5-step Spiritual Energiser
your devotional life can make a huge difference, says Randy Maxwell.
My computer has an appointment reminder feature. I simply access my calendar, type in a task and turn on the alarm and 15 minutes before the appointment a “window” pops up on my screen to remind me of it. I use this not only to remind me about meetings and appointments, but also for important activities, like prayer. Every day at 11.30, the pop-up reminds me of my commitment to pray.
I’d like to say it’s is a foolproof method of maintaining a consistent prayer life, but it isn’t. Why? Because the alarm feature offers me options: three buttons on the pop-up allow me the choice to “dismiss,” “snooze” or “open” the item. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of writing copy for an ad with a deadline about to expire, or I’m on the phone talking to an anxious client when the 15-minute warning appears, so I hit “snooze” and, eventually, my prayer appointment is “dismissed.”
When it comes to connecting with God, we’re faced with these same three options. When God prompts us through the Holy Spirit to spend time with Him, we can choose to snooze, putting it off, dismiss the notion altogether or open up to God’s voice and take the time to pray.
Sadly, though we say we value time with God, we find ourselves exercising the first two options far too often.
Why is maintaining a consistent, effective prayer and devotional life so hard? Why is it so much easier to give work, phone calls, TV watching, Web surfing, lawn mowing, or whatever, priority over our time with God?
Perhaps devotions have become predictable and unsatisfying. Or maybe we’ve allowed other things to take God’s place in our lives. It isn’t intentional. We still love Him. We still go to church and still believe. But our ardour has cooled. Something else is consistently occupying that first position in our hearts, and we may not have realised it until now.
So, what can you do about it? How can you re-energise your devotional
experience?
1. Choose not to snooze. The more frequently you hit the snooze button in your relationship with God, the easier it is to stay asleep spiritually. You simply get used to putting other things ahead of your spiritual growth.
Addressing the importance of intimacy in marriage, the apostle Paul said, “Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1 Corinthians 7:5). Paul understood that if a married couple stopped being intimate, Satan would have a much easier time tempting them to find intimacy outside of their marriage.
In the same way, when you habitually deprive God of your time and devotion, Satan has the advantage, and you find yourself taking on other “lovers.” You can begin to consider your job, your car, your investment portfolio, or even your sleep more important than your relationship with God. Then it becomes easier to give your attention and time to these things instead of to Him.
You may not have a shrine built to Baal in your backyard or a golden calf amulet around your neck, but whenever you put sports or chasing money ahead of God, you’re an idol worshipper just the same.
2. Read God’s Word daily. Instead of setting a time-oriented goal such as “I will read the Bible for 15 minutes every day,” try establishing a reading goal. Read at least one complete chapter from the Bible every day, and keep your reading confined to one book at a time. No-one says you have to read the Bible straight through from beginning to end—it’s not written like the latest Tom Clancy novel—rather, it’s a collection of books, each of which has its own theme and style.
Rather than starting at Genesis and fighting off a coma in Chronicles while trying to pronounce the names of Shaharaim’s sons by his third wife Hodesh (that’s in 1 Chronicles 8:8-10, by the way), start where your interest lies. To know more about Jesus, read the book of John or one of the other Gospels.
Interested in prophecy? Dive into Daniel or Revelation. Read Acts to learn more about the early church or Exodus to enjoy the story of Moses and how God delivered His people from Egyptian slavery.
One chapter a day doesn’t take huge amounts of time but will help you establish a habit of reading God’s Word daily.
3. Worship. The word worship comes from worth-ship—assessing worth or attributing value to someone or something. “When we value somebody, we do things to demonstrate that love,” says Graham Kendrick. “We put our thanks, appreciation and adoration into words, we give gifts and show that we care in practical ways” (Learning to Worship as a Way of Life, Bethany House Publishers, 1984, page 23).
Don’t just read a text and mumble a hasty prayer. (Would you watch TV in the midst of a romantic interlude with your spouse?) Take time to really worship the Creator. Value Him by putting your thanks, appreciation and love into words. Pray prayers of praise and list the characteristics of God you cherish most. Or sing your prayers to God. Get a hymnal or a book of praise choruses and express your love to God in “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16).
Give God the gift of your time, and you will begin to experience something beyond the mere performance of a spiritual duty. You will experience true worship and connect with Jesus, who said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
4. Take your worship outdoors. Try prayer walking. Pull on your cross trainers and literally take a walk with God. As you do laps around the block or the track at the local gym, talk with God in your heart. Pray for your neighbours as you pass their homes. Lift up your children in prayer as you lift your feet. Those of you who multi-task will recognise this as a great way to do something good for your spirit and your body at the same time.
5. Be devoted to Christ. Don’t just “have devotions.” Actually devote your life every day to Christ. Live your prayers, and put into practice what you hear God saying to you through His Word. This is the highest form of praise: To live the life of a disciple—to follow Jesus not just in word, but also in deed.
When you finish reading this, you’ll have a choice to make. God wants a daily appointment with you. He longs to fill your life with blessings and to make you like Himself. You can dismiss His invitation, choose to snooze, or open your heart to Him in daily, meaningful worship.
Reprinted, with permission, from Signs of the Times (US).
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