His Footprints, My Heart...

Once upon a time, I decided I wanted to be way more consistent in my devotional life. How I started sounds really strange, but it worked for me. I put a devotional in the bathroom. I knew I would be there at least once a day...and almost always in the morning. My Utmost For His Highest has lived the most years by my potty. I search for short pithy devotionals that become the seedwork for my meditations through the day.

As for drive time...singing praises has always been a blessing to me and to my day. I also pray through the alphabet. Sometimes I'll use all the letters to pray for people or situations I'm aware of. Other times I'll assign a letter for the day and be conscious of praying say for "h" things all day. I've recently seen some things called "Drivetime Devotions." They must work for someone because I saw several editions.

Getting away (how ever briefly)to focus helps me too. Blocked out times when my family knows I'm praying shows them how I value prayer and time alone with God and they know I'm a better mom/wife when I get back to them.

:)

I like Daisy's (if that's her real name...just kidding, I know she goes by that name as well) ideas. They're better than any I could give, because when it comes to devotion time, I'm the least disciplined person God still let's cling to Him.

Music, however, has always worked to bring me into God's presence.

Getting back to nature works for me. The best time is when I'm able to go to the park, or something like that. But sometimes just when I'm walking across campus, with some Zoegirl or Point of Grace on my CD player, to just stop and look around me at the beauty of creation...

It seems that we go through a lot of changes and so the seasons of our life dictate our devotional life.

Search for something that suits the season and not the rules that you have for yourself - Seeking God is not always about sitting down in one place and concentrating on Him alone. That is good, but there are so many other ways to connect with Him and to declare your heart and to listen to His.

There have been times in my life when I would get up early and spend time with God before my family woke up
and there have been times when that was just not possible and I sought Him in other ways.

Now, it seems that I am chatting to Him the whole day with everything I do...and He responds to me and so I feel quite comfotable that this is the way my "devotional time" goes...

What is that anyway - Devotional Time.......
Is it in the Bible? Or is it something we learned in the church???

I have a "verse of the day" that I get from Heartlight that gives me a verse via e-mail every day with a thought and a prayer. I just have to make a point of reading it every day.
- have you heard the book by Stormie Omartian called, "Power of a Praying Wife"? That is a great book. Whenever something like a prayer or a quote or something I like hits me, I'll write it on index cards and paste it up on my bathroom mirror and think about it or pray it for that day while I'm brushing my teeth or blow drying my hair or something like that.
- God is after our hearts. We are not under the law and therefore don't have to "do" anything, but if we want to mature as Christians, our desire to be in his word everyday will come naturally. We won't be able to live without it.

I would suggest first, to pray that God would put an ever increasing desire in your heart to spend time with him and also give you the ideas that would fit your schedule. He will do it.

Wow, some great suggestions... thanks so much everyone.

Daisy,
I used to keep some devotionals in a basket in my bathroom ("My Utmost for His Highest" was one of them....), but after getting married and moving, I didn't keep them there anymore. I just started keeping one on my nightstand in our bedroom to read. I'm trying the "praying through the alphabet" like you suggested :) Getting away isn't always the easiest ;) I used to, back in my single days, take a Saturday about once a month/every 6 weeks and just devote the entire day to reading, studying, praying, praising, admiring all His wonderful gifts to us... I think I need one of those :) Thanks for the advice... and to know I'm not the only one whose been there :)

Jeff,
I know, isn't it amazing how music can speak to us like nothing else can?

Nettie,
I used to go walking at a park close to our house (well, relatively close....) that had a 2 mile track that went through the woods a bit... you'd see deer, squirrels, birds... and there's a pond with tons of HUGE catfish and ducks and geese all around. Maybe I just need to slow down and take in what's around me :) Thanks for that reminder :)

Rebecca,
Good point.... I don't remember finding "devotional time" or "devotional books" talked about in the Bible :) That's true, we do have different seasons on life (lots of them...). Thanks for the advice about working my "devotionals" around the season, not trying to make the season work around my rules for me. Faith, faith, faith... not works. Thanks for that reminder :)

Lynn,
I have that same book "Power of a Praying Wife". It's great! I used to post scriptures on note cards on my bathroom mirror, too. I need to put that back into practice... and get that book back out and put it to good use. Thanks for the reminder. Thanks for your encouragement!

Barbara,
That's so true... there is a time for everything. I need to remember that God knows that, He planned it that way... and He'll give me what I need when I need it.
Thanks for your encouragment!

Paula,
That is the hardest thing, isn't it? I found a "verse of the day" to add to my blog... it even has the option to hear it read :)
Thanks for all your encouragment!!!