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The Secret to Having Great Devotions · Kate’s Devotional Podcast

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Kate Dreston here.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know what the secret to a great quiet time with God is?
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: I do, and it's probably not what you think.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: In this five-minute episode, I'm going to let you in on the secret, so stay tuned.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, guys.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: We've all heard a million suggestions about ways to improve our devotional time.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: You're supposed to set a specific time and stick to it, or to make sure there's no distractions.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you have a prayer list and a praise time
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: and make sure you get all your prayer requests in.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, and have a reading plan and maybe even read through the Bible in a year.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: And all those things are great, but that's not where I'm going with it today.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, think about it.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: The Apostle Paul didn't have a Billy Graham devotional book.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: He didn't have color-coded markers or even access to a Bible Gateway app.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: What did he have?
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: He had the same things that we need, the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: I think the secret is so simple that it's easy to miss.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's in the asking.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: And what do I mean by that?
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Well, number one, ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Forget about focusing on how many verses or chapters you need to read.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Just concentrate on what you are reading and what the Holy Spirit wants to show you
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: through those words.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Look at your attitude.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: We aren't doing God some favor by gracing Him with our presence.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Or we're not doing ourselves a favor by being able to check off some box on our to-do list.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: See God, I tried.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: I made the effort.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Catch you again tomorrow.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Our devotional time is about our want and our need for a better relationship with God.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: If we don't truly have that desire for hearing from the Spirit,
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure how much we're going to get from it.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, ask Him to speak truth directly into your heart.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of times,
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: we might read and think about what the culture says about those verses
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: or what we've heard a pastor say about it.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: In our devotional time, it's just you and God.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: What is He saying about this passage?
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: What is the context of the verses I'm reading?
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: What is happening in this book, in this chapter, as a whole, as part of a bigger picture?
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: God put everything in the Bible for a reason.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: Even the parts where it's listing the number of people in a family— Or a list
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: of laws of how to handle a skin condition.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's all there for a reason.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: And He'll help us know why.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Everything we need to know God and live for Him is in His Word.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: And the Holy Spirit will help us figure it out.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: He's the only one that can help us know absolute truth.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: 3.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Ask Him to open your eyes to see and your ears to hear it clearly.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: If we're actively searching for wisdom, God's going to help us.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: He promises to hear our prayers, and there's a promise in Proverbs 8:17.
• 3:07
  It says,
• 3:07
  “And those who diligently seek me will find me.”This chapter is talking
• 3:12
  about seeking wisdom.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: God isn't a God of confusion.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: Why would He hide the meaning of His scriptures from us?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: He wouldn't.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: He wants us not only to understand it, but to know how to apply it to our daily lives.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: And lastly, take it all in before moving on.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's not slacking to read the same passage two or three days in a row.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Repetition strengthens memory and learning.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: I know in my own life I've found that sometimes spending a week in
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: the same chapter helps to solidify it in my heart and soul.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: God helps me to see new things, but He also brings me back to the same lessons.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: And there are great tools and methods out there that can be very helpful.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And there isn't anything wrong with using them.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: But they're not the secret to a great devotional time.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: So, this week, take a look at your heart before you start your devotions.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Are you asking God to show you something new?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Something you've never thought about before?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Ask Him to speak through those words that He inspired so long ago.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm going to be doing the same.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: If you want more of my one-minute written devotionals or my five-minute podcast,
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: check out my Substack at katedreston.substack.com.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: And Dreston is spelled D-R-E-S-T-O-N. Make it a great day.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: And thanks for listening.
• 4:39
  [music]