How to Get the Most Out of Your Devotional Book

I have mixed feelings about using a Christian devotional book. Printed devotionals and daily online devotions are wonderful tools, but too many Christians use them as their primary – and often only – source for time with God.

A “devotional” writing is what someone else has written about their own encounter with God and His Word. It is a middleman. So why do we settle for the human intermediary when we have access to God Himself?

Please don’t get me wrong. I love good devotional books. I’ve even written one. But we need to remember what they are and what they are not. And when we do use them, we need to use them merely as a supplemental tool and not as a substitute for the real thing. The following tips and suggestions will help you get the most out of your devotional guides.

4 tips to help you get the most from your #DevotionalBook
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4 Tips to Help You Get the Most out of Your Devotional Book

Read the daily Scripture from your Bible – Many devotionals have the day’s verses printed out in the book or on the web page. But  if we open our Bible and read it there, it gives the Holy Spirit opportunity to guide us to read further, to interact more fully with the actual text. And there’s an added dimension about sitting with an open copy of God’s Word that can’t be replicated any other way.
Read the selected passage in its greater context – Unfortunately, many devotional books ask you to read just a few verses – sometimes even one! Often, we miss the big picture. And sometimes we even misunderstand what the biblical author intended because we read the verses out of context. When you read the selected passage, back up. Read at least the paragraph so you don’t mishandle God’s Word. (Read this post for more on biblical context.)
Listen to God first – Read the Scripture passage and give the Holy Spirit time to help you understand and apply God’s Word before you read the comments by the human author. The spiritual insight from someone else can be very helpful, but don’t let it get in the way of anything God wants to show you Himself.
Journal your own thoughts – Some devotionals give you space to write. If yours doesn’t, keep a notebook or bound journal with your Bible so you can record any insights, direction, and application God gives you. For more info on journaling, read this post.

I would love to hear your thoughts on how you use devotionals and how you work to keep them in the proper perspective.

#Devotionals are great but no substitute for going straight to #God
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