How to Plan Daily Devotions So They Stick
In this post, you will learn how plan daily devotions to help make the habit stick. Without a quiet time plan in place, good intentions can fall apart.
My alarm softly sings a wake up song before the sun’s rays have yet to poke their arms up over the dark sky. A couple more minutes of waking up, and I remember it’s time to meet God. I gather my laptop, Bible study, and journal in the inky darkness, being quiet so I don’t wake my husband.
Tiptoeing down the stairs, I let out a breath at the bottom. I didn’t realize I was holding in air. I don’t want to make a sound and wake up Little Miss. The moments of meeting with God are precious, and I don’t want an interruption. My set plan to have daily devotions helps. It’s my Daily Time with God.
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I brew my tea and spread my blanket over my lap, thankful I chose to wear a fashion scarf on this chilly morning. Sipping my hot tea sweetened with just the right amount of raw honey, I sit wrapped in warmth, ready to meet the Lord. What daily bread does He have for me today? I can’t keep the corners of my mouth from tipping up. I’m not alone; He’s with me.
Why You Need Daily Devotions
Has it always been so easy to wake up before the break of day? Am I always so eager? Well, no. Building the habit of daily devotions is a spiritual discipline that has taken a long time. There are days when crucifying my fleshly desires is easier than others, but I want to highlight the joy that comes from my relationship with God.
No, I haven’t always felt the need or desire to crack my Bible open for study on a regular basis, but after I understood selfless love for the first time, a new hunger drove me to seeking Him. Since then I have had my hunger filled, and I want to stay clinging to the vine.
Abide in me, and I in you. John 15:4a NASB
We thrive when we stay close to the vine. Do you want to thrive in Christ? If so, you need a plan to establish your daily devotions. Without a plan, good intentions can fall apart. The good news is, setting up the following will create triggers to cause your brain to respond that it’s time to spend time with God, and they’ll help your habit stick.
Without a God Time plan in place, good intentions can fall apart. #LiveYielded #ThrivingInChrist Click To Tweet
4 Decisions to Solidify a Habit for Daily Devotions
Get Your Quiet Time Materials Together
The grocery store has food, but we need to grab the groceries we need and take them home. If not, then we will still be lacking. In the same way, decide what materials you need for your daily devotions with God.
A few suggestions: Bible. Journal and pen. Maybe a cup of tea or coffee. Probably a Bible study. And sometimes fun CrayolaⓇ Twistables to highlight or create Bible art. It’s a thing. Also, you will definitely need a printed copy of the Daily Time Brainstorming Worksheet and Plan described below. Yes, definitely.
Set a Time
How many times have you missed an appointment to the doctor’s office or job interview? Probably not many. Why? Because an important meeting has a set time. Do that with God. He’s always going to be there. Will you show up? Making an early appointment might work best before other things in your day come up. I’ve missed some of those appointments, but I like to “reschedule” for later in the day. If you have to do that, God gives grace.
Pick a Regular Location
Matthew 14:23 says, “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” Like Jesus, an isolated place will help keep you from distractions.
To help establish your daily devotions—which is a meeting—it might be helpful to choose the same spot. Where is your meeting with God going to take place? Your desk? What about your car? Your garage? Yes, even the garage could be a special space. At least you probably won’t fall asleep there.
Determine the Frequency
I encourage you to meet with God every day to solidify your habit. Remember the acronym I talked about recently? Determining Again I Live Yielded. Today I’m Maintaining Evidence.
The more consistent you are with keeping a Daily Time with God, the more you will regularly crave His matchless presence. What day is your appointment? I hope your answer is, “Daily.”
Making a plan will help my God Time habit stick. #LiveYielded #ThrivingInChrist Click To TweetMore Help to Plan Your Daily Quiet Time
Some days the plan to establish your daily devotions may need to be adjusted to fit your schedule. One caveat is that I have found it easy to slip into excuses when the need to adjust arises and didn’t make my Daily Time priority. Yet God isn’t standing over us with a whip if we mess up. We are still righteous in His sight. Give yourself grace, and keep moving forward!
I have created a Daily Time plan worksheet that includes an assessment with goals. It will help you establish your daily devotions. You will find it in Insider Resources. Sign up to receive access.
What is your favorite time and place to meet with God (outside of a church service)? Do you have certain materials that you like to use? What Bible study are you going through? Share and encourage others!
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Kelly, this post is a wonderful peek into your world! I also rise early to have time with God and write before the rest of my family awakens. I treasure this time daily.
I write after time with God, too. It’s a sweet time. 🙂
I have been encouraged by the testimony of Elisabeth Ellliot in this area. She was such a godly woman, and obviously steeped in Scripture, but she said that it was not an easy thing for her to haul herself out of bed in the morning, and at times found herself beginning her prayers with words like, “I don’t feel very spiritual.” Even so, she did it. And that’s my goal. Just to show up in the presence of God, and to make that my offering to Him.
Michelle, Thanks for sharing that about Elizabeth Elliiott! Very encouraging!
Yes, definitely don’t let our humanness stop us from coming to God. He always has open arms.
I get up early too, Kelly. I do my Bible reading and prayer at the computer desk in our basement family room. One thing that has helped me stay focused is not checking email or looking at anything on the internet before I’m finished. I had gotten into the habit of doing that, and one day just decided to stop. It’s made a big difference in the quality of my time with God each day. 🙂
I’m with ya on that, Lois. My notifications already up on my iPhone screen used to distract me. Now I make a point to just go straight to Bible study or I may never make it out of the social media vortex. 😉
Kelly, I like your list of 4 things. And you are so right. Each one of them is a decision. Not always easy, but consistency does make it better over time. The biggest thing the helped me was creating a quiet time notebook and then also having a certain place to go. When I don’t do well getting up or when something happens and I don’t have my quiet time in the morning, I try to go back in the evening. Some days it’s pretty messy, and some QT’s are way shorter than I want, but I think God gets that. I really liked reading more about your mornings!
I like that you said you go back in the evening. Having kids can make life unpredictable, so flexibility is key. I’ll finish later in the day. Btw, when I hear my littles stirring in the morning I always pray they will go back to sleep because I’m not done yet. 🙂
I get up early too but I didn’t always. Somewhere in the middle of parenting, I realized that I needed more than I had in myself to parent wisely. This drove me to develop the habit of meeting with God before anyone else awakens. It is a habit I am grateful God helped me to develop. Much wisdom in this post!
Kids will drive us to an awareness of our need for God. lol I’m glad it’s a habit for you, Joanne!
Beautiful encouragement to make time for God! I am not a morning person…AT ALL…but have established a plan, much like you’ve mentioned. It really helps!
Thanks for linking up with Woman to Woman’s Word Filled Wednesday!
Welcome, Jenifer. Glad to hear you have a plan even though you’re not a morning person. The more I do this (and go to bed on time), the more I become a morning person. Maybe that will change for you, too, in time. And you’re welcome. 🙂
Great encouragement and practical suggestions for spending that time with God!
Great to see you here again, Nicole! Blessings to you!
Girl, we’re again on the same page 😊 We need that daily #nourishment ! Thanks for all you do. Praying God increases your influence.
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo
Aww I so appreciate that, Sherry. I will pray the same for you. Love ya! 🙂