.
If you are interested in learning more, Marcia is currently running the Abundant Rain Devotional Pilgrimage. This is an online class where writers work through one of Marcia's Abundant Rain devotional journals, responding to several of the entries each week and meeting to discuss with other "traveling companions." The class includes:
A PDF copy of Abundant Rain, volume 1
Weekly live meetings with Marcia Laycock and your companions (classmates) over Zoom
Replays of the live meetings accessible at any time
Membership in The Book Hatchery writing community
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