One of the most important things that we can do as Christians, is find a time each day to explore God’s word and reflect on its meaning and application in our lives through prayer and devotion.
Unfortunately, many Christians struggle with consistency in this important facet of their faith. In this article, we will explore why this is a problem for many people, and how we can effectively overcome these tendencies towards inconsistencies.
In addition, we will also discuss the “Why” and “How” of Bible Study and equip you with effective tools that can help you find success in this very necessary discipline of your Christian life. So, let’s begin.
The Problem
It happens every year right after Christmas. Many people begin to think about the coming New Year. And with that thought process, comes the contemplation of what we will resolve to do better in the upcoming year.
It is a natural human inclination to want to improve ourselves and yet even with this very noble motive most people eventually fall short of their intended goals.
I recently heard someone say as the year was closing out, that his New Year’s Resolution for the year was to lose 10 pounds. He said the good news was that he only had 15 more pounds to go. Obviously, he had a good intention but less than a successful result.
Why do we struggle so much?
So why is it that we as humans struggle so much with a resolve to do something? More importantly, to the intent of this article, why do we as Christians often have the noble intent of praying and studying God’s word daily, only to be thwarted by our own inconsistencies and shortcomings.
We start out with pure enthusiasm only to fall short a few days or weeks later. Do this too many times and we begin to wonder, “Will I ever have consistency in my personal prayer and devotion time?”. Eventually deflated and overwhelmed, many just give up.
But I challenge you today, don’t give up! There is a clear path that can lead you to become a more devoted and dedicated Christian through your prayer and devotion time.
No, it’s not a magical pill or some great secret hidden from the ages. It does not even require you to elevate to a new level of spirituality before you can attain it.
In fact, it is really rather simple, and it all starts with a desire to know more about God and a willingness to learn why that can sometimes be such a challenge. By the mere fact that you are reading this article, you most likely qualify.
Lord, Teach Us to Pray
Prayer begins with a question. What do I mean by this? In Luke 11:1 a very interesting discourse took place between Jesus and His disciples. It all began as they observed Him one day praying.
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”[1]
This simple dialogue between Jesus and His disciples shows us that there are times when God wants us to show an interest in the relationship with Him.
The passage makes it clear that John the Baptist had already taught his disciples to pray, and the disciples of Jesus had begun to wonder why Jesus had never taught them.
It was such a fundamental practice of faith. Maybe they wondered to themselves why it wasn’t covered in the Discipleship 101 class on their first day of discipleship.
But the fact is, up to this point in their discipleship, Jesus had never taught them to pray. Instead, he waited until that opportune time in which they inquired of Him, “Lord, teach us to pray”.
God wants us to draw closer to him
What can we learn from this? God wants us to find ways to draw closer to Him. There is something very powerful in such a simple expression of faith.
The disciples’ simple but pure desire to learn to pray that day was rewarded with a powerful lesson on prayer that is still heralded through the ages in what is commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer” (Luke 11:2-4).
So, the first step we must take in learning to pray is to simply ask the Lord to teach us how to do so. Let us all enquire of the Master, “Lord, teach me to pray” and by so doing, show God our deep interest in drawing closer to Him.
Roadblocks to a Life of Prayer and Daily Devotion
Before we begin our study of the 7 Steps to Developing a Successful Life of Prayer and Devotion, I would like to start by first discussing the things that can prevent you from being successful.
One thing that I have learned from traveling, is that if you are going to get to your destination in an efficient manner, one of the first things that you must do is find out where the roadblocks are.
We have all probably been on a trip at some point, moving along at an efficient pace, when suddenly something causes the traffic to stop. It could be several causes.
Maybe rush hour and the sheer volume of traffic, or an accident, or the dreaded road construction. Whatever it is, it slows us down and makes it harder to reach our destination.
Avoid Roadblocks
But what if you knew about those obstructions in advance. It would allow you to find a better route and avoid some of those inconveniences and delays.
It would be easier to reach your destination and you would be much less frustrated upon arrival. Well, the same is true of developing a life of prayer and devotion.
By knowing some of the roadblocks that can prevent us from being successful, we can avoid the frustrations that come from not being able to reach our destination in a productive manner. So, what are some of these potential roadblocks?
1. We are too busy.
Let’s face it. Western civilization and the hectic pace of life make it very hard sometimes to find time to commune with God. Life is busy. We have jobs, go to school, participate in hobbies and sports, take our kids to school activities, purchase groceries or products from the local stores, take much-needed vacations, and go to church.
Make a choice
These and many other activities can easily make finding time with God difficult. But here are the facts. Every individual is given the same 24 hours each day. How we choose to use those hours is our choice. Consider the story of Mary and Martha as Jesus came to visit them one day.
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”[2]
Priorities matter in life. If prayer and daily devotion are not important to you, then you will never succeed in this pursuit of daily devotion.
Too Busy
The Philosopher Socrates said it this way: “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
Henry David Thoreau furthered this though when he pointed out that: “It is not enough to be busy, but instead we must ask ourselves, what are we busy about?”
There is nothing wrong with being busy but as children of God, we must understand, that where we spend that time is of the utmost importance. A life void of prayer and devotion makes us weaker in our relationship with Him. So, make up your mind to choose the better way, the good part, the thing, as Jesus said that is needed. Make time to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him.
2. We Don’t know where to start.
You will never win a race if you don’t first find the starting line. Many people fail in their devotional life because they just don’t know where to start.
The Bible is a big book. It is made up of 66 individual books written by over 40 different authors representing various backgrounds, literary and illustrative styles, and historical backgrounds.
To say the least, it can be a bit intimidating. But as the old adage says: “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer: One bite at a time!
This is not a sprint. Daily devotion to Him is instead a marathon of your faith. Make up your mind to just get to that starting line or you will never win this race. I like what Don Marquis said about putting things off.
“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.”
So just get started. At the end of his life, the Apostle Paul declared of himself, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” But before we can get to the finish line of faith, we must first understand that a life of daily devotion starts today.[3]
3. We fear failure because we have failed before.
Nothing inspires giving up more than past mistakes, and yet strangely the greatest stories of human success, teach us a very different lesson from individuals who never gave up.
As Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Or concerning his varied inventions: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
So maybe you have fallen short a few times in your effort to establish a habit of prayer and Bible study in your life. BIG DEAL! Everybody has.
I challenge you one more time, give it another try. I believe that you are closer to success than you think. Failures are just steppingstones to your greatest successes. They teach us how not to do something so we can learn how to do it best. To drive home this truth, consider how many of us would still be crawling on all fours if we had given up the first time we failed trying to walk as a child. Success in God is within all of us. Just get back up and try one more time. Oh yeah, and watch out for that coffee table with the sharp corners… Ouch!
Now that we have talked about some of the possible roadblocks to a life of prayer and devotion, let’s switch gears and talk about the 7 steps you can take to Develop this “Successful Life of Prayer and Devotion”.
7 Steps to Developing a Successful Life of Prayer and Devotion:
This article found its genesis one day when I was reading an article by Perri Blumberg citing the various insights of fitness experts on how to maintain a successful fitness routine.
As I read the article, I was struck by how many of the principles that he outlined for success had great parallels to our daily devotion to God.[4]
Step 1: Identify WHY you want to have a consistent daily life of prayer and devotion.
Garret Seacat (a fitness expert who was referenced in the article I alluded to above) stresses the importance of asking yourself the “WHY” when it comes to devoting yourself to a fitness routine — and not just once.
He said “Find the root motivation for what you are doing. It will be hard to stay motivated if you are not sure what your driving motive truly is.”[5]
So why do you want to study the Bible? Why do you want to have a dedicated prayer life? Over the next couple of days, I challenge you to ask yourself these questions and answer them at least five times.
To give you an example of how this might work, let’s use the example of asking this question in regard to an exercise routine someone might implement. Each additional question causes you to dig a little deeper as to your core motive.
Dig Deeper
- Why? – Because I want to look better.
- Why? – Because I just don’t feel good anymore about myself and how I look.
- Why? Because I want to feel better about myself and set a good example for other people.
- Why? Because I want to have better self-esteem in my relationships, my health, in my body image, and in the example, I set for my children.
- Why? – Because exercise will inspire me to feel better about myself, grow my relationships with others, improve my overall health, and help me lead my family in healthy life choices.
Hopefully, you get the idea. Understanding precisely why you do something helps you stay motivated and will help you more effectively determine the “How” discussed in our second step.
It also helps protect us from the attacks that come against our minds and soul concerning our successes in God. The Devil is a faith stalker and if he can he is a faith killer.
Don’t be discouraged
He does this by discouraging us, but if we can learn to have a clear reason why we do something, it becomes a shield of faith because clarity defines where we are going. Consider what the Apostle Peter said about this.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.[6]
The word sober comes from the Greek word nepho which means – “to be in control of one’s thought processes and thus not be in danger of irrational thinking”[7] The word vigilant comes from the Greek word gregoreo which means – “to be alert, to be watchful.” [8] Simply put, you need to have a clear understanding of why you are committing yourself to a life of prayer and devotion. Understanding the “WHY” helps you to be alert and watchful of the adversary’s tactics and equips you with weapons to fight the enemy and to maintain a laser focus on your purpose.
Step 2: Commit to a specific plan each day.
Do not study the Bible or pray in a random fashion. This will lead to becoming either overwhelmed with the scope of your prayers or study time, or becoming bored for a lack of clear purpose, or becoming frustrated because you will fail to effectively accomplish your goals.
Remember, there is a lot of information in the Bible and there are many different things we can pray about. You will need to be vigilant and have a strategy in order to make your prayer and study time productive and interesting.
Consider our previous example of a road trip. Anyone wanting to go somewhere obviously needs to have a destination in mind. If you were planning a family vacation or road trip you would most likely need to plan for such things as the length of time, the places you wish to visit, and places you might stay the night.
Making Plans
Also, who will be going on the trip and how much will it cost? Knowing some of these details makes the trip much more enjoyable and productive. At the same time it does not mean that you can’t adjust your plans as you travel, but just that you have a clear plan of what you want to try to accomplish.
Developing a discipline of prayer and daily devotion also benefit from putting some forethought into where you are wanting to go in God. This can mean different things to different people. Below are a few examples of a variety of ways in which you can take such a journey.
Bible Reading Options:
- Do a topical study: Faith, Healing, Prayer, Prophecy, Relationships, Miracles, Differences between the Old and New Testaments, Kings of Israel, A particular Bible Character.
- Read the Bible in 90 Days or some other time-based format.
- Buy a devotional book and read a devotion each day along with your Bible reading.
- Start a prayer journal and link it to lessons that God teaches you through your daily reading.
- Do a Bible reading plan that draws from different sections of the Bible each day. For example, you can read a portion from the Poetry Books, a portion from the Old Testament, and a portion from the New Testament. To find out how to make a custom Bible plan visit the Monarch Discipleship page to access links to some quality online Bible study tools at monarchdisciplship.com.
- Find a friend to read the Bible with each day or week and discuss what you have learned.
Prayer Options:
- Memorize the Lord’s prayer as a model for how you should pray each day (Luke 11:1-4) or memorize other important passages of scripture.
- Create notecards for prayer needs. Write the need on the front and then how God answered it on the back. Buy a notecard holder to keep these as a reminder of how God worked.
- Develop a prayer journal and write your thoughts down each day concerning your prayers.
- Find a friend or friends that will meet you at the church for prayer.
- If you plan to pray for certain topics (for example missionaries on the foreign field) then do your homework and keep their names written in a prayer journal or notecards as mentioned above. Find out about each of these missionaries and their families and the possible needs they have. Send them a note or email letting them know that you are praying for them. Many times pastors can help you find out information concerning missionaries or church planters.
- Create a list of local churches in your community or state that you will adopt in prayer.
- Develop a family time of prayer at a time that works for everyone to gather. Maybe after dinner or before bed.
These few ideas and many others can make prayer time more productive, interesting, and exciting. I can tell you from experience, that there is nothing more uplifting than writing down a prayer need and then in the course of time witnessing God answer that prayer and sharing that experience with others. So where do you plan on going in your prayer and devotion time?
Step 3: Make sure you have the right resources or tools to effectively study the Bible.
Tools are a very important part of any job. If someone wants to build a house, they don’t bring a sewing machine and thread to the job site.
You wouldn’t bring your kitchen knives or cookware. That’s not what you need to build a house. If you want to go hiking in the mountains, you wouldn’t put on your Sunday suit and favorite dress shoes.
To do a job right, you need the right tools and in order to study the Bible and pray effectively, we also need the right tools.
So what tools are available for Bible Study and prayer?
- A Bible and there are many (Different versions, wide margin, large print, study, topical, apps, note sections) and you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get one. There are free online versions, Bible clearance sales, and sentimental Bibles from family members. Just get one that you’re going to read. I prefer a wide margin Bible and a #2 pencil so that I can take notes as I study God’s word.
- A good concordance: Young’s or Strong’s both work well.
- A good commentary can be very helpful in explaining the meaning of a passage from both a language and historical perspective. Remember, the Bible was not written in the 21st century and as such, it has different customs and traditions compared to our present world. I recommend and use often the two-volume Bible Knowledge Commentary.
- Topical Books on the Bible or online resources.
- Software programs (Some for as low as 9.99 as an app or computer program).
- WRITE in your Bible! (Preferably pencil because it doesn’t bleed through). Or get a good notebook that you can use with your Bible.
- Use Bible Mnemonic Tools or Symbols: Ex. Topical Chains, Topical Annotation Symbols, Highlighters.
- Shop Thrift stores if money is a concern. They carry a lot of discarded books. Also, online bookstores like Christian Book Distributors.
- Purchase a prayer journal.
- Find a dedicated space for prayer and Bible reading. If that space is hard to find at home, use a local church, coffee house, library, or even an outdoor space if weather permits. Many times, if I need alone time, I have found the car a great place to pray as I take a scenic or relaxing drive or I will take a prayer walk. Whatever you do, simply create a space that you enjoy being in. Let family members know that you use this as a prayer space so that they will not accidentally intrude upon it. Decorate this space if you want. Keep your Bible study tools there for easy access. Then put on your Spiritual Toolbelt and get to work building something for God’s kingdom.
Step 4: Share with others your plans to study the Bible and pray.
It started out as a trip with a goal in mind. I was supposed to go and get an oil change for the car, but the further I traveled down the road that day, the more distant that destination became in my mind.
I was literally lost in my thoughts contemplating a sermon thought that had come to my mind. The traffic lights periodically went by one by one until my whole mental journey was abruptly interrupted by the jarring ring of my cell phone.
It was my wife calling. As I picked up the phone, she asked me where I was. And then it dawned on me that I had driven right past my destination and gone an additional five miles down the road.
I was thankful that I had my wife there to call me and remind me of where I was supposed to be. I turned around and headed back.
Two are better than one
In life, we need each other and in our Christian walk, this is all the more true. The writer of Ecclesiastes put it so fittingly when He said,
Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.[9]
You are more likely to complete a task if you inform other people that you are doing that task.[10] Accountability produces productivity. It is iron sharpening iron. We hold ourselves and others accountable to the process when we do this. We also now have friends to help celebrate our successes with us and talk with them about the Bible, and our prayer needs.
So, I challenge you, to find someone who can become that partner with you in the faith.
Step 5: Start with just 10 minutes a day.
With just 10 minutes or less than 1% of your total day, you can begin a lifelong transformational process of faith in your life.
Start Small
I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to start a daily prayer and devotional process, is that they try to go too big.
You will never find a successful marathon runner saying on the first day of training, “I am going to run 26.2 miles today.” Instead, they begin a consistent process of training that will eventually lead to that long-distance goal.
Start small and then allow it to grow bigger. This is what the prophet Zechariah told Zerubbabel when he was frustrated with the slow progress of building the Temple after Judah’s return to Jerusalem:
“The hands of Zerubbabel
Have laid the foundation of this temple;
His hands shall also finish it.
Then you will know
That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
For who has despised the day of small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”[11]
No matter how small it may seem, God sees the effort you are making. Starting with just ten minutes a day may seem so insignificant, but it will ultimately transform your temple into something that only God can build. So, start small and don’t despise these important beginning steps. God sees it and rewards it.
As you build up this discipline of ten minutes you will find that now you want it to become 15 or 20 or 30 minutes. Building our temple (our bodies) is the work of God and as such His eyes scan the Earth and go to and fro looking for those who will do His work.
Step 6: Don’t compare yourself to others and their daily prayer and devotion.
One of the biggest weapons that the Devil uses against us is the feeling of condemnation. He likes to incite this defeated spirit within us by causing us to compare ourselves to other people and what they are accomplishing as opposed to what we are doing.
We observe someone else who has a deeply dedicated prayer and devotion life and think to ourselves, that could never be me. These feelings only serve to tear down what God is trying to do in you.
Feeling of Condemnation
I remember such a feeling of condemnation at one point in my life, but this time it was not of a spiritual nature. I had just signed up for a brand-new gym membership, so with my new membership card proudly in hand, I set about getting in shape.
I strutted confidently over to the free weights envisioning in my mind the transformation that was going to take place in my body. It was all right there in my mind.
Huge muscles, with bulging biceps, triceps, quadriceps… (ok, so I happen to be very imaginative). Unfortunately, when I finally arrived at the free weights, there were already assembled there, a large group of huge guys standing around.
I don’t mean big, I mean HUGE! With the long row of mirrors that the health club had so kindly placed before us, I quickly began to realize my diminutive size in comparison to these hulks of human flesh.
I could also see their eyes as they took me in with smirks of skepticism on each of their faces. Suddenly the treadmill and spin cycle classes started looking much more appealing, so I turned and headed in a different direction with no more grandiose visions of myself as the new Mr. America competitor.
Theodore Roosevelt commented that “Comparison is the thief of joy”. How true a statement. When we compare ourselves to others, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to become the person God has made us to be.
Proverbs 14:30 tells us that: “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” Comparing yourselves to others only leads to dissatisfaction and disappointment.
And this can be done in two different ways. Yes, there is the side of it that deals with low self-esteem and condemnation. A place where we let others define God’s plan for our life. But it can also become self-righteousness.
Think of the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time who looked down upon other people’s accomplishments in comparison to their own. They thought of themselves as better than other people and for it gained the rebuke of the Lord for their judgmental attitudes. Paul described how we can avoid either of these mistakes in the book of Romans.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.[12]
Comparison to others will never allow you to be the person God is trying to build.
You don’t have to pray 2 hours a day to be a productive and loved child of God. Give what you can and do what God has called YOU to do.
Don’t compare yourself to others who may be able to give more time to prayer and devotion. Also, as you develop your prayer and devotion time, don’ think of yourself as better than others.
Instead, find ways to help elevate these people through the maturity and strength God has built into you through His work of grace. We find our worth as Paul said, “In Christ Jesus”. So go ahead and pick up those spiritual weights and build up your temple to the glory of God.
Step 7: Create goals and micro-goals.
When we set goals, it gives us something to shoot for and also gives a sense of accomplishment in the process. Napoleon Hill put it this way. “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”
But even though you may have larger goals you should also set within those goals smaller, more attainable goals that are measured by daily progress instead of monthly or yearly goals.
For example, if you want to study Bible prophecy as a larger goal you might decide to create a plan where you 1) read each of the 5 major prophetic books (Revelations, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah). Within this you could zero this down to 2) focus on reading the book of Daniel over the course of a week, and then have an even smaller goal of 3) reading 2 chapters of Daniel each day. Proverbs says it this way in regard to the order in which things should be done;
Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. [13]
Simply put, get the farming done first, and after that build your house for your family. Start with small things and those small things will add up to bigger accomplishments over time. Remember to eat that elephant 1 bite at a time.
Final Thoughts
So here is the good news. With these seven simple goals to develop a more successful and effective prayer and devotional life, you do not even have to wait until next January to start. You can start tomorrow.
In fact, you can start today. It has been said that procrastination is the thief of time. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to make some fresh commitments to God concerning your future time with Him.
There are a lot of other worthy goals and commitments that you can make in life. Career goals, family goals, special projects, hobby goals, and even life goals to name a few, but the time you spend with God is by far the most important commitment that you will ever make.
There is no substitute for prayer and Bible reading. It will change your life in dramatic and remarkable ways if you let the Holy Spirit guide you in this great adventure of faith.
[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Lk 11:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] The New King James Version. (1982). (Lk 10:38–42). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[3] The New King James Version. (1982). (2 Ti 4:6–7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[4] Perri Ormont Blumberg, ’10 Secrets to Working Out in 2022, According to Personal Trainers’, The New York Post, New York, Author, 2021, Introduction, https://nypost.com/2021/12/28/10-secrets-for-working-out-in-2022-according-to-personal-trainers/
, (accessed 21 March 2021).
[5] Perri Ormont Blumberg, ’10 Secrets to Working Out in 2022, According to Personal Trainers’, The New York Post, New York, Author, 2021, Step 1, https://nypost.com/2021/12/28/10-secrets-for-working-out-in-2022-according-to-personal-trainers/
, (accessed 21 March 2021).
[6]Perri Ormont Blumberg, ’10 Secrets to Working Out in 2022, According to Personal Trainers’, The New York Post, New York, Author, 2021, Introduction, https://nypost.com/2021/12/28/10-secrets-for-working-out-in-2022-according-to-personal-trainers/
(accessed 21 March 2021).
[7] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 332). New York: United Bible Societies.
[8] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 352). New York: United Bible Societies.
[9] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ec 4:9–10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[10] Perri Ormont Blumberg, ’10 Secrets to Working Out in 2022, According to Persoanl Trainers’, The New York Post, New York, Author, 2021, Step 4, https://nypost.com/2021/12/28/10-secrets-for-working-out-in-2022-according-to-personal-trainers/
, (accessed 21 March 2021).
[11] The New King James Version. (1982). (Zec 4:9–10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[12] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ro 8:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[13] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Pr 24:27). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
