What Is a Devotional? Time Alone with God

Good morning! God bless everyone visiting the devotionals section of our Church of God Valle de Bendición website here in Santiago de Cuba.

By God’s grace, we’ve been able to launch our church website, and we’ve included a section for daily devotionals. But what exactly is a devotional?

The word devotional comes from devotion. So let’s look at what devotion means and how it helps us understand why we set aside this time. The word devotion comes from the Latin devotio, devotionis. The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy gives these meanings, among others:

1. Religious love, reverence, and fervor.
2. A religious practice undertaken voluntarily.
3. A particular inclination or fondness.
4. A devout habit or, more generally, a good habit.
5. A readiness to worship God and do His holy will.

What does that look like in a devotional? To begin with, a devotional is personal. It’s a private, intimate time between you and God. And there’s something beautiful about being alone with Him.

1. It’s a time to express your love for God.

In your devotional time, you express your love for the One who created you, saved you, and assures you of eternal life. We sometimes say things like, “I adore my grandchildren.” But the adoration and reverence we’re talking about here belong to God alone. This is a time to express your love for Him and the fervor of a living faith. God is the God of the living!

2. It’s something you do willingly.

Time with God comes from the heart. The other day, when we were about to sing at church, I asked, “How many of you want to praise the Lord? How many want to sing to Him? How many want to worship Him?” And then I asked, “How many of you need to worship God?”

Think about the difference. Imagine someone saying, “You still haven’t done your devotional today. Go to your room and do it!” The desire to spend time with God has to come from within.

3. It’s a time you look forward to.

When you have a little free time, you might think about watching TV or doing something else you enjoy. But sometimes what your heart really wants is to be alone with God. Psalm 63 speaks of a soul that clings to Him. In Psalm 42, the psalmist thirsts for the living God. And in Psalm 84, the psalmist longs for the courts of the Lord. The psalmists knew what it meant to desire God’s presence. You can hear that longing in so many of the Psalms.

4. It’s a good habit to make part of your day.

Take a moment each day to pause and give God your attention. It can be brief. What matters is that your heart is focused on Him. Over time, you may find yourself looking at the clock and thinking, “I haven’t had my time with God yet today,” because it’s a moment you’ve come to look forward to.

5. It begins with a heart ready to worship and obey.

Come before God with a heart ready to worship Him and do His will. That willingness is at the heart of a devotional.

When you come here each day, you’ll read something that grew out of someone else’s time with God. A Bible passage or a thought that blessed the person who wrote it can give you a starting point for your own time with Him. What a joy it would be if something that drew me closer to God encouraged you to seek Him, too.

My prayer is that you’ll come back each day and that what you read here will stir in you a desire to spend time alone with the Lord and grow closer to Him.

God bless you!