One of the most mentioned terms in church and among believers is arguably the word “devotional”. We can’t get into devotional without understanding the meaning of devotion, of course, it might be familiar to you, but if you aren’t sure what it means, or there’s any slight argument about what it is, you are in the place to get the answer you seek.
Just before we start dissecting, let’s get more specific and define in clear terms what a daily devotional is.
What is Devotion?
According to vocabulary.com, devotion is “commitment to some purpose or religious zeal; the willingness to serve God”.
Devotion is when we care deeply about someone or something and stay loyal to them. We can have a lot of love for God, football, or a TV show.
- Advertisement -
We can care about our jobs or our children. When we really care about someone or something, we usually spend a lot of time and energy on that person or thing.
If we work hard at our jobs but don’t take care of our families, we pay for it. If we are dedicated to a TV show or a sports team but never have time to study the Bible, then our devotion is in the wrong place.
So as a Christian, you can set aside period times where you have daily devotions.
Different Christians call this term different names. Some Christians call this time Bible study, Quiet Time, Daily Watch, Sacred Time, or a meeting with God.
All of these names point to the most important goal of this important time, which is to get closer to God.
What is a Devotional?
Having understood what devotion is, the word devotional will then be easy to comprehend. Devotionals are religious books for Christians that have a spiritual reading plan or pattern for each day of the year with the aim of guiding and leading believers into deeper fellowship with God.
Many daily devotionals come in the form of one-year devotional books. Many of these books are made for specific spiritual growth or age groups such as kids, teens, college students, men, and women.
There are a few devotionals that come to mind example The Open Heaven, Our Daily Bread, Rhapsody of realities etc…
What Does Devotion Mean to a Christian?
While it is good to have devotionals as a guide to our daily walk with God, the most important factor should remain our devotion. The booklets are good but our relationship with God should be ultimate as we read through those books that have been inspired by the holy ghost.
Devotion should mean everything to a believer, the holy ghost is able and always willing to help our weaknesses in any way we might be struggling in our devotions, call on him and he will come through for you.
