Tested and Tried: Personal Devotions Methods that Work

When we read the Bible, our aim is to understand what it says and how it applies to our lives. There are various methods of personal devotions you can employ that will encourage this. In this post, I’ll describe the tested and tried personal devotions methods that have worked in drawing me closer to God and getting me deeper in his word.

Two Key Elements in your Personal Devotions

There are no strict rules as to how you go about personal devotions, but there are some key elements that should be involved. The two key elements to include in your personal devotions is Bible reading and prayer.

Bible Reading: I would recommend reading through entire books of the Bible line by line. The amount you read daily depends on the genre of the book (is it a narrative or epistle? etc.), but it is mostly up to you. I will usually read my Bible for 30 minutes in one sitting.

Prayer: This element includes opening/closing prayers, petitions for yourself/others, and meditation on the passage. Praising God for the truths you have received or praying through the passage are great methods to enliven your time with the Lord. I will usually pray for the remaining 30 minutes of my personal devotions.

Bonus Element – Journaling: Thought not necessary – I do recommend keeping a journal to write down your observations, applications, questions, etc. of the passage you are reading. I find it helps my mind focus on the text and forces me to articulate my meditations about the passage. It keeps me focused on the content and it leaves me with a record of what the Lord is teaching me day by day. I still remember specific passages and the indelible impact they have had on me.

Here’s the set-up I use below:

I usually just need my Bible and my journal. It’s helpful to have a tablet nearby or another Bible so you can look up cross-references without leaving the passage at hand. I’m currently reading through Hebrews and I’ve found this especially helpful since it is riddled with quotes and references of the OT. I use an old tablet with WIFI turned off to avoid distractions.

Methods You Can Try

In terms of how I walk through the text and analyze it, there’s a model that I have found to be helpful and effective. I got this method from Derek Thomas in his Galatians commentary in the “Let’s Study” series.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

(2 Tim 3:16)

According to the above passage:

• Scripture is useful for teaching us,
  • What does this passage teach me about God? About myself?
• Rebuking us,
  • Does this passage rebuke me in any way?
• Correcting us,
  • Does this passage change my thinking in any way?
• Training us in righteousness so that we may be equipped for every good work.
  • How does this passage give me the tools to serve Christ?

There’s also the SOAP method, which you could find helpful:

Or check out this helpful video by Dave Mathis on Bible Study:

So those are some methods of personal devotions. The goal is to understand God’s word and know how to apply it to life. It consists of Bible reading and prayer, but there are numerous methods you can use. These were some of mine, what are some of yours? Let us know below!

This is part 3 in our series on doing personal devotions, So far we’ve already established in previous posts: the key to godliness, the pursuits of personal devotions, and the benefits of personal devotions. Be sure to check these out if you haven’t already!