How Do You Do Devotions? 12 Steps to Get Started

I was a new Christian when others started talking about daily devotional time.  With no clue of where to begin, one day I quietly pulled a friend aside and asked, “So, what does this actually look like?  How do you do devotions?”

She offered some practical tips that helped me get started.

Over the years, I’ve honed these tips when they were no longer leading me into life-giving encounters with God.

Today, we’ll answer the question, “How do you do devotions?”

Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you get started with a daily devotional rhythm.

How Do You Do Devotions?

Before we begin this discussion, let’s take a moment to be clear about our purpose for devotions.

If we’re not careful daily devotional time can become one more box to check off of our daily to-do lists.  When this happens, we’ve missed the purpose.

The purpose of daily devotional time is to encounter the Living God.

I’ll say this again because it is of vital importance: If we don’t encounter God in our daily devotional time, we’ve missed the point.

Let’s now talk about how to make this happen.

How Do You Do Devotions?  Tips to Help You

Here are some tips to getting started with daily devotions.

1. Set aside a quiet space where you feel comfortable.

Ultimately, we want daily devotions to become a regular part of our daily rhythms.  For this reason, a comfortable and quiet space is important.

You might choose your office, a chair by the window, your porch, your bedroom, or anywhere that is peaceful.

For moms of young children, this space might be the bathroom.  I have lived through this and can attest that any quiet space will work.

If your house is never quiet, aim to find the quietest space you can find.  I’ve used white noise with earbuds while cartoons blared in the next room many times.

2. Find a time of day that works for you.

Morning is ideal because meeting with God first thing starts the day by focusing on him.

If morning doesn’t work, your lunch break or evening can also work.

The key here is to build devotional time into your routine so that you don’t even have to think about doing it.  It needs to become automatic.

I do my devotional time in the morning while I eat breakfast.  If I’m eating breakfast, I’m doing devotions.  This keeps it a routine part of my day.

You might have to experiment with this at first to see what works.  Don’t give up.  You’ll find the right time as you stick with it.

It’s also important to note that as seasons of life change, your place and time might need to change, too.

3. Be realistic.

An hour might sound like a good place to start, but I suggest even a few minutes.

This does not have to be a huge amount of time.  Commit what you can.

Two minutes will be better than no minutes at all.

For many people, 5-15 minutes tends to be a good range, especially at first.

How Do You Do Devotions: What to Actually Do

Now, let’s talk about what we actually do during this time.  Daily devotions often consist of some of the following activities: interacting with the Bible, praying, journaling, being still with God, and worshiping.

Let’s take a closer look at these activities.

4. Be still with God.

A good way to start this time is by taking even 30 seconds to be still in God’s presence.

I like to close my eyes or look out the window and take a minute to let my thoughts settle.  When random thoughts come, I let them pass by like clouds on the canvas of my mind.  My goal for this time is to breathe quietly and move out of the fast pace of the day.

I think about God’s love for me and imagine him smiling joyfully as I set aside this time.

5. Give thanks.

After a moment of stillness, I usually begin my time by thanking God.

Giving thanks opens neuropathways in our brains that make it easier to connect with God relationally.

Some days, I list a few blessings from the past day in my journal.  On other days, I verbally thank God for whatever I see outside the window or whatever comes to mind.

The key here is to cultivate gratitude.

6. Confess sins.

After stillness and gratitude, I usually pray this prayer: “God, search my heart and show me if I have offended you or sinned against you since I last sat in this space.”

I wait for a moment and pay attention to any thoughts that arise.  Usually, I recall a misspoken word or bad attitude.

I confess any sins that come to mind to God and repent of them, asking God to help me turn away from these behaviors and turn toward him in love and obedience.

7. Read the Bible.

Bible reading is an important part of devotional time.  God uses his written Word as his primary tool for renewing our minds.

I usually use a Bible reading plan and read the daily reading.  Sometimes, I read through the Bible by reading a chapter or two each day.

The key here is to stick with it.

Most of the time, Bible reading feels like a nourishing bowl of oatmeal.  Nothing shocking happens, but God’s Word feeds my spirit in a deep way, day after day.

For tips on how to actually encounter God as you read the Bible, join me here.

8. Consider other ways of interacting with the Bible.

Bible reading is important, but interacting with God’s Word in other ways can help us grow even more.

I like to imagine I am on the scene of Bible stories and consider what it would have been like.

Memorizing Bible verses, studying the Bible, using commentaries, or using practices like Lectio Divina can help us get more out of God’s Word as well.

When I’m having trouble focusing on the Word, I copy passages into a journal.

Devotional time is also a good time to read other books that help you connect with God.  I encourage you to make sure you are reading the Bible and use additional devotionals or books as supplements.

If you’re just getting started, a good devotional book can guide you through a Scripture reading and reflection.  (Read to the end of today’s post for a free 31-day devotional eBook.)

9. Write in a journal.

If you like to write, you might use part of your devotional time to write reflections on your daily Bible reading in a journal.

You can also write prayers in a journal or use the journal as if you are writing a letter directly to God.  This can be a good way to sort through troubling situations or heavy emotions.

10. Pray to God.

Prayer is nothing more than talking to God.

God loves you and wants a close relationship with you more than anything in the world.

Talk to him.

Tell him how you’re feeling and what you’re struggling with.  Thank him for his gifts in your life and tell him what you need.

Many people overlook the fact that prayer also includes listening.  Every day, I ask God to show me what he wants me to know about my life or the world around me.  I then pay attention to any impressions that come to mind.  When these impressions are wise and biblical, they are often God’s thoughts.

11. Worship in song.

Most mornings, I listen to at least one worship song.  I might read Revelation 4 and imagine I am worshiping before God’s throne, or I might just tell God how much I adore him as I worship him.

Worship is powerful because it shifts our eyes away from temporal circumstances and onto God in the eternal realm.

12. Pray for others.

I also pray for other people during my devotional time.

A prayer list of names can be a life-changing tool for our intercessory prayers.

Stick With It:

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.

How do you do devotions? Read here to find out! #prayer #devotions Share on X

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If these tips have helped answer the question, “How do you do devotions,” I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotional eBooks below.  These resources can help you get started.

Calling All Parents and Grandparents!

As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God.  Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision.  They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love.  You can find all three books here or read more below.

Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!

God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom.  Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world.  I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven!  You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord.  Find this life-changing devotional book here.

Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter

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 for moms and daughters after each devotion.  I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven.  Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.

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, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start.  Bekah and I will help you right here.

Find Our Family Devotionals Here

Find all three books right here.  They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial!  These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them.  Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.

Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing

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!

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. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free.  I invite you to explore the collection right here!