How to Use the Weekly Devotional
A Brief Introduction
Take Time to Think
Do you ever come away from reading the Bible and praying and feel like you should enjoy this more?
Maybe you feel like you are missing some secret ingredient that would make all the rest of your Christian life click.
Perhaps you are!
However, there is great hope for you. The secret to the Christian life is … well, not a secret at all. Throughout the Bible God is very straightforward about how his people are to know him more, become more like him, enjoy his company, and do things like put sin to death and obey his commands.
The secret that’s not a secret: Biblical meditation. It is “Biblical” because it is prescribed and described by the Bible, which contains within it everything necessary for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). It is meditation because it is taking time to think about something, either for a brief or extended amount of time. This is the opposite of most modern understandings of meditation, which often prescribe emptying your mind. There is no category in the Bible for empty minds, only minds that are set on something. To know God, to enjoy his company, we must set our minds “on things above;” we must fix our eyes of faith on Jesus and contemplate our Lord’s glory as the Bible reveals him. As we do, by the power of the Spirit we will become more and more like God.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:1-2
“Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.”
Psalm 1:1-2
“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
Since no one enjoys God more than himself, we will begin to enjoy him more as we grow in his likeness. What’s more, we will hate sin and love righteousness. We will find that we love people better and find it easier to put away things that hinder our relationship with God. In short, we will be blessed. Biblical meditation is the secret of the Christian life. Perhaps this short intro has you convinced of this but you’re wondering what to do now. How do you practice Biblical meditation? This devotional is intended to guide you into the practice. Like training wheels on a bike, the goal of these devotionals is to help you start and get to a place where you no longer need them.
What to Expect
While each devotional entry will be unique, the overall structure will be consistent. Each will include the following:
- Introductory prayer prompts
- Passages of Scripture to meditate on
- Guided meditation questions
- Some further meditations to consider
The prayer prompts are from the Bible. The intention is that you pray God’s words back to him. It is important to remember who it is we hope to meet with as well as our dependence on him to do anything, and to ask for his help (John 15:5). The passage of Scripture is noted and is to be read in its entirety. It is important to do this before looking at the questions that will guide your meditation. Reading the passage before looking at the questions and rereading it while you are thinking through the questions will help solidify the passage in your mind. Finally, there are some further meditations to consider. These are provided to be a help and a guide but not a substitute to your own meditation.
To use these devotionals to lead an FCA Huddle, have your student leader follow the following steps:
If possible, go over the lesson in advance to make sure you have answers ready for the Meditate on your own questions and the application question at the end of the Further meditations to consider section.
- Make sure everyone has the verses in front of them in some way, shape, or form.
- Have someone read the verses.
- Give everyone a few minutes to look at the passage.
- Lead the group in discussing some of the Meditate on your own questions.
- Have someone read the section Further meditations to consider.
- Lead the group in discussing applications.
May the LORD bless you and keep you; may he make his face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may he turn his face toward you and give you peace as you seek him through his word.
