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5 Keys to Kickstart Your Devotional Life

3. Get a Translation You Can Understand.

Many new Christians I talk to think there is something sacred to the King James Version of the Bible. There isn’t.

It’s a beautiful translation that works powerfully for people with a solid command of 17th-century English, but that’s not me.

There are many great translations out there. I personally prefer the New Living Translation. The TNIV (Today’s New International Version), the Message and even the English Standard Version are used by many people effectively.

4. Use a Reading Plan.

Random reading can get you started, but it often doesn’t keep you going. Like many others, I use a reading plan. Here’s a sampling of the hundreds available.

After a few years of trying different plans, I’m going back to the One Year Bible in January. Over the years, nothing has kept me more engaged with God on a daily basis than that. It’s about 15 minutes of reading a day (so it’s a commitment), but for me there has been nothing better. I love it because I simply look for the daily readings and they’re all laid out. No flipping pages all over the Bible. If it’s July 6, all the readings for the day are laid out.

So whether you use a paper Bible or an app like me, it’s all there for you. So easy to use. If reading through the Bible in a year is not something that will help you, there are a ton of other reading plans out there.

5. Take Time to Reflect and Pray.

A combination of prayer and some kind of reflection time is advised. Some people love to journal. I’ve tried to journal, but I’m not sure it’s me. (I might again in the new year.) Other people reflect when they pray. I often do when I cycle.

If you make your prayer time a time of asking God to help you apply what you’re learning and apply what you’ve read, you will never run out of things to pray about.

So those are five things that help me kickstart my devotional time with God.

What has helped you? What would you add?