Devotional – In Part one, I addressed the technical aspect of writing a devotional, how to select your scripture, locate your general topic, do your homework, draw your decision, private application, write it out and Edit it. In this column I wish to deal with the religious aspect of composing a devotional that deals mostly by preparing your heart and head when composing your devotional and the worth which devotionals carry.
I set up eight fundamentals to prepare your heart and head to writing a devotional:
1. Pray: Before you write a devotional you need to first pray before during and then ask God to not just talk to you regarding the passing you’ll be writing about but also prepare your heart to get it. Nearly all devotionals you may write are intended for you. Prayer also enables you to be more directed by the Holy Spirit and also allows you to get religious comprehension of the passages and topics you’re writing about.
2. Ponder: Pray for God to allow you to contemplate it for a couple minutes so you are able to see what you’ve never noticed before in the passing or during your study or perhaps receive something that you already know but want to digest to completely comprehend it to yourself. It is 1 thing to believe or assume that we understand something but it’s another to actually comprehend entirely what something means.
3. Piece: As you’re in prayer ask God to allow you to piece it together and see the larger image, this can allow you to get a smooth stream from introduction to conclusion. Whenever you can see the large image from start to end, it’s far simpler to convey it on newspaper.
4. Practical: In composing devotionals that talk not just for you but to other people; yet another important principle is to keep it sensible. Over-spiritualizing by speaking in platitudes though it may sound fine and religious it doesn’t help the ordinary person apply it almost for their lifestyle now. Keep it simple, make it practical and applicable to every day life and you’ll realize that it’s more affective. .
5. Personalize: We’ve talked about private application but personalizing your devotional method to include private information regarding you that is okay provided that the focus remains on the general subject and the scripture passage. Personalizing is optional but for the record I have personalized devotionals and they’re great in showing the author is a true individual that experiences the very same issues as anybody else but like I said, you need to be certain that you keep on point, not make it more about you than the passing you’re writing about.
6. Line: No matter what the general theme is it must always, always point to Jesus! I can not stress that enough. It is possible to stress your motif such as “Having Faith through Life Storms” using religion as your attention but be sure that Christ, our Heavenly Father and/or His Word is weaved through the text. This makes a healthful dependence on Christ rather than on the author or about the activity but on whoever gives us what we are in need of, Jesus Christ Himself. In doing so we’re pointing to the person who is our healer, our supplier as well as our part.
7. Personal Prayer: After you finish your devotional using a decision you’ll be able to add a private prayer in which you take the decision and turn it into a prayer by copying it in a means that’s personal. For instance: If the end is to trust God through life’s storms, then my prayer might seem like that: “Dear Lord, regardless of what I’m going through I understand that you’re loyal and will see me. Allow me to trust you when I do not know and assist me to cling to you when I do not feel like it. Thank you Lord for loving me and hearing my prayers. Amen”
8. Precious: Remember ultimately that writing devotionals is private between you and God and if others read it or not, it’s valuable as it comes from the heart and making it valuable to God also. David wrote the Psalms with devotion and love and God called him a man after his own heart. Is not that all you want in the long run? I am aware that I really do.
I am hoping these religious principles can help give you more to use when composing your devotionals. The most important principle is to have fun and revel in writing them. May the Lord bless your devotional jobs!