"It is a new year and I am sure that many Christians have resolved to be more consistent in their times of personal devotions than they were in the previous year. I thought it might be helpful, then, to share a method I have been using for my times with the Lord. I hope others can join in the discussion, sharing the methods they use. While there is no single right way to do personal devotions, I do believe there are some that are better than others, and like you, I am always eager to learn how I may make my devotions more beneficial.
A common trap believers fall into is making their time of personal devotion a selfish time. Without structure, prayers often become mere lists of perceived needs, wants and desires and reading Scripture becomes a chore and a burden. Many Christians feel guilty, admiring and desiring the biblical examples of those, like David, who delighted in the Lord and in His Word. They sincerely desire to have a passion for prayer and Scripture, yet find themselves lukewarm at best.
It is my sincere hope that we can share different ways of daily delighting in the Lord and sharing time with Him. If you have a method or some pointers you would like to share, please feel free to do so by linking us to an article on your blog (if you have one) or by posting a comment in the forum.
And without any further ado, I will tell you about the structure I have been using, which I call An Hour of Personal Worship..."
Posted by Prop at January 5, 2005 08:59 AMThis may sound silly, but I've poured out some of the deepest crevices of my heart when sitting at the piano. Even if I have no strength or structure to play something cohesive, just pressing a note now and then while crying out to God seems to somehow focus my attention and carry to heaven my deepest pleas with the vibrating strings.
Posted by: JDG at January 8, 2005 12:44 AMI've found great comfort in driving my car to some hidden place and talking out loud when I drive or writing my prayers to God in a journal. I can listen to music that the Spirit uses to teach or convict me. I think that it is the solitude that I value most. It becomes very easy to lock away the distractions when you're in a field on the other side of the tracks behind glass and metal.
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