Living things grow. While that statement might seem obvious, many times in our faith we don’t grow–we stagnate…we never move forward, becoming more like Jesus and enjoying the promised full, abundant life (John 10:10).
One of the core actions we stress at Deep Water is grow. Our spiritual life should be moving forward every day. There are many ways to grow. One of the things that helps many people grow is something called “devotions”. While is may sound like a weird cereal when people talk about it (“Have you had your devotions today?”, “Dude, I had devotions with my breakfast this morning!” or “Hey, I found something cool in my devotions today!”), it is essentially a time to step back and reflect on God and the Scriptures–that is, it is a time devoted to growing in your spiritual life.
So, what does one “do” when doing devotions (or as we call it in my house, Jesus time)? Essentially, it is a time to read Scripture and pray. While some people simply read and study books of the Bible, others find something called “devotionals” helpful in maintaining their spiritual growth. Devotionals are like mini-sermons and a Scripture.
When first introduced to them, I recall getting a small booklet with a few short paragraphs and a Scripture to read. Of course, the internet and apps have brought change to the form in which they come. Many of these devotionals are now available online, through email, RSS feeds, apps (iOS, Android and others), Twitter and Facebook.
Someone after church asked me a simple question: Do I have any to recommend. If you know me, you know a question like that can send me into a great deal of searching, reading and thought…I found some good ones…and, well, let’s just say “not as good ones”. So, here’s a quick review of a few of the materials that I looked at this week that seem to be good sources for people here at Deep Water.
Our Daily Bread
This has been a classic devotional for as long as I can remember. It offers a brief commentary on Scripture and can now be played audibly for your drive to work. It is available online and as an app on iOS ($0.99) and Android. You can also sign up to follow them on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Today
Randomly found this one when looking through some apps and found the material well written and relevant. It is available as and app on iOS and Android. You can also sign up to follow them on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.7:14
This is a prayer app developed by the Assemblies of God. As I was looking though it as something that might help us be intentional about prayer, I noticed the devotion button and found written devotions. It is available as and app on iOS but Android is still in development…YouVersion
It’s available online and as a great Bible app for your iphone, ipad or android device–and also offers devotional material here. Of course, you can review or discuss the sermon weekly thru live events (and check out the group for Deep Water).
Please check them out–and let me know about your experience so I can continue to recommend them to others. And if you use any and find them helpful, please let us know what you use or have used.