SESSION 5
A devotional life means having fellowship with our living Lord and spending time with Him. The nature of relationships is summed up in these statements:
- You become more like the people with whom you spend time.
- You spend time with those whom you love.
- You talk about those things that are important to you.
I. Defining a devotional life:
It is having fellowship with the living God and developing your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
1. What it is…
- Psalm 63:1-3
- Psalm 46:10
2. What it is not…
- John 5:39-40
- Matthew 23:27-28
- Ezekiel 33:30-32
3. The main objectives in a devotional life…
- John 4:23
- James 1:5
- Zechariah 4:6
- Galatians 6:4
- Hebrews 2:1-3
II. The Necessity of a devotional life:
1. Benefits to the believer; what do you find in these verse?
- Isaiah 40:28-31
- Psalm 27:1-3
- Proverbs 3:5-6
- Psalm 40:1-3
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
- 2 Timothy 1:12 – A statement that can only be made by someone who has been with the Lord!
2. God’s perspective:
- Read Psalm 73 and notice the psalmist’s perspective on life (his observing the wicked).
- He questions God about His justice at first, then changes his thought in Psalm 73:18-28.
- What caused the psalm writer to change his perspective? (Psalm 73:17)
- He came into the sanctuary, which means, he came into the presence of God. We do this through our personal devotional life.
3. God’s desire: for us to have a personal devotional life.
- Read Jeremiah 2:32, perhaps the saddest verse in the Bible. What terrible mistake did the people make?
- For whom is God seeking (John 4:23)?
- What does it mean for God to be jealous, as in James 4:4-6?
- Did God create you for yourself or for Himself? Explain your answer.
III. Problems associated with a personal devotional life:
1. Distractions…
- Isaiah 59:1-2
- 2 Timothy 2:3-4
- Mark 4:19
- Luke 10:38-42 – (The good can be the enemy of the best).
- How do these parallel with your life right now?
2. Motivation…
- Mark 1:35 – The example set by Jesus Christ. What did He do?
- James 4:8 – Your inward desire to really know God. What are you commanded to do?
- Psalm 63:1 – Seeing your need for guidance and power. How much do you really want to get to know God?
3. Time…
The cost to have an effective and deepening devotional life is simple… TIME. It will take time to develop your relationship with Jesus Christ. Take time to be still and know God; He has plenty of time for you. The question is, “Do you have time for Him?”
IV. Practical helps with your devotional life:
- Set a definite place and time to meet with God each day. This will help you to be consistent.
- Be fully prepared physically and mentally.
- Be thoroughly awake before you spend time with the Lord.
- Remove any distractions so that your full attention is devoted to the Lord.
- If you have no sense of God’s presence and feel that your prayers are empty, tell Him about it. At the same time, claim the promise of His presence (John 14:16, Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20). Trust Him that He will hear your prayers quite independently of your feelings.
- Come to your time with God open to what He has to show you and a willingness to obey what His will is for you that day.
- If you miss a morning for one reason or another, don’t go on a guilt trip. If the fault is yours, confess it, obtain immediate cleansing, and claim the full power of the Holy Spirit. If the fault is not yours, do not feel you have to make it up to God. Your devotional life should not become a ritual, but rather it is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
The quiet time makes us more like Jesus, and the result of spending time with Jesus is shown in Acts 4:13 – Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. People will know that we have been with Jesus.
- Spending time alone with God changes lives—l dare you to try it.
- Once you have started, you will never want to quit!
- Study the “Taste and See” exercise on the next page. You will do the first one together in your discipleship group at your next meeting.
V. Scripture memory verses for the week:
Jeremiah 33:3, Mark 1:35, Psalm 5:3