Private Devotion
My private personal devotional life is the beginning of everything else happening in my life in Jesus. Without a devotional life, or what Jesus called "abiding in the vine", there is no real sap flowing to the things in my life that need to grow.
John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (2) Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Without first tapping into God, there is nothing flowing to really love my family selflessly, or organize my day well, or really pray what the Lord is praying, etc. Even my time in a prayer room actually depends on my personal devotional time prior to ever making it to a public prayer room! Same is true with church, choir, deacon board, etc....whatever my ministry is, its pointless if I don't have an active and vibrant daily relationship with Jesus.
Often, because it is entirely voluntary, my devotional life is what gets moved to corners and empty spaces in my day. If I'm not intentional to guard it, my devotional life quickly becomes the most expendable activity I engage in. The danger is, I can still believe I am abiding even when 0 minutes of my day are intentionally spent trying to hear God. Activity and "thoughts" about God or quick prayers to Him can masquerade as a relationship.
I can pray in the car, or at work, or on my way to the gym, but this is different than giving God time.
If the only time my kids got from me was when I was on the run, they would start to believe they werent very important to me. If I only talked to Samantha by telling her to jump in the car with me, I turned up the radio, and just had her sit by me as I ran to all my appointments, even if I turned the radio down to listen to what she said a few times, Sam would feel like our relationships was forced into the tiny empty spaces my schedule naturally produced. Any spouse, subject to this sort of place in their beloved's life, over time, would start to get the impression they werent very important. This is a recipe for a relationship to die.
Jesus is the source of every other activity done well. Satan uses a false sense of responsibility to get me to give my time to everything I need Jesus FOR, instead of giving my time to HIM. This is an intentional dark scheme to lead me to lose everything. If I have Jesus, all the rest is guaranteed. Without Jesus being the center of my life, its only a matter of time until every other thing fails AND I fail to really love Him.
The way to guard against this is to talk to Him about my devotional life, and, as He gives more grace, use that grace to grow the amount of time I commit to spending with Him.
Matthew 16:25-26 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (26) For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 6:31-34 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (2) Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Without first tapping into God, there is nothing flowing to really love my family selflessly, or organize my day well, or really pray what the Lord is praying, etc. Even my time in a prayer room actually depends on my personal devotional time prior to ever making it to a public prayer room! Same is true with church, choir, deacon board, etc....whatever my ministry is, its pointless if I don't have an active and vibrant daily relationship with Jesus.
Often, because it is entirely voluntary, my devotional life is what gets moved to corners and empty spaces in my day. If I'm not intentional to guard it, my devotional life quickly becomes the most expendable activity I engage in. The danger is, I can still believe I am abiding even when 0 minutes of my day are intentionally spent trying to hear God. Activity and "thoughts" about God or quick prayers to Him can masquerade as a relationship.
I can pray in the car, or at work, or on my way to the gym, but this is different than giving God time.
If the only time my kids got from me was when I was on the run, they would start to believe they werent very important to me. If I only talked to Samantha by telling her to jump in the car with me, I turned up the radio, and just had her sit by me as I ran to all my appointments, even if I turned the radio down to listen to what she said a few times, Sam would feel like our relationships was forced into the tiny empty spaces my schedule naturally produced. Any spouse, subject to this sort of place in their beloved's life, over time, would start to get the impression they werent very important. This is a recipe for a relationship to die.
Jesus is the source of every other activity done well. Satan uses a false sense of responsibility to get me to give my time to everything I need Jesus FOR, instead of giving my time to HIM. This is an intentional dark scheme to lead me to lose everything. If I have Jesus, all the rest is guaranteed. Without Jesus being the center of my life, its only a matter of time until every other thing fails AND I fail to really love Him.
The way to guard against this is to talk to Him about my devotional life, and, as He gives more grace, use that grace to grow the amount of time I commit to spending with Him.
Matthew 16:25-26 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (26) For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 6:31-34 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
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