How to be consistent in having devotion?

Are you struggling to have consistent devotion time with God?

We all have struggled with putting God before all our tasks, but it takes consistency to make it a part of our habit and eventually become a part of us. 

Besides, the devil will use everything to pull us away from devotion time with God. 

He knows that the more we spend time with the Lord, the stronger we become in fighting and resisting him.

Moreover, having a consistent moment with God is crucial for a Christ-like life. 

Understanding devotion

First, we must understand that devotion time with God is a battle. Satan will always attack you physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Sometimes, he would entice you to sleep more than to get up and read your Bible and pray. 

In addition,  sometimes he would attack your emotion, especially when you feel down. 

He would tell lies to you, so instead of drawing closer to God in your brokenness, you would run away from God.

Also, satan would throw a lot of things for you to become worried and anxious that you could not think clearly. 

However, we must understand that spending consistent time with God does not rely on your emotion but on habit.

It takes discipline to get up to work even if you don't feel like it. You still go to work even if you are not in the mood. 

The same is valid with having devotion. You still have to do it even if you don't like it.

How to be consistent in having devotion

Since devotion is a habit, it would take time for us to develop.  

However, the more you keep repeating it, the more you will get used to it. 

So here are some ways for us to be consistent in having devotion. 

Be intentional

Being intentional means you do something on purpose. When we understood that we needed God in every aspect of our lives, we would seek Him intentionally through our devotion time. 

We would not feel God’s faithfulness and enjoy His favor if would not have an intimate moment with Him.

Moreover, just like a married couple who needs to spend time with each other to strengthen their relationship intentionally, we should also intend some moments to empower our relationship with God.

We have to set in our minds that devotion is necessary for us to be protected against the schemes of the enemy. 

Also, it is crucial to have a deeper connection with God.

Set a time in a day

To be consistent, we need to plan and schedule our devotion. Find a time when no one can distract you. 

Also, you need to set a time wherein you are not yet exhausted to read and meditate on God’s word. Jesus Christ loves to spend His devotion every early morning. 

It is the best time since most people are quiet, and your mind already regains energy.  

However, it could be very challenging to wake up very early. Yet, it is a challenge we must take to be consistent in our devotion.

Organize your schedule

Organizing your schedule for the day would help you have consistency for your devotion time. 

It also prevents you from being bombarded with workloads for not doing your devotion. 

Some people are inconsistent in their devotion primarily because of their unorganized schedules. 

Then, they would make excuses for not having time for their dedication because they were so busy.

Furthermore, those who sleep late have difficulty waking up early for their devotion. Thus, if you have a fixed schedule of going to bed early, then you could get up early.

Set a place for your devotion

Some people are more comfortable spending their devotion close to nature. You could spend quiet time with the Lord if you are near a park or house near the sea. 

On the other hand, if you choose to do your devotion early in the morning, the best place is to have it at home. 

When Jesus Christ taught his disciples how to pray, He told them they should go into their room, close the door and pray to the Father. (Matthew 6:5)

Remember that having devotion is an intimate connection between you and the Lord, and it needs privacy, just like the intimacy of marriage. 

Choose a place where you can enjoy your private moment with God. 

It would help you to concentrate and be consistent.

Try it again and again

Consistency is about never giving up on something despite your failures and shortcomings. There would be times that you would rather sleep than get up and have your devotion. 

Besides, sometimes you are too depressed or tired to talk to God. 

If you are under the attack of the devil, there will be times that you will miss your devotion, which is okay as long as you would not stop trying. 

Every day would be a different battle, but the devil’s intention is for you to fail to talk to God.

However, you should not be hard on yourself. Try again and ask for God’s help. You are not alone in your battle. 

More importantly, the beauty of trying is that there will be progress, no matter how big or small. 

It may seem like nothing is happening, but God is working and faithful to those pursuing Him.

Start with baby steps

For you not to be overwhelmed, try to take baby steps. Doing a devotion for an hour or more is for those who have already developed the habit of doing it. 

Also, those are the people who have grown through time. 

If you are still starting to make a habit of devotion, try at least a 15-30-minute commitment. Also, you can begin by using daily devotional materials to help you. 

There are many daily devotional resources we can use if we need to learn how to start making devotions. 

Moreover, you do not need to have a massive Bible study. You can have ten minutes of prayer and a balanced time for studying God’s word.

Always go back to your “Why”

Making a new habit, especially spending time with the Lord, could be a tiring battle. Satan will do everything for you to give up. 

Your purpose of doing your devotion would be your firm foundation of why you should win the war. 

Like you do everything to protect your family, try your best to preserve your beautiful relationship with God. 

It takes courage and hard work to have a strong and deep connection with God, so do not give that up.

When you do not feel like doing your devotion, remember your “why” and use it as your driving force to do it. 

Commit to it long term

It takes more than 30 days to develop a new habit. But, it would take around 66 to 250 days to make that habit automatic to your system.

Try to challenge yourself for a month, then for 90 days, and see the difference. 

Take your devotion as a challenge, like losing weight or saving money for your goals. 

Another, focus and be committed to your destination, strengthening your bond with God.

Your commitment would develop your new habit and give you perseverance to achieve your goal.