A PATTERN FOR DAILY DEVOTIONS PRAYER
THERE ARE FOUR IMPORTANT PARTS TO DAILY DEVOTIONS.
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he following outline gives a brief description of each. They will be explained in more detail throughout the remainder of this article. This outline is not intended as a formula to rigidly follow or a course to complete in a measured time. It is a guideline for you to follow at your own pace or adapt to your situation. The important thing is to begin your daily devotional journey with God; the following will help you do that.
1. THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE –OFFERING UP YOURSELF
2. CONFESSION AND CLEANSING –OFFERING UP YOUR HEART
3. ORDER AND OBEDIENCE –OFFERING UP YOUR DAY
4. FAMILY AND CHURCH –OFFERING UP THOSE NEAR AND DEAR
The remainder of this article will follow the above outline in our study together.
1. THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE: OFFERING UP YOURSELF
ENTERING HIS PRESENCE
God wantsus to meet with Him daily. And He is waiting to come near to us with His presence. But is there something we can do to help welcome His presence into our lives?
Yes, there is. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Jas 4:7,8a).
The scriptural condition for God to draw near to us with His presence is this: We must draw near to Him first! He is ready to respond, but He waits for us to first come near to Him.
In order to “draw near” to God, we are instructed to do two things: to submit and to resist. We must submit ourselves in humble worship and obedience before the Father.
And we must resist the distractions and discouragements that the devil tries to bring to keep us from God. We must do both in order to draw near to God, and for Him to then draw near to us.
Daily Purpose in Praise
The Bible says in Psalm 100:4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” All approach to God involves worship.
In fact, praise invites the very presence of God to come and dwell: “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Ps 22:3 kjv).
God is worthy of all of our praise. There are two basic reasons for which we can praise God:
For Who He is – the truth about God’s nature and character.
You might begin by simply saying: “Lord, I praise You today because You are my Savior. You have not only saved me from my sins of the past, but You are also my Savior right now. Your saving power will help me today. I thank You for being such a strong and faithful Savior.”
For what He has done – gifts, blessings, protection, answers to prayer, etc.
There are some past blessings for which we just can’t thank the Lord enough – such as our salvation. Thank Him also for more recent things He has done. Choose something that God did in your life yesterday and praise Him for it today, as a fresh reminder of His faithfulness and goodness. “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20).
2. CONFESSION AND CLEANSING –OFFERING UP YOUR HEART
OFFER UPYOUR BODY TO THE LORD
Romans 12:1 tells us to offer our bodies to God. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God…”
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:19,20).
It is both a scriptural and a practical expression to give ourselves to God, and to involve our body in worship to God. It can also help us stay focused on our prayer time, and not doze off or become distracted.
How do we offer our bodies in worship? One way is to kneel down. If you can’t kneel, sit before the
Lord with a humble heart. (They were all sitting when the Spirit first came on the Day of Pentecost.) It is not a religious form or ritual. It is an outward expression that we are bowing our hearts and submitting our lives in obedience to God.
You may feel particularly joyful or grateful to the Lord for His goodness. If so, you may want to dance before the Lord like David (2Sam 6:14). Let God see your heart of praise and joy for Him and what He has done!
We can lift our faces toward the Lord (Job 22:26-28). The Bible also instructs us, “Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!” (Ps 47:1). David exclaimed, “I will lift up my hands in Your Name” (Ps 63:4).
3. ORDER AND OBEDIENCE: OFFERING UP YOUR DAY
The Bible speaks to us of the value of each day, and points out the need for us to use each day wisely and profitably:
Each day is a gift from God; we need His wisdomto use it wisely. “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90:12).
Each day has its own particular joys and challenges. We are to set our minds and hands to today’s duties and avoid worrying about tomorrow’s. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt 6:34).
We must use prayer and the Word of God each day in order to receive what we need for the day. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt 6:11);“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Josh 1:8; see also Psalm 119:11,105; 2 Timothy 3:16,17).
God will not force His way into our daily business. We must invite His Lordship over our day, and ask in prayer for His wisdom and provision for allthat concerns us. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him”(Jas 1:5).
We can take assurance in God’s promises that He will help us, guide us, and be with us through each day (Ps 32:8; 48:14; Matt 28:20). We can begin each day with joy, thankful for the gift of another day to serve the Lord and others.
“Commityour way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass… Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Ps 37:5,7).
The two words, “commit” and “rest,” are of great importance.
By “committing” the things of our life to God and “resting” in the sure knowledge that He will work all things together for our good (Rom 8:28), we bring divine order to each day.
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Prov 3:6,7).
4. FAMILY AND CHURCH: OFFERING UP THOSE NEAR AND DEAR
NAME YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS DAILY
“He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all… thus Job did regularly” (read Job 1:1-5).
The Bible records that Job was a righteous man. It was his practice to bring his family before the Lord in prayer. He was deeply concerned about their relation-ship with God.
This illustrates a key principle of your role as a follower of the Lord Jesus. Each believer has been called to important spiritual responsibilities – whether you are a church leader or not.
One of those responsibilities for every sincere Christian is to pray for those who are close to you – including family, friends, and the brothers and sisters in Christ with whom you fellowship.
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