Devotional Time Tips to Stir Your Passion for God
The windows were blotted with raindrops the morning I walked to the window and prayed, “God show me how to do devotional time with you in a way that revives me.”
I sat with my Bible and prayer book, but I felt tired and apathetic. Familiar practices had grown monotonous, and it was time to breathe fresh wind into my devotional time.
Reading my Bible felt more like homework than an opportunity to connect with a precious loved one. I lacked focus and desire in my prayer life. My Ignatian prayer guide was no longer leading me to meaningful encounters with God.
After noticing these shifts in my soul, I embarked on a search for new ways to connect with God. One by one, I discovered new teachers and new methods. And to my delight, my findings are leading me straight to the heart of the Lord.
Devotional Time Tips to Stir Your Passion
Maybe you can relate. You want to feel fiery and passionate in your faith, but you can’t remember the last time you connected with God in a way that changed anything—if ever. You want to live by faith and love God with all your heart. Sadly, you feel guilty for seeking him inconsistently. You’re also disappointed because you rarely walk away from your devotional time feeling changed or inspired.
I feel you.
A wise friend once told me that when our methods for encountering God in replenishing ways quit working, it’s time to find new methods.
Are your methods for connecting with God leading you into replenishing encounters with him? If not, this is for you! #EncounteringGod #SeekingGod Share on X3 Devotional Time Tips
The following three insights are helping me connect with God in new ways. I pray they help you as well.
1. Talk with God about his Word.
Throughout the past few months, I’ve been reading one Psalm (or one New Testament passage) each morning.
I begin by reading it slowly one time as I try to get my mind to focus (often, my mind is planning dinner or making shopping lists throughout the entirety of the first read-through).
Next, I read it a second time and ask God to lead me to one verse, word, or phrase from the passage—something we might discuss. I pay attention to anything that seems to jump off the page, speak into a situation in my life, or stir an emotion. This time, I underline the part that stood out and copy it into my journal.
I then journal about it with the Lord. I write my thoughts (and questions) and then wait for anything that might be an impression from the Lord.
Then, I do my best to put the impression into words and write whatever I sense the Lord might want to show me. I continue this back-and-forth exchange of ideas until I sense the conversation has been exhausted.
This new way of incorporating prayer, journaling, discernment, and Bible reading is challenging me and helping me work through issues I might otherwise overlook.
God uses this sort of dialogue to gently correct me and point out misspoken words and bad attitudes. He often shows me deeper roots beneath my words, attitudes, and actions, and he is healing me from old wounds. He is softening me and helping me live with less grit and more grace.
I do want to note that this kind of interaction requires discernment. Share your impressions with other believers, always test them against Scripture, and consider whether they align with common sense and God’s character.
2. Cultivate appreciation to increase joy.
Mounting brain research suggests we can actually rewire our brains. The intersection between faith and neuroscience is fascinating. Not long ago, I watched a lecture by Michel Hendricks, a well-established director of spiritual formation, who suggested spending five minutes in appreciation three times each day—morning, noon, and night.
In short, he encouraged listeners to gather a list of ten joy-filled memories—times when appreciation was high and joy was deep.
It’s especially helpful if a sense of God’s presence was strong in the moment. Most of my joy-filled memories are moments spent in nature. They’re times when I felt deep peace, joy, and a restful sense of God’s presence with me.
Three times a day, for five minutes each time, we can rewire our brains for joy by visiting these memories and slipping inside them. We savor everything good about the memory and bask in the goodness. By doing this for 30 days, we can actually rewire our brains to become more grateful, joyful people.
Adding this practice to my morning devotional time has been revolutionary in helping me tap into the joy of the Lord and stay in tune with his joy throughout the rest of the day. 
3. Spend several minutes resting in God’s love daily.
In addition to Bible reading, prayer, journaling, and appreciation, I try to spend several minutes resting in God’s love each morning.
During this time, I gaze out the window and continue to bring my wandering mind back to a centering thought: God loves me, and he enjoys this time spent together. Sometimes, I imagine him sitting beside me. At other times, I imagine him holding me or smiling as he looks at me.
This simple practice has helped me focus on God’s love more than any other.
Stick With It:
Additional research suggests that sticking with any behavior for just over two months forms a new habit. Whether you want to change your eating and exercise habits or make devotional time a part of your routine, stick with it for two months, and the behavior will become automatic—a habit.
Every day for the next two months, begin your day with the two steps above. By the end of your two months, you will have a new habit.
A Free Online Devotional to Help You in Your Devotional Time:
My free online devotional, Mornings With Jesus, offers daily readings to help you connect with God. The most exciting part of the devotional is the daily “Invitation to Encounter God and Begin Well.” At the end of each reading, you are invited to actually encounter the Living God and create space for him to speak into your life. Instead of asking $9.99, I’m offering this devotional for free with promo code JESUS for a limited time right here.
These books are free on Kindle Unlimited or available to purchase in print:
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, purity, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. We will help you!
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