How to Have Daily Personal Devotion

One of the best ways to maintain your faith is to complete a daily personal devotion. Learning how to practice daily devotions takes a plan, some time, and a sense of commitment. Once implemented, your personal devotion time can be the most rewarding time of your day. Here are guidelines.

Things You'll Need

• Bible
• Notebook
• Pen/Pencil
• Religious CD (optional)
• Highlighter (optional)

Instructions

1. Write the title "Prayer Requests" at the top of one page in your notebook and "Praise" at the top of another page in your notebook. Write "Notes" at the top of another page in the notebook.

2. Write the current date in the prayer request followed by something you desire or need. This can be something you desire or need for yourself or something you desire or need for someone else.

3. Write something you are thankful for on the Praise page along with the date. You can choose to be thankful for something as simple as the air that you breathe or as profound as a cure from an illness or the blessing of having your family.

4. Take some time to pray. Be sure to thank God for the things listed on the Praise page as well as making requests for things on the Prayer Requests page.

5. Determine a portion of Scripture to read. You can go by chapter (for example, Genesis 1 then Genesis 2, etc.) or you can choose random scriptural passages each day. Most ministers would recommend the more systematic approach of working through a book or section of Scripture one chapter at a time.

6. Read through the selected Scripture. Although you can take as long or as short a period of time as you would like to read the Scripture, most would recommend reading Scripture for at least 15-20 minutes. If you are reading a short passage, you may want to reread the passage, or proceed onto the next day's passage.

7. Write down your thoughts and reflections on the Notes page of your notebook. Include not only the date but the Scripture reference that you read from. Your notes can be as long or short as you would like. Also, they can take the form of statements, summaries, questions and/or additional thoughts and commentary.

8. Listen to a Christian song or sing one of your favorites to yourself. This will bring you into a state of worship and may bless you more than you realize. Take as much or as little time as you like for this.

9. Conclude the personal devotion time with prayer. This would be a good time to thank God for the things you were able to learn during your daily devotions that day or to make a request for the day ahead or the day tomorrow.

Tips & Warnings

• Personal devotions are a very private thing and you can modify your devotion time however and whenever you like.

• Making personal daily devotion a habit is the best way to make it an influence part of your life.

• Don't give up if you miss a day. Just pick up where you left off!