For some teenagers, the practice of spending time in prayer and Bible study in the mornings- devotions- has been something they have been told to do since the earliest days they can remember. For others, it is a totally new concept. Regardless, the result is often the same because it seems like we often don’t have enough time in the morning to get ready for school, let alone read our Bibles. We are already getting too little sleep to afford waking up any earlier, right? Even when we do have time, we often don’t see the urgency in doing it.
So, is it really that important? Is it actually something we are commanded to do or is it something only really mature adult Christians have to do?
A time to draw near
James tells us to, “Submit yourselves therefore to God” (James 4:7 ESV). This is, of course, a crucial command to all Christians- if we are not submitting ourselves to God and His will, we are living for ourselves and living in sin. It’s one of the most fundamental antitheses in Christianity: if living in submission to God’s will is right, living outside of (or in opposition to) God’s will is sin.
But submission is not something you only do when you first become a Christian, it is a constant aspect of our lives. Jerry Bridges paints it beautifully: “Above all else, we must learn how to bring our wills into submission and obedience to the will of God, on a practical, daily, hour-by-hour basis.” Setting aside a time of devotion is setting aside a time to submit our lives to God’s will daily.
This is the best way to make sure we actually submit to God every day. How often have you told yourself with confidence you were going to do something but ended up not doing it? Michael Hyatt advises, “What gets scheduled gets done.” If you really want to get something done, schedule it; physically mark it down. “Schedule” your time of devotion each morning as a time to submit yourself to God.
James goes on in the next verse to say, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8 ESV). David M. Edwards wrote a really good exposition of this verse which I would encourage you to read. In it, he writes:
“If we draw near to God, He will reciprocate and draw near to us. Drawing near to God is spending time with Him, worshiping Him, praying and talking to Him, inviting Him into every aspect of our lives.
James then gives us the formula for drawing near. If you’ve committed sin, confess it, get rid of it, and put it under the blood of Jesus (in other words, keep a short sin account). Next, ask the Lord to examine your heart, your motives, and the things that make you do what you do. Bring your heart under His lordship as well. May our actions be manifestations of a clean heart and conscience.”
You may have caught it, but what James is describing in the second verse is actually submission! So if we draw near to God by submitting to Him, He promises us He will draw near to us. How awesome is it to grow closer to God daily!
A call to abide
Jesus told us: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (John 15:9-10 ESV). Jesus first gives us a command and then tells us how to fulfill that command.
Before all of this Jesus told us if we abide in Him, He abides in us, allowing us to produce fruit. If we refuse to abide in Him, we are worthless (John 15:1-6).
There is definitely an importance placed on abiding in Him which gives us some added motivation to follow his commands. But how can we follow His commands if we do not know His commands?
To put it simply, if we do not know His commands or how to follow them, we cannot realistically hope to keep His commands– which means we cannot abide in His love… making us worthless.
David wrote in Psalm 119:11: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (ESV). David would almost always spend time with God in the mornings and the evenings, worshiping God, studying His commands, His law, and writing it on his heart so that he would abide in God’s love. We are called to do the same daily.
A daily preparation for battle
In Ephesians 6:11-12, Paul instructs us to, “Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (ESV). He then spends the next 5 verses explaining what the armor is.
Paul is describing a spiritual battle. A spiritual battle that we conduct every day.
If a Medieval knight were to ride into battle with his armor on only half the time or even 6/7 days, the result would seem quite predictable. Yet, we seem to often think we are OK doing the equivalent.
Putting on the armor of God is not something we can get away with only doing a couple days out of the week or even month; it is a task we must take on every single day before we ride out to battle.
Blessings and righteousness, joys and happiness
“Blessed is the man… [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2 ESV)
Different versions write the first two verses of Psalm 1 in different ways. Some say “blessed is the man,” others “joys of the man,” and still others “happy is the man.” Regardless, it is understood that the man whose delight is in the law (or instruction) of the Lord, is a man who is looked on favorably by God– the desire of every true Christian- “In all that he does, he prospers” (v3).
Another thing to note is that this passage is typically referred to as “The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked” with the verses above obviously describing the way of the righteous. Righteousness is something that we, as Christians, are called to pursue: “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:22 ESV).
If we are to pursue righteousness, we need to follow the way of the righteous and meditate on the Lord’s word “day and night.” We should also desire to spend time with God before we do anything else– a true mark of a mature believer. When we are not joyful about this opportunity, we need to still do it and pray that God will change our attitude.
Jesus did it
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35 ESV).”
Throughout His life on Earth, Jesus lived a perfect life- giving us a perfect example to follow. After Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He said, “For I have given you an example, that you may also do just as I have done” (John 13:15 ESV). We are to follow His examples, that is why you may often hear: “becoming more like Christ.” We are to model ourselves after Him.
So then, when Jesus gets up before dark to pray, are we not also to follow His example?
The answer to my original question, “is it really that important?,” is an emphatic ‘yes!’ Throughout Scripture we see the privilege and call to submit and draw close constantly; to abide in Him by following His commandments which we must take time to write on our hearts. We come to understand the need to daily align and submit our wills with/to His and the benefits that come with doing this.
It’s not easy. The points I made at the beginning of this about sleep and finding time in the morning are legitimate concerns- reasons that actually keep us from doing our devotions. While these make it difficult, we do not have the liberty to turn these into excuses.
I have interviewed multiple mature believers who have been doing devotions longer than myself about how they stay consistent and what their time with the Lord looks like. Next week, I am going to share the information I obtained with the hope that it is as beneficial to you as it is to me.