1. Choose a sequential passage (A passage a day). If you are starting afresh, you may begin from the book of Ephesians. A humble request to you is that you do not solely depend on any book/commentary that is already available, especially for your devotional matters. It is good you refer to them too, but they are no match to what you can receive in the course of your personal devotion.
2. Resort to a quiet place, either in the morning or evening and wait on the Lord with your personal diary and pen to jot things down.
3. Ask God prayerfully to minister to you. Personal devotion has hardly got anything to do with your own abilities: knowledge, experience, education etc.
4. Read the particular passage of the Scripture, time and again, until you thoroughly understand it. You may also try reading them in the different languages that you are familiar with. As you read the passage, understand the context in which it is written.
5. Give a suitable title for the passage. Write the date, the passage, and the title that you have already given in your personal diary.
6. Write down the lessons offered in the passage as you understand them, one by one. Meticulously take down the commandments, promises, sins, good characteristics etc. that are in offer. Things to carefully keep in mind as to how to write in your personal diary: Do not write in the following styles; essay, long prose or a sermon. On the other hand, simple points or hints would be of great help.
7. After comparing the lessons learnt in the passage with your own life, record the decisions taken by you personally during that day. This is the most important part of a personal devotion. Decisions are to be taken wholly from the read passage only.
8. After that, thank God for the lessons meditated, confess the meditation prayerfully and surrender to God.
9. Whenever you get an opportunity, share the experiences of your personal devotion with a good spiritual friend.
10. As time permits, revisit the recorded pages of the past in your quiet time diary and forget not the benefits God has done and glorify His Holy name.
Acknowledgement
Written by (Tamil)
Meyego
Translated by
Judson J.
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