Do you have a regular devotion time? You know, a moment when you set aside time to spend with God alone in His word?  The reason I’m asking is because, I believe that this is a very important component to incorporate in your Christian life. We all need it. Actually, I have to have it!

I love getting up in the morning and enjoying a nice hot cup of French Vanilla coffee (after boot camp) with my journal, Bible, a few books, and my laptop. Sometimes, I even have my memory Scriptures with me for that season. For a change of scenery, every now and then I may go to the local coffeehouse or drive down to the lake and sit by the water under the open sky to do my devotion (which I absolutely love!), and take advantage of that time to pray, read, and write. During this time, I listen for God through His word, still small voice, or inspiration around me (like framed quotes or encouraging words from a book or bookmark, etc.). And as you can probably already tell, this time is very precious to me.

However, even though I have these precious moments above, it’s not always pretty. Sometimes God calls me closer to Him to show me my heart and attitude (mindset). It’s almost like when your parents used to call you by your whole name when you were in trouble. Yeah, well, sometimes God the Father, has to call us to Him to show us the error of our ways (like unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, impatience, lack of love, being mean or harsh, complaining, etc). Now, when God checks us on these things, this does NOT feel good. But I’ve found that over time it brings freedom when we are honest with ourselves and God. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:11-12, “My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.”

So you see. Godly correction is love. Not many people like to see this side of God. But He’s balanced: loving and just. And I always say, “I’d rather God show me who I am now, then at the Day of Judgment, because at that point it’s over…the scrolls are open.” But this is a reflection of my personal relationship with Him. However, it leads me to this question for you. Do you sense that God is calling you to a deeper walk with Him through daily personal devotion?

Listen, your devotion doesn’t have to look like mine. However, I do encourage you to pray and ask God to help you find what works best for you, because it’s in this quiet time when you can connect with Him in a great way. You can tell Him all about your shortcomings, hurts, struggles, and issues. You can also share your hopes, dreams, aspirations, and even questions that you may have during this time! He is a great listener and He will steer you in the right direction! Actually, He’s the best safe-partner you will ever have!  

 I’ve also discovered that during this time, there is amazing revelation through His word! It’s a time where you give praise and worship, glory and honor to the Almighty God and the King of Kings. It’s priceless and life changing! So try it, because I believe devotion is calling you. I pray you pick up!

James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”  

~Courtnaye

Thanks for reading! I pray that God will continue to enlighten you to live for Him through His word in your daily life. Stay tuned for new blog posts every Monday at 7:30am on Inside Out with Courtnaye. You can see blogs on my website by visiting www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org or receive it by “Liking” my Facebook by clicking here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inside-Out-with-Courtnaye/202095829824129#!/pages/Inside-Out-with-Courtnaye/202095829824129. Also, follow me on Twitter by inoutwcourtnaye. Thanks again! Leave a comment and share it.

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