Once upon a time, I thought I was incapable of doing my devotions (in fact, read how I read through the entire OT last year . . . it was a total God thing). Yup, you heard me right. When I went to Christian camp during the summers of 2013 to 2017, I looked around at all the “big people” who were waking up at five in the morning to pray for the orphans of the world and pore over Isaiah and Amos.
“I’ll never be like that,” I thought dejectedly.
Well, fast forward six years and here I am, that same frazzle-brained brunette, just a whole lot closer to God now. I’ve been doing my devotions consistently since summer 2018 (consistently as in I only miss one day about every two weeks).
You might also enjoy: Do devotions with friends and get a group conversation going about your Savior
What made the difference? HOW?!
Finally, I realized how much I desperately needed God. I wish I had sought God even on my good days, but He knew I needed a kick in the pants to get my devotions going. If that’s what it took to help me experience God’s love, though, I’d gladly go through it again. A year ago, I realized that, yup: life is hard. Tough times come and you need a good foundation if you’re going to get through the hurricane.
I don’t want you guys to be scared of devotions (in fact, you may also want to check out this resource about how “listing” my way through devotions really helped my brain). Whether you’re six, sixteen, or sixty, devotions are absolutely vital if you want to grow as a Christian. That’s why I’m going to be sharing some of my best “devotions tactics.” I’ll be constantly adding to these archives and I hope that I’ll be able to create a master list of practical ways to study the Bible.
Doing my devotions was kind of like swimming. At first, I barely stuck my toes in. Then, I held onto the side of the pool (bought a devotional and worked through it). Once I felt more comfortable, I could practice swimming while someone held me. Now I feel that I can roam about the pool and not worry about much. I still use devotionals on the occasion, but I love doing my own studies. I have a creative mind and figuring out how to best study the Bible gets me very excited.
/ overarching principles for Bible study /
- No matter what devotional you’re going through or passage you’re studying, it’s imperative to always look for three things: who God is, who you are, and how you should change. Too often we merely look for who we are and then go on our merry way.
- Find what works for you. Some people love marking in their Bibles; some like journaling in a separate notebook; some are never found without a supplementary devotional study book. Find what helps you and do it.
- It’s ok to change your mind. If you “get bored” with a study, go ahead and start another one. Just make sure your studies last at least a week and you get back to it eventually if there’s more to study.
/ “my God is” study /
You will need: A binder (I’d suggest half-size for practicality; full size is better for if you’re doing this long-term), paper, pens (I liked using colored pens but it made it a bit more time-consuming)
This study covers: Literally any book of the Bible, but it’s suggested to start out with the Psalms
Overview: A lifetime collection of the attributes of God
To start off this series, I’d first like to share with you the devotional idea that started it all. My boss last summer introduced me to the “My God is” study. At its very core, it’s a lifetime collection of the attributes of God.
How to start: Begin in Psalm 1 and hunt for attributes of God.
1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 1 is a lot about characteristics of a Christian, but I did find one attribute of God (I’ve underlined it). I’m going to call that Omniscience.
So, open up to a new page in your binder. At the top, write “My God is omniscient.” Then, underneath, write out the reference (Psalm 1:6) and the corresponding verse.
My God is omniscient
Psalm 1:6 — For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
I also like to underline the part of the verse that has to do with the attribute, as seen above.
Keep reading through the Psalms and collecting attributes. Each time you find a new one, start a new page in your binder/journal.
Tips:
- Do this study in a binder because it’s easy to alphabetize the attributes; that way if you need to counsel yourself or a friend or you want to use the list to help in prayer, you know exactly where to go!
- After Psalms, head to Isaiah and Job. Then, you’ve got the rest of the Bible to cover because what part ISN’T about attributes of God?!
- Want more info? I made a two-part video series this spring!! View part one here and part two here.
