Devotion

By: Jessica, Natasha, Leony, Nicole

What is devotion

Religious devotion is ardent affection, zealous attachment, piety, dedication, reverence, faithfulness, respect, awe, attentiveness, loyalty, fidelity, or love for, or to, some object, person, spirit, or deity deemed sacred, holy, or venerable. Devotion may also be thought of as action, such as worshiping, praying, and making religious vows.

Devotion is a very common phenomenon in all areas of the world and in most religious traditions. In some traditions, sects, or cults, devotion is the central religious concern or is almost synonymous with religion itself.

What is devotion for…

Devotion is for

What s the purpose Our hearts desire is to help you live out Gods five purposes for your life. This free daily devotional, sent to you via email, is designed to help you focus on one of the five purposes each day of the week. Written by Rick Warren, author of the best-selling book The Purpose-Driven Life, and other key Christian leaders. These devotionals are designed to encourage, inspire, and strengthen in your Christian journey.

The Daily PurposeEach devotional is themed around one of the five purposes for your life:

Worship

Discipleship

Fellowship

Ministry

Evangelism

A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree. Proverbs 11:28 (Msg)

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)

To receive this free, daily email devotional, click on the link below.  You will be asked to log into an existing account or create a new account, if you don't already have one, and then you will be taken to a Communication Preferences page where you can sign up to receive our devotional 

How to do

You and I must not and cannot settle, for second-hand relationships.  Sometimes we get the feeling that because we are so busy that we will let a Pastor spend time with God and then we can benefit from their experience.   We think that we ought to let him tell us what God is saying. After all, isn’t that why we pay preachers?   Isn’t that why we read Christian books?   Those folks are good at daily devotions.  My youth pastor, my mom.  That preacher guy on tv.  I’ll just learn from them.

If that is your approach and your spiritual experiences are secondhand and not firsthand, allow me to challenge you with this thought:  Do you do that with other parts of your life? I don’t think so.

 You don’t do that with vacations or summer breaks. You don’t say, “Vacations are such a hassle, packing bags and traveling. I’m going to send someone on vacation for me because I am so busy at home. When he returns, I’ll hear all about it and be spared all the inconvenience of packing my bags, going through security checks at the airport, and sitting on the airplane.”  Would you do that?  No!  If you do, please email me and I’ll be happy to help you out (just kidding)!  It’s crazy!  With vacations, you want the experience firsthand. You want the sights firsthand, and you want to rest firsthand. Certain things no one can do for you.

 You don’t do that with romance. You don’t say, “I’m so in love with that cool guy or that hot chick, but romance is such a hassle.  I’m going to hire someone else to enjoy the romance in my place.  I’ll hear all about it and be spared the inconvenience.”  Who would do that?  Not a chance!  You want the romance firsthand. You don’t want to hire someone else to go to prom for you.  You don’t want to miss a word or a date, and you certainly don’t want to miss the kiss, right?  Certain things no one can do for you.

 You don’t let someone eat on your behalf, do you? You don’t say, “Chewing is such a hassle. My jaws grow so tired, and the tastes are so overwhelming.  I’m going to hire someone to chew my food, and I’ll just swallow whatever he gives me.”  Would you do that? Yuck! Of course not!

The point is that there are certain things no one can do for you.

And one of those is a relationship with God.  When Jesus asks for your attention, God doesn’t want you to send a substitute.  When God calls YOU to a relationship with Him, He does not want someone else in your place.  HE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO SEND YOUR PASTOR, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM OR DAD, OR ANYONE ELSE TO HIM FOR YOU!  He wants you to have a relationship with Him in such a way that you would truly see and touch Him. 

 

How to do You and I must not and cannot settle, for second-hand relationships.  Sometimes we get the feeling that because we are so busy that we will let a Pastor spend time with God and then we can benefit from their experience.   We think that we ought to let him tell us what God is saying. After all, isn’t that why we pay preachers?   Isn’t that why we read Christian books?   Those folks are good at daily devotions.  My youth pastor, my mom.  That preacher guy on tv.  I’ll just learn from them.If that is your approach and your spiritual experiences are secondhand and not firsthand, allow me to challenge you with this thought:  Do you do that with other parts of your life? I don’t think so. You don’t do that with vacations or summer breaks. You don’t say, “Vacations are such a hassle, packing bags and traveling. I’m going to send someone on vacation for me because I am so busy at home. When he returns, I’ll hear all about it and be spared all the inconvenience of packing my bags, going through security checks at the airport, and sitting on the airplane.”  Would you do that?  No!  If you do, please email me and I’ll be happy to help you out (just kidding)!  It’s crazy!  With vacations, you want the experience firsthand. You want the sights firsthand, and you want to rest firsthand. Certain things no one can do for you. You don’t do that with romance. You don’t say, “I’m so in love with that cool guy or that hot chick, but romance is such a hassle.  I’m going to hire someone else to enjoy the romance in my place.  I’ll hear all about it and be spared the inconvenience.”  Who would do that?  Not a chance!  You want the romance firsthand. You don’t want to hire someone else to go to prom for you.  You don’t want to miss a word or a date, and you certainly don’t want to miss the kiss, right?  Certain things no one can do for you. You don’t let someone eat on your behalf, do you? You don’t say, “Chewing is such a hassle. My jaws grow so tired, and the tastes are so overwhelming.  I’m going to hire someone to chew my food, and I’ll just swallow whatever he gives me.”  Would you do that? Yuck! Of course not!The point is that there are certain things no one can do for you.And one of those is a relationship with God.  When Jesus asks for your attention, God doesn’t want you to send a substitute.  When God calls YOU to a relationship with Him, He does not want someone else in your place.  HE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO SEND YOUR PASTOR, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM OR DAD, OR ANYONE ELSE TO HIM FOR YOU!  He wants you to have a relationship with Him in such a way that you would truly see and touch Him.

 

 

For kids

The Bible is full of amazing stories about people who did great things for God - some were incredibly brave and strong, like Samson. Others were quiet and gentle, like Daniel and Ruth. The one thing they all had in common was that they loved the Lord with all their heart and dared to do big things for Him.

This exciting devotional will take kids on a journey through the Bible with stories of heroes who had all kinds of adventures. The index will direct children toward specific needs and themes, for example:

• God's plan• Loneliness• Miracles• Fairness• Friends• From each devotion kids will

learn valuable life lessons to apply to their own lives, and so become passionate for God!

• Note: It is best to read the Bible passage before reading the devotional. The devotional only gives a summary of the passage.

For adults

Young People’s Ministries has collected a number of devotions by Young Adult authors. Use them in your Young Adult ministry, to discuss with friends, or for your own personal study. You’ll find views and thoughts from people around the world that can help you grow your faith.

For teacher

God, the Creator, designed every student in your classroom. He knows each child personally and knows the details of his environment and experiences that affect the learning process. When you feel you have run into a brick wall with a student, do not panic. God has the answer for every child. He knows where the door of understanding is, and He is willing to lead you to the "truth" that will set the child free to learn again. Rather than depend totally upon "techniques and styles of teaching,” the Christian teacher should always be prepared to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead him/her into truth. Remember, those who seek will find. Learn to get quiet before the Lord and ask for His guidance through each difficult task. He is neither unconcerned nor unwilling. Anyone asking for wisdom will receive it. It is the "bread" for those who serve Him. 

Pray about everything--schedules, discipline problems, learning difficulties, parent problems, and coworker problems. Share your day minute by minute with the Holy Spirit. He will lead you into all truth…

THANK YOU

THE END