Daily Devotions
As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:16,17
It doesn’t take long for the new believer in Christ to see how difficult and unnatural it is to live a truly Christian life, one that is pleasing to God. Our enemy Satan will attack us on every side, and especially through those we hold most dear. In addition to the attacks coming from without, we also greatly struggle regarding the corruption within us; the remains of our sinful, fallen nature.
For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. II Corinthians 7:5
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin…For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Romans 7:14…18
With such struggles in view, an established commitment to daily devotions is absolutely imperative for followers of Christ. There can be no substitute for the individual believer’s personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. No “good” service performed out of supposed Christian duty, nor any time of worship with a large group of professed believers is of any value to God; unless the individual is walking in intimate relationship with the Lord, both learning and being directed in truth through His Holy Spirit.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:13,14
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. I John 2:27
It is good to learn from other believers. God’s Word shows us that we believers are considered to be the body of Christ, yet with differing members (I Corinthians 12:4-27). We can readily learn from other members of greater or more varied experiences than ourselves, and it can be edifying. Certainly this may happen in a church setting, or in small groups gathered for sharing in Christ. Yet when our every instruction or spiritual leading is based solely on the experiences of others, we will be falling far short of what God has required of us.
This is why, for our personal devotions, I do not recommend anything other than the Word of God and prayer. That Bible which is truly God’s Word is the King James Bible. More information on that subject will come later on. Typical devotions which are produced for “mass” Christian consumption contain the experiences and insights of one individual, differing Bible “versions”, and interpretations of scripture which are subjective to the individual’s bias. The most well-meaning Christian you can find is still susceptible to the corruption of the flesh (the carnal nature). Reading such things occasionally can be uplifting; relying on them in devotional instruction is counter-productive to the perfection that a believer is directed to grow into.
My earthly father died when I was 18 year old. I had thought that as I grew into maturity as a man, that I would look to him for advice and wisdom in handling various matters. When he passed away, my heavenly Father then took on that role of leading in my life directly. This is really how it should have been all along! The Lord did show me this as I grew; that it would be a great mistake to trust that my earthly father’s “wisdom” should be readily employed to situations in my own life. These were the reasons God gave to me; (1) My earthly father was simply not always right. (2) Though circumstances may be similar, they usually differ enough to call for unique responses. (3) My own individual “make up” also differs from my earthly father, which should necessarily alter the way I perceive and respond. (4) Not only is my own “make up” unique, but the individuals that I must deal with are also uniquely varied. (5) Even if a suggested response is good, could it be improved upon? (6) As a true follower of Christ, I should only be led by Him through the Holy Ghost. Christian responses to situations are mostly foolish by the world’s standards, so in this way any seemingly “good” earthly advice will fall short of God’s perfection. This personal example I share so that you understand the need each believer has to be led and instructed through God directly. Yes, He often will reveal much to us through other members of Christ’s body, but this should only confirm God’s direct leading in your life. Satan also tries to guide believers for his own purpose! If you are continually looking to others for guidance in serving Christ, rest assured that Satan will have a ready-made opportunity to lead you astray by false teachers (II Corinthians 11:13-15). The Word of God should provide a standard by which you and fellow believers are led in taking action, and in understanding. Hopefully the point has been made, and we can proceed from there!
Devotions should always be had at the beginning of your day, at least. Honestly, how can anyone profess to love Christ and serve Him, when He is not put in charge of their day? Time with the Lord in prayer and Bible study should be had throughout the day, but the start of your day is indispensible. Allow yourself time to wake up, and proceed in Bible study with prayer for understanding and application through the Spirit. Remember that the Bible contains God’s words for us; it is absolutely vital that we receive and act upon them through faith.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Psalm 138:2
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. Matthew 7:24,25
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:48
When reading God’s Word, try to make sure that you have time to give it proper consideration. But how should one directly focus their attention for reading? People will be at differing levels of maturity in this area, and there really is not one right way to approach scripture reading. Therefore what follows from here on out is suggestion only. I will proceed with these suggestions based upon a new believer just starting out, with very little or no previous record of Bible study.
If you are a new Christian, or previously have been very weak in the reading of God’s Word, beginning with patience is the key. It will be good to set a pace that will get you through the entire Bible in one year; 85 verses per day will do that. Yet I would suggest the 85 verses as a minimum reading, and instead take the reading in complete chapters. This is usually 3 or 4 chapters a day to get above the 85 verse minimum. Sometimes 2 chapters might reach the minimum, sometimes it will take 5 chapters or more. I suggest that you be consistent with at least 3 chapters, even if it takes you well above the 85 verse minimum. Obviously, chapter and verse lengths vary quite a bit, so you will need to make some adjustments along the way. As an example, the first 9 chapters of Psalms have but 102 verses! Psalm 119, however, has 176 verses (22 sections of 8 verses each). As another example, Deuteronomy 28 has 68 verses, which amounts to 8½ columns in my Bible. The first 68 verses of Psalm 119 take up but 4½ columns!
We need, however, to first build up into Bible study. If you are new in the Lord, the quality (understanding) of your study is more important than quantity. Start out reading the gospel of John, then the books of Acts, and Romans (they are consecutive). Read straight through, using the 85 verse/3 chapter formula. Yet if you need to, don’t be afraid to back up and read portions of it over again. Let God’s Word soak into your soul! Example: the book of John has 21 chapters, which is 7 days worth of reading, at 3 chapters per day. But with re-reading some chapters, it could easily take you 14 days or longer to complete it. Be prayerful, deliberate, and expectant as you read.
After you have finished with this first 3 book assignment, it will be time to expand your reading to include the Old Testament. There are 66 books in the Old Testament, and 27 books in the New Testament. By page count, the Old Testament is 3 times longer than the New Testament! I generally take my reading from 3 separate books, for variety. After those initial 3 books, go back to the beginning of the New Testament with the book of Matthew, and continue that reading to the completion of the New Testament (Revelation). In the Old Testament, I would start with Psalms, and Genesis; reading consecutively the books which follow them.
You will finish the New Testament well ahead of the Old Testament, using this formula. At this point, if you wish to have read the entire Bible in a year, you will need to focus on more Old Testament books. If that goal is unimportant, when you finish the New Testament simply go back and start over again with Matthew. I highly recommend the repetitive reading of the four gospels; reflecting on the life of Christ, both by example and instruction to us.
Prayer to the Lord should be your mainstay throughout the whole day. We need to lean upon Him with all of our might, seeking Him for guidance and wisdom. I strongly suggest striving for a minimum of one hour in prayer daily (total). You may have to work up to it, but it is a sore necessity! Yet we cannot use prayer exclusively without God’s Word. To do so is then to subject our service to Christ primarily to feelings, not faith. Only far too many have now gone astray trusting the good intent of what they “feel”, more than the guidelines found in scripture.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
Why then do I lean so steadfastly upon the King James Bible? I will try to give you a brief overview here, but more detail is provided in our section on The Word of God. Some of the arguments used can be very in-depth, but there is also a way to view it in simplicity.
The King James Bible came out in 1611. God blessed this book, and the British Empire through which it came. English became a world language, and the KJV was carried around the world in evangelization. For 270 years God brought salvation and great revivals through only this Bible; Christians considered it to be the perfectly preserved Word of God, just as He had promised, and they relied upon it in faith and practice.
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Psalm 12:6,7
For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89
Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalm 119:160
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35
The Bible “revisions” were sold to believers by declaring that they were just the same as the KJV; only with more “updated” language. This is simply not true. Merely casual comparisons between the KJV and any other “version” reveal vast differences conveyed in both meaning, and points of doctrine (II Timothy 4:2-4). It also opposes common sense to think that the actual Word of God preserved for us would come in over 300 versions! If you really were talking about the need for accuracy in translation, how could anyone think it would yield over 300 versions? When you will acknowledge that this is a preposterous supposition, the real motive behind the versions comes into clear view; to make money. Unless each “version” is significantly different in wording from every other, it cannot register for a unique copyright and receive royalties. So much for a desire for accuracy! No one receives money for the KJV translation.
Every Bible version other than the KJV has for its basis the revised text of 1881-1884. This revision committee had been assembled for the expressed purpose of “updating” some of the words in the King James Bible. What they did instead, was to change the very manuscripts underlying God’s preserved words. They used greatly inferior manuscripts which seldom even agreed with each other, and at the same time introduced new “definitions” for many Greek and Hebrew words. Instead of staying with the most literal meanings, they used the dynamic equivalence method; they put it in their own words!
You can have great confidence, however, in the translation of the KJV. Under King James, 48 of the greatest linguistic scholars the world has ever known were assembled for this task. Some of these men spoke and wrote in the languages to be translated as if it were their native tongue. By method for reaching final translation, every word of the Bible had to be specifically agreed upon at least 14 times! No single individual was able to promote his own view exclusively. These men didn’t have to guess about which definition they should use for a word—they knew what it meant. So whenever you witness a newer translation that varies greatly with the KJV, just ask yourself this question: did the King James Bible translators just “miss it”? These 48 linguistic experts, specifically agreeing at least 14 times on every word; how likely is it that they utterly “missed” the whole true meaning?
As far as supposedly “difficult” words go, a comprehensive dictionary can be a great help (or on-line); yet the KJV is often self-defining within the context of a passage. By this I mean that if you look up a word meaning in a dictionary, you will often find a close synonym of that word listed in the passage.
Another helpful tool for locating verses is Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. The dictionary contained in it, however, is corrupted. They attempt to give definitions to the Greek and Hebrew words found in the manuscripts. Yet the words came not from the KJV manuscripts, but from the revision. The definitions of these original words also have been altered, and it continues to be altered over time. The Nestle’s Greek New Testament, for example, is on its 27th edition! That’s an incredible amount of changes, and it has all been derived from corrupted manuscripts to begin with.
Be careful with the definitions that are being included in KJV Bibles, also. Many are just flat-out wrong. Yet it is difficult to find Bibles without at least some word definitions.
In the same spirit of being directly taught by God, you should stay away from commentaries. If you develop a reliance on these, you will again wind up following the subjective views of men. Even if these opinions hold some truth in them, it often hinders you from discovering greater truths through the Holy Spirit. The Word was given by the Holy Spirit, and He will also guide you into its understanding and application within your life.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. II Peter 1:20,21
The walk that you have with Christ is important beyond all comprehension. How you handle the words God has given us, and how you apply them will bear fruit throughout all eternity. Be led by God’s Holy Spirit, not seemingly knowledgeable “Christian” leaders that are esteemed highly by men. Your daily devotions in Christ will make all of the lasting difference in your life.
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Matthew 15:12-14
And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. II Peter 2:18-20
WARNING: To avoid Satan’s snares and deceptions, return to the pure Word of God; which is the King James Bible. Revised translations are not small word alterations meant to bring clarity! Major doctrinal changes have occurred, which will tend to bring doubt and destroy your faith. To follow these new “versions” of the truth, is to build your spiritual house upon sand, and become as the ones reflected in Matthew 7:21-23. Please use this entire passage, Matthew 7:21-27.
Satan means to deceive you into sincerely following his alternate “truth.” You are really being set up to fall, and serve the antichrist.
Pray and seek God diligently in this matter; for time is short. See also our Word of God section and the section on A Sure Salvation vs. Eternal Security.