Believers in the Lord know that spiritual devotion is very important, and effective spiritual devotion can help us understand more truths, making our spiritual life progress more rapidly. But in our daily lives, even though we read the Bible, say prayers and sing hymns every day, we don’t have spiritual enjoyment. So, how can we get results from our spiritual devotionals? Here are 3 ways.
1. Quiet Our Hearts Before God During Spiritual Devotions
In this materialistic world, our minds and bodies are entangled and occupied by many things, such as work, family affairs, interpersonal relationships, what we eat and what we wear, so that we are unable to truly be quiet before God or get results from our spiritual devotionals. The Lord Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). It can be seen that the Lord likes people to worship Him honestly and sincerely. When we do spiritual devotionals, we must quiet our hearts before God, and not think of any things in our life that have nothing to do with the truth. Then we will derive good results from our spiritual devotion. In fact, the best time for us to quiet ourselves before God to practice spiritual devotionals is in the morning, because at this time we haven’t come into contact with the people, events and things of the outside world, and it’s easy for us to quiet our hearts before God. When we quiet ourselves before God, pray and read God’s words with our hearts in the morning, then we will gain something real in our devotionals.
2. Focus on Pondering God’s Words in Devotionals
The Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The word of God is the truth and can be our life. Therefore, when we read the Bible, we cannot skim through God’s words and cannot be content to understand the surface-level meaning. We must focus on pondering God’s will from His words, and only thus can we understand the truth and God’s will. For example, the Lord Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). If we don’t try to figure out the Lord’s words, but just understand their literal meaning, we can only know that the Lord wants us to become as little children so that we can enter the kingdom of heaven. But how can we become as little children? Could it be that honest people merely do not tell lies? If we ponder the Lord’s words with a prayerful heart, we will understand that not only do the honest people no longer tell a lie, but most importantly, they harbor no deceit or cheating in their hearts, can give their hearts to God, can believe in and love God with their hearts, and can be pure and open with God. In addition, honest people deceive neither God nor man, and don’t make deals, harbor motives or seek demands when they expend for God. After having understood this, we can look at our actions by comparison. Then we will become clear in which matters we are not being honest and then have a direction and a purpose for our practice of the truth in our daily lives. Thus, when reading the scriptures, we must conscientiously ponder God’s words, so that we can get results from our spiritual devotionals.
3. Consider Practical Problems and Difficulties, and Have a Purpose in Our Devotionals
Every day we will encounter some big or small things. We can do spiritual devotionals pertinent to our problems and difficulties in daily life, so that we can gain the provision and guidance of God’s words, and our problems and difficulties will be solved. For example, when we get along with others, if we don’t have tolerance or patience with them, then we should read the Lord’s words relating to this issue, such as “And why behold you the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3), and “I say not to you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). In this way, we can see that the Lord teaches us to know ourselves, not to focus on other people’s problems but to be tolerant and patient. Take another example. Now the last days have come. The Lord Jesus predicted that He would return in the last days, so seeking how we can welcome the Lord is the number one priority for believers. When we read the Bible contemplating this realistic problem, we will find out that the Lord Jesus has told us the way. For example, the Lord Jesus said, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” If we have an objective when reading the Bible, we will understand that the Lord will knock on our doors when He returns in the last days, and that those who hear His voice and open the door will welcome Him. Then, we will find the way to meet the Lord. If we don’t consider practical problems and difficulties in our devotionals, but find the scriptures to read at random, then we will not achieve good results in our spiritual devotionals.
Now, I believe that you will be clear on how to do devotions to achieve good results. As long as we practice in accordance with these ways, then our spiritual devotions will achieve good results, our relationship with God will be closer, and we will gain more and more enlightenment of God.
