A practical “how-to” question for daily devotions
Many Christians know what they ought to do, but still wonder how to build steady habits of Bible reading and prayer. This short column invites readers to share their own simple, practical devotional routines so others can learn. Submissions are due by October 3.
- Describe when and where you read the Bible and pray, and how often.
- Share what helps you stay on track, including any plan or tools you use.
- Email your paragraph with “devotions” as the subject line by October 3.
By Mark A. Taylor
If you’ve been going to church any time at all, you’ve heard plenty about what you ought to do.
“You ought to be a godly parent.”
“You ought to be a good steward of your money.”
“You ought to share the gospel with non Christian friends.”
We could probably fill this column with the “oughts” heaped upon you in the last year alone. The missing element in too much of this is the “how to.” Offer a practical class on Christian parenting, biblical money management, or personal evangelism, and you’ll probably have to bring in extra chairs. Most Christians want to do what they ought to do, but often they just don’t know how. This is true even for something that sounds as simple as everyday Bible reading and prayer.
Everyday questions about Bible reading and prayer
I know I ought to have daily devotions. But how many verses or chapters should I read each day? When’s the best time to do this and where? How long should I spend reading, and how long should I spend praying? Should the two always be connected, or is there a meaningful way to read now and pray later?
How can I keep my mind on my prayers? What if I feel sleepy? Is it OK to write prayers? Is it OK to read them? How can I remember all the things I want to pray for? How can I feel closer to God?
We suspect even Christian leaders have asked questions like those, and many are still looking for good answers. But some readers of Christian Standard could help.
How to contribute to the special feature
We’d like to hear from you for a special feature we plan to run later this year. Here’s what you can do:
Write a paragraph to describe how you conduct your Bible reading and prayer times.
Be specific: Where and when do you read and pray? How often? What helps you stay on track? Do you use other resources besides your Bible? What is your Bible reading plan? How do you organize your prayers?
Simple is OK: Just tell us what you do. You may think your approach isn’t revolutionary. You’re probably right. But others will be helped by your example and your straightforward how to.
E-mail your paragraph to ch**********@*********ub.com. Use “devotions” as the subject line for your email. Send it to us this week, or by October 3 at the very latest.
We’ll draw from these ideas in an article that will appear in December. If we use your paragraph, we’ll include your name and send you a free copy of Blessings From Above, a new devotional book.
You know you ought to write this paragraph, as an encouragement to Christian Standard’s tens of thousands of readers. But we hope you’ll contact us just because you want to. We look forward to hearing from many of our readers.
Author: Mark A. Taylor
Mark A. Taylor, who served as Christian Standard editor from 2003 to 2017, retired in June 2017 after almost 41 years with Standard Publishing (Christian Standard Media).
