Do you remember the first time you encountered Jesus in your life? It is like falling in love, isn’t it?
You suddenly want to spend time with Him every day reading and soaking in His Word.
But sometimes, it is not enough to just “feel” love. You must also develop that discipline of knowing more of Him so that your knowledge and love about Him can grow deeper.
One way you can effectively do this is through daily devotional reading of His Word. It is not just a daily routine that must be done randomly, but it is allotting a sacred, undivided time with the Lord.
So if you feel lazy or simply busy to do your daily devotionals, read through these 7 benefits that will surely keep you inspired:
1. Daily devotional reading helps build your faith
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NIV)
It is by hearing God’s Word that faith increases. The Bible has a lot of faith stories about God doing the impossible. To name a few, He turned water into wine, provided manna to thousands of followers, healed the sick, brought the dead to life, parted the Red Sea and many more.
So if you are in fear and doubt right now, reading Scriptures that talk about miracles would help build your faith.
2. Daily devotional reading draws you closer to God
“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)
As you intentionally meet the Lord in your quiet place, be assured that He will always meet you there. Invite Him to your heart and get to know Him through His Word. True as they say, if you invite Him and He will surely show up. This is your confidence when storms of life come your way.
3. Daily devotional reading helps you focus on God
“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Romans 12:12 ESV)
There can be a lot of distractions competing for your attention towards God. The busyness of life may get you. And sometimes even the good things such as goals and dreams can take His place in your life. The world could entice you away from God but through daily devotional reading, God’s truth helps you focus on His beauty alone.
4. Daily devotional reading helps you persevere in life
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV)
As you meditate on the accounts of people in the Bible like Moses, Joseph, Mary and even Jesus, you will find out that their lives are epitome of perseverance of faith. Though they had a difficult time here on earth, they fought the good fight of faith not because they are strong but because God is with them. God will also give you the grace to persevere as you learn to surrender to Him daily.
5. Daily devotional reading helps you gain deeper understanding of the Bible
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” (John 5:39 NIV)
God’s Word has the final authority over your life. The Bible is like a ruler that sets the standard to distinguish the crooked line from a straight line. And the more you know God’s truth, it will be easier to differentiate which one is not.
6. Daily devotional reading helps you apply God’s Word in real-life situations
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 NIV)
Spending time with the Lord through daily devotional reading helps you apply Biblical principles that will be useful in life. Whether you need wisdom, comfort, direction, correction, reproof, and training in righteousness, God’s word is always available. He teaches you to depend on Him and not on other voices or opinions.
7. Daily devotional reading helps you find peace and joy
“Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” (Psalm 119:165 NIV)
Lastly, relying on God’s word and communing with Him through prayer give peace which surpasses all understanding. It gives joy in the midst of difficulties.
Are you weary about many things lately? Come to Him daily and see what He has to say about your situation.
Who wouldn’t want a one-on-one “coffee session” with the King of kings?
If you have no idea where and how to start this habit of daily devotional reading, the devotional book “Signpost: 366 Days of Journeying with Jesus” is here to help you! Visit this link to grab your copy today.
If you are looking for a good devotional app for 2021, you may download the Tanglaw app for FREE starting January 1! You can also stream it on Spotify and Apple Podcast, and all major podcast directories worldwide.