What is a Devotional and Why is a Devotional Important.

What is a Devotional and Why is a
Devotional Important.

you go to church you probably hear people
talking about different devotionals. If you go
to a
Christian bookstore, you probably see a whole
section of devotionals. So what are they and
why
is there so much focus in church about them?
Defining a Devotional
When you look up the term “devotional,” you
get
definitions like “a short religious service” or a
“devotional exercise relating to worship.” It
doesn’t really explain what a devotional is or
why
we do them.
What most people talk about when they talk
about devotionals is a book that helps you
grow
in your relationship with God. It is usually
broken
down into daily chapters that you can read
and
pray about.
The key to understanding the devotional is to
actually break down the work. “Devotion” is a
big
clue to a devotional’s use. You show your
devotion to God by reading the passage and
praying on it every day. So the collection of
readings is then known as a devotional.
Using a Devotional
So why would you want to use a devotional?
What will it actually do? Well, Christians use
their
devotionals as a way to grow closer to God
and
learn more about the Christian life. Devotional
books are not meant to be read in one sitting,
they are designed for you to read a bit every
day
and pray on the passages. By praying every
day,
Christians develop a stronger relationship
with
God.
Devotions, the act of reading passages and
praying, are a staple in most denominations.
Yet,
it can get pretty overwhelming when you head
into that bookstore and see row after row of
different devotionals. There are devotionals
that
also function as journals and devotionals
written
by famous people. There are also different
devotionals for men and women.
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Is There a Devotional for Me?
In the end, it is a good idea to start with a
devotional specifically written for Christian
teens.
This way you know the daily devotions will be
geared toward the things you deal with every
day.
Then take some time to skim through the
pages
to see which devotional is written in a way
that
speaks to you. Just because God is working
one
way in your friend or someone else at church,
doesn’t mean that God wants to work that way
in
you. You need to choose a devotional that is a
good fit for you