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Time: Part 1

So it really amazes me that people would take time out of their day to read my blog.  Very humbling indeed.  I just pray that what you get out of it is what God wants you to get out of it.

All of us are short on time.  My girlfriend has even told me that she can’t keep up with my schedule.  But God calls us to spend time with Him.  How do we do that if we don’t even have time to brush our teeth twice a day?

So let me ask you, do you take time out for God?

Take this little quiz:

1)      Do you have a consistent morning time in the Word?

2)      Do you go to church every Sunday?

3)      Do you spend time in the Word in your free time throughout the day?

4)      Do you attend a Bible study or devotional sometime throughout the week?

5)      Do you keep a prayer journal?

6)      Do you pray before you go to bed at night?

7)      Do you spend time in the Word with your family?

I guarantee that most, if not all, of you (including myself) cannot say “yes” to all of those.  That is a very sad state of affairs for the Western church.

Martin Luther wrote, “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”

Well, I will let you in on a little secret.  I don’t pray 2 hours every morning.  I’m lucky to get in 15 minutes before I run out the door.  But one thing about being in the modern day is that we can do devotions or worship almost anywhere.

So I want to give you some options for the busy person to get your morning devotions in.

Section 1:            The devotions most Christians know about

1)      Our Daily Bread.  www.odp.org.  They have a hard copy devotional that covers 3 months and most churches give them away for free in their foyer.  They also have on online devotional  and mobile app.  These devotions are very quick, under 200 words and provide a prayer at the bottom of the devotion.

2)      The Upper Room.  www.theupperroom.org.  This is another devotional that is in plenty of churches and also has very quick devotions.  This is created by the United Methodist Church but is interdenominational in approach.

3)      Today in the Word.  www.todayintheword.com.  Another devotional free at many churches.  These are a little longer than the other two and go a little deeper into discipleship and apologetics.

For all of these, you can subscribe to their website and have the daily devotion emailed to you or even texted to you in many cases.

Section 2:            Online/email only.

1)      My favorite Bible website by far is www.biblegateway.com.  You can get a searchable Bible in over 100 different translations.  When you go to their site, they immediately hit you with a verse of the day.  I like to try to memorize this verse.  But, if you dig deeper, they have their own set of daily devotions that are awesome!

1. Charles Spurgeon devotionals

i.      Morning and Evening:  This is a great devotion that provides 2-in-1.  It gives you a great wake up devotion and another one for when you are about to go to sleep.

ii.      Spurgeon at the New Park Street Chapel:  This is from his collection of sermons from his time at this church.

iii.      Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle:  This is from his collection of sermons from his time at this church.

1. General Christian Living devotionals

i.      40 Day Journey with Deitrich Bonhoeffer:  This is a 40 day devotional from an inspirational Christian who took a stand against the Nazis and Hitler.

ii.      Investigating Faith with Lee Stroebel:  This devotional provides a daily apologetic from one of the faith’s finest apologists.

1. Tabletalk devotionals

i.      Tabletalk:  Daily thoughts from R. C. Sproul

ii.      Coram Deo:  Short, encouraging devotions

1. NIV devotionals

i.      Investigating the Bible:  This is based off the NIV Case for Christ Bible

ii.      Discovering God’s Design:  This is devotion is based on stewardship.

iii.      Insights for Students:  This follows a student Bible to assist students in their walk.

iv.      Devotions for Couples:  This is great for married people or soon-to-be-married.

v.      Devotions for Men:  Specific to men’s issues

vi.      Devotions for Women:  Specific to women’s issues.

vii.      Devotions for Moms:  Specific to moms.

viii.      Questions Answered:  Everyone has those questions that they feel strange asking a pastor.  This devotion helps you find the answers without having to feel uncomfortable.

1. People of the Bible

i.      Men in the Bible:  A devotion that teaches you about every man written about in the Bible

ii.      Women in the Bible:  A devotion that teaches you about every woman written about in the Bible.

1. Seasonal Devotions

i.      The Story of Jesus:  With focus on his birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection.

1. Audio Devotions

i.      The Story of Jesus:  His entire life, verbalized by someone so you can listen while driving.

ii.      Eternal Words:  Music and Scripture to give joy and peace.

iii.      Genesis to Jesus:  This is a radio re-enactment of the stories of the Bible that is perfect for families with small children.

iv.      The Book of Mark:  This is a dramatization of the book of Mark.

Section 3:            Others

1)      C. S. Lewis Institute:  www.cslewisinstitute.org.

1. Discipleship as you Go:  This is a GREAT study that will walk you through the tenets of the Christian faith in a way that C. S. Lewis studied.

2)      Crosswalk:  www.crosswalk.com/devotionals.

1. Weekly Update:  A general call to consistency in faith from the folks at Crosswalk.
2. UpWords by Max Lucado:  Inspiring thoughts by Max Lucado.
3. Faith’s Checkbook:  A treasury of devotions from Spurgeon.
4. Girlfriends in God:  Equipping women for their walk with God.
5. Greg Laurie Daily:  Challenging devotionals, but a lot of meat in them.
6. Bible Studies for Students:  As the name implies, it is for those in school.

 

So there you have it.  Stuck in traffic?  Read an email devotional (just don’t tell the cops I told you to read emails while driving!).  Got a 30 minute lunch break?  Read a devotional for 10 minutes and then spend 20 minutes with the people at work.

Bottom line, just get out there and read about God.  Daily.  A few times a day.