HEALTH & HELP

Spiritual Practices

Make a Date with God

TO GET TO KNOW GOD BETTER
Making a date with God is like spending time with a person you want to get to know. Before I go to sleep, I tell God about my feelings, worries, studies, friends, school; and I know God listens to me and helps me. I also talk to God when I’m going to school, doing the dishes, or just sitting and thinking. I’m glad that getting to know God is a part of my daily routine.

Gerriane Faith Rizon, 14 [Philippines]

TO BEGIN AND END THE DAY
I read my Bible and pray in the morning when I wake up and in the evening before I go to sleep, times when I can be alone without distractions. I contemplate what I am going to do and what I have done, and I give those things to the Lord.

Daniel Sircar, 19 [Kennesaw, Georgia]

THAT’S SIMPLE AND DO-ABLE
I started with a simple, do-able plan for spending time with God. First, I reserved time in my daily planner for an official appointment every day for two weeks. Knowing it takes time to establish a habit, I committed to spend this time with God, even if I didn’t feel like it. Finally, I kept it simple, setting aside only fifteen minutes each day. It has been my best new habit ever!

Robin Priestley [Los Alamos, New Mexico]

OUT OF HABIT OR SPONTENANITY
My nightly quiet time with God, which includes reading a scripture passage and a written prayer, has been essential to my spiritual growth. However, my best times with God happen spontaneously. God is available at any time, in any place. When I’m walking up the stairs at school or when a teacher has lost my attention, I take a little time with God to assess the day.

Blair Kuykendall, 17 [Kennesaw, Georgia]

UP ON THE ROOF
When I sit on my roof, I can talk with God or quietly ponder creation. I feel God’s peace on a calm, sunny day or God’s power when a storm is approaching. I feel untouchable, yet I realize how fragile I am when I’m thirty feet off the ground.

Daniell Marlow, 19 [Marietta, Georgia]

A PART OF YOUR ROUTINE
I feel closest to God on mission trips, when I leave my daily routine and step out of my comfort zone to make a difference; but keeping that fire alive when I come home is difficult. I have realized how important it is to spend some time alone with God as part of my daily routine.

Alan Sheffield, 19 [Kennesaw, Georgia]

TO TALK AND TO LISTEN
On quiet nights, I used to sit on the steps of the church next door and talk to God. Some conversations made me laugh and others made me cry; but always, I felt relief after giving my burdens to God. I also remember rambling on and on and then suddenly pausing to see if God would reply. I was learning to listen.

Wesley Overhults [Lexington, Kentucky]

Next Day Stretch
By trying numerous devo ideas I’ve found in books, in magazines, or on the Internet, I’ve learned that the time I spend with God needs to be the right fit for me. A bad fit can cause frustration, but a good fit enhances my spiritual life. What devotional practice is a good fit for you?

Doug Rose [Grand Prairie, Texas]

-from devozine (January/February 2010). Copyright © 2009 by The Upper Room®. All rights reserved.

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