I am going to be doing a series on connection over the next few Tamara’s Takeaway episodes, and we are first going to talk about how we can connect to God through a daily devotional.

Episode Discussion Points

• It is important to connect to God because the closer we feel to Him, the stronger and more courageous we feel.
• Religious leader Jeffrey Holland said about our connection with God that it is the “most important connection of all.” He continued, “As you forge a bond your Father in Heaven, He will forge a bond with you.” (Deseret News, March 6, 2021 page 24.)
• James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
• John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

4 Daily Devotion Ideas

There are 7 categories I am going to be talking about over the next few weeks, but we will only discuss 1 today: Connecting to God through daily devotionals and what that can look like.

Prayer

• Kneeling (formal) or informal—mid-day, while driving, conversations, pleas for help, evening prayer, in moments of crisis, help to know how to handle a situation, to deal with strong emotions, etc.
• Colossians 4:2, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with Thanksgiving.”
• Examples of Jesus praying through the Lord’s prayer

Scripture Study

• Reading the word of God chapter by chapter
• Following a daily devotion prepared by someone else coupled with quotes/insights
• Memorizing Bible Verses
• Posting Bible verses around home, car, on phone
• Listening to scripture
• Open to a random verse/chapter and read

Meditation

• Meditation can be prayer
• It can be repeating a word over and over like peace, heaven, God, connect, hope, love etc.
• If you lose focus, just come back and keep going (everyone tends to get distracted while meditating—especially when they are first starting).
• Meditation can also be saying Bible phrases while breathing deeply like, “Be still and know that I am God,” or “Peace be still.”
• Story of Elijah and how after all the distractions he found connection with God through the “still, small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12)
• If you need help meditating, check out this podcast episode:

Gospel Talks/Speeches

• I love either reading or listening to people talk about the gospel
• This often helps bring be closer to God.

Call to Action

Incorporate a daily devotional in your life starting today! If you already do one, did God inspire to to add something or tweak your routine a little bit. Listen to and follow those promptings.

#tamarakanderson #storiesofhopeinhardtimes #podcast #hope #God #hardtimes #dailydevotional #devotional #prayer #scripturestudy #Inspirationalspeeches #meditation

Transcription

You can find the transcription of today's episode here: https://www.tamarakanderson.com/podcasts/devotional-ideas-to-connect-to-god-daily