Importance of Personal Devotions

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Developing Quality Devotions
Importance of Personal Devotions
The Excitement of Quality Devotions
Deepening our intimate times with God
Devotions in Our Lives Ministry
Why is a good quiet time so essential to our
lives?
What do we expect from our devotional time with
God?
How can I grow in my times with God each day?
How do devotional times practically help me in my
life and serving?
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Importance of Personal Devotions
Experiencing Renewal through Our Personal
Devotions
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Problems with Personal Devotions

• Challenges we face with devotions
• Find what is supposed to happen in our devotions
• Discover some flaws in our thinking
• Analyze why so many Christians are not growing
• Tracing the place devotions has in our lives

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Challenges to Devotions
Stressed Backslidden Empty Exhausted Temptation La
zy
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What is devotions anyway?
Restores the soul
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the
soul The testimony of the LORD is sure, making
wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are
right, rejoicing the heart The commandment of
the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The
fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever The
judgments of the LORD are true they are
righteous altogether. They are more desirable
than gold, yes, than much fine gold Sweeter also
than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned In
keeping them there is great reward. Psalms
197-11.
Makes wise
Identifies right choices
Brings joy
Purifies - conviction
Spiritually enlighten
Discern truth
Cause spiritual hunger
Bring delight
Provide warning
But how?
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What is the Secret?
Buy this book! Go to that conference! Quick.
Find a pill! Imitate that person. Experience
nature.
Devotions is a spiritual discipline.
Regular. Special. Helpful.
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Understanding New Christians
What does a new Christian hear?
Read the Bible
Pray
Sing
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Frustrations with Gods Word
Common pattern of defeat
guilt
frustration
defeat
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Tracing Christian Growth
1 John 212-14
Fathers
Little Children
Young men
Spiritually young believers
Maturing Christians
New Christians
Christians get stunted here because of inadequate
Word of God to help them withstand temptation.
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B) The Importance of Devotions

• New Christian life
• The nature of Christian growth devotions
• The way devotions actually works
• Opportunity to track our own growth

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Christian Life
man
God
Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every
word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 44
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The nature of Christian growth
YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.
Change occurs as we live closer to the Lord.
Effective daily quiet times helps keep us close
to the Lord.
But like the Holy One who called you, be holy
yourselves also in all your behavior because it
is written, YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.
(1 Peter 116-15).
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Personal Devotions
Relationship with Lord
Knowledge
Desire
The will to live His ways
Know Gods will and ways
Because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the
love of each one of you toward one another grows
ever greater (2 Thessalonians 13).
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Evaluating Devotional Times
1 Investigate the Past
Identify key peaks and valleys
Best
Okay
Lousy
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Evaluating Devotional Times
2 Looking at this year
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The Right Approach to Devotions

• Factors for great devotions
• Getting ready for devotions
• Developing skills for devotions
• Assignment

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Factors for Great Devotions
Faith is the ____________that God will speak to
you during your time together.
expectation
Hope is the delightful ________on God because
of His faithful care for you.
reliance
Love is the wholehearted ____________ to
treasure what the Lord says to you.
devotedness
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Getting ready

• Start with a desperate prayer.
• Remind yourself of any important issues you are
  dealing with. Ask for wisdom, patience, etc.
• Find a passage. Never spend more than 1 minute
  looking for a passage. Better just to open.
• Dont use a passage you need to teach or study
  for devotional. He has other things to say to
  you.
• Enjoy!

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Sample Devotions Psalm 130

• Start with a desperate prayer.
• Remind yourself of any important issues you are
  dealing with. Ask for wisdom, patience, etc.
• Find a passage. Never spend more than 1 minute
  looking for a passage. Better just to open.
• Dont use a passage you need to teach or study
  for devotional. He has other things to say to
  you.
• Enjoy!

1(A Song of Ascents.) Out of the depths I have
cried to Thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let
Thine ears be attentive To the voice of my
supplications. 3 If Thou, LORD, shouldst mark
iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there
is forgiveness with Thee, That Thou mayest be
feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does
wait, And in His word do I hope. 6 My soul waits
for the Lord More than the watchmen for the
morning Indeed, more than the watchmen for the
morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD For with
the LORD there is lovingkindness, 8 And with Him
is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities. Psalms 1301-8, NASB.
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Seminar Home Exercises

• Pick a passage from the Psalms and have
  devotions.
• What is the Lord saying? What is He trying to
  say to you? When He speaks ( a passage or point
  stands out), specially reflect on that thought,
  verse, word, etc. Note any difficulties you had.
• Personal Life Chart
• Develop your own personal spiritual life chart.
  Make it more extensive than the one you started
  with. Use appropriate dates starting with your
  salvation. Map out failures, growing times and
  significant events. Include times when you have
  grown bored, burned out, or just performed the
  Christian life without real passion for Jesus.