Daily devotion
Daily devotions are a fancy way of talking about time one gives each day dedicated to intentionally connecting with the Lord and His Word. God desires relationship with us. He created us and has redeemed us for this very purpose. Jesus, prior to His crucifixion, prayed,
"Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24).
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. The love of God is sometimes illustrated akin to that of a parent and child, or between a married couple. These relationships are intimate. Intimacy takes time to build. We spend time – daily if possible – with those we love.
The Bible describes God as our Lord God. So we as children of God also serve God and therefore we need to spend time with Lord in order to know the heart of our Lord. When we spend daily devotional time with God, we help our minds to be renewed by submitting our will to His. It is in that time that we surrender our lives to God.
Not only do we surrender the overall trajectory of our lives, but daily, we give the everyday details to Him. God is not only concerned for us when we face crisis, but also in the everyday details of our lives (Matthew 6:25-33).
Daily devotions help us learn truth. When we spend time in God's Word, we gain wisdom and understanding. It has been said that the best way to recognise a counterfeit is to study the real thing. Satan is the "father of lies" (John 8:44). When we know the truth, we can experience true freedom (John 8:32) because if the Lord is our refuge (Psalm 46) – our wellbeing is strengthened because we trust Him – meaning who can really harm us?
When we spend time with God, we demonstrate that we value Him. We claim that He is worthy of attention and of praise. Reading the Bible and spending time with the Lord is not a chore nor is it to get something. It is simply a reflection of who we are in Christ, and our relationship with Him!
Daily devotions as a spiritual discipline helps us to stay connected to the Lord (John 15:1-8), teaching us truth. Devotional time give us sacred space functioning as a daily shelter in the midst of the busyness and storms of life.