Devotions

Paul Levy gave us a challenging sermon New Year's Eve morning from the story of Martha and Mary showing how the most important thing is to stay close and listen to Jesus.
   This and the resolutions season prompt this blog post. I note that a year ago I resolved to start the day with the Lord, not my computer.Yes, I was having daily devotions but had not been going them priority. I resolved to do so and with some surprise and definite thankfulness I can say my daily routine after getting ups total my medicines with coffee or other drink than prayer and Bible reading.
   It took me decades after becoming a Christian to maintain daily devotions.This I find is the common pattern though not right. here are various reasons why I was not a regular keeper of disciplined devotional time. First is inherent sinfulness and the devil's assaults.He wants us away from the Lord. I am by nature undisciplined. I also had another reason for inconsistency. I was bipolar. This went undiagnosed for years but did contribute to having times when was down and not feeling like devotions or being up and thinking I did not need that time before the Lord each morning. I think the bipolar bit did not help regular devotions.
   But convinced to the necessity and battling moods I did persevere so that after decades I was a man of daily devotions and now I can say they have priority.
   Others may differ but I must have the quiet time first thing in the day. I have to give the Lord priority and not forget Him or lie in my own strength.
   It I have one minor criticism of Paul's sermon it is that he said little about the practicalities of daily devotions. People vary. We change habits over time but I will share my present routine as obviously I find what I do to be a blessing though in no way will I be suggesting it as the prescriptive way to go.
   The obligatory part is you must draw close to God in prayer and Bible study. The former is never easy though disciplines routine helps.Ways of Bible study will vary. I am not a meditative person who will suck at length to find sweet nourishment from on or two verses. My mind is such that I want to read chapters. Decades ago I red the banner of Truth recommendation of M'Cheynes daily pattern. It gets you reading two old and one new testament chapters a day IIRC. I developed these habits so I did at least two old, one new plus a palm daily. Psalms are so Important. All of spiritual life is there. I have for several years read several psalms a day. I have categorised them as to type to prayers and found a key verses in each. Psalms are big in my devotions. I have read the whole book several times a year, sometimes even twice a month. As I say I am more a bulk reader than a meditator'
   For the past several years I have read the old testament once a year and the new perhaps twice.
   Next the helps I use.
For prayer I have several lists to remind me of petitions - list of church members, church activities, churches in our denomination, countries where persecution is rife, covenant children baptised but noe far away from the Lord, the sick and troubled. These are my basic petition reminders.
   The Lord's Prayer remind me to praise, give thanks and confess my sin too. Other aids to prayer are B The Valley of Vision, puritan prayers collected by Arthur Bennett and A Way To Pray, also published by Banner and I have reviewed it on Amazon. It is Palmer Robinson's revision of Mathew Henry's book on prayer, simply the best instruction in prayer I have ever read.
   Bible reading I now use ESV study Bible. I no longer often need the study note and my version has changed over the years as I have blogged before going from AV=KJV to RSV, NIV and now ESV. Whatever you do do not chop around different versions every few days. Become familiar with one version long term so you can the more readily quote from memory. My changes have been over the years according to the current use of my church fellowship at the time.
   I have over the years used various commentaries and aids to understanding. At present I have The New Century Bible Commentary on Psalms. I do a psalm a day with it but mainly for the help on categorising Psalms rather than word by word analysis. Is a given psalm a lament. confession, thanksgiving whatever.
   The my present Old Testament aid is a rereading on my best ever OT book, Promise and Deliverance by De Graff. I have again reviewed on Amazon. There are four volumes. The Old testament ones are IMO of unequalled excellence, Christ entered, covenant theology telling of the biblical stories. I do not read many books more than once by all the ones I have mentioned so far have been read more than once.
   My final daily devotion id to read a section from Calvin's Institutes. I confess I have often read parts but not repeatedly the whole. Use the Battles translation. Twentieth century is so much easier than 19th century English. I see there is now a modern translation from the Banner. I would not use any other theological studbook in devotions but Calvin's Institutes are in a class of their own. They are to other systematics what the Heidelberg is to the Westminster standards. Al  mare sound but Heidelberg and Calvin have a unique warmness which is such a help to draw one close to the Lord.
  So, it you have persevered this far with this post I conclude by telling you, no more blog reading this minute.. Get with the Lord.