How devoted are we to God...truly?
In the context of work and our businesses, what gets our devotion there? Customers, employees, the inbox, profits, and most anything that contributes directly to the health of those things. Where do we see God in all this? More importantly, are we intentional to make him known in and through our work?
While solving problems for customers and providing opportunities for employees to provide for their families are good things, are they more important than making sure Jesus is known to them?
Maybe we would all like to have better answers to these questions. God is ready for you, me, each of us to become more intentional in honoring him with our work, and in using our business as vehicles to expand the kingdom of Jesus. While the Inflooent program is designed to equip men with biblical, practical ways to...
discern biblical wisdom for application in the workplace
be salt and light in practical ways in the marketplace
plan for growth and manage your priorities to achieve it
...it all starts with DEVOTING the first fruits of your day to time with him. Maybe not a new concept for you, but never more have we faced such a high level of temptation and distraction from the world, from Satan, from our fleshly desires...distraction that takes us away from devo time with God.
As a disciple of Jesus, this is paramount in your soul nourishment. It’s the most profitable thing you can invest time in each and every day. But many believers in Christ struggle to commit to such a thing. They wake up to a mind drawn to a physical life and all the tangibility it offers. And they (we) get sucked in...often from the moment our eyes open in the morning.
This is soul deprivation. Imagine going on a journey across extreme terrain without stopping to rest, drink, eat, or fellowship. Sure, men do those things occasionally as they go. And doing these things helps keep a person moving in the journey. But when the choice to invest only comes when a man is so tired, thirsty, hungry, and lonely that it no longer looks like a choice, but a matter of spiritual survival, the pace slows to a crawl...sometimes he even ends up going backwards.
This is the worst way to do life in Christ. It’s really no life at all. How can we expect to do well at work, to run a business, to excel in the marketplace without the proper soul nourishment?!
Paul tells us in Ephesians 5.16 to...
“look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
Let’s take a look at one way (of many) that Jesus himself lives life with devotion to God. This was the last preparatory event before his public ministry began...by the way, all of which was the most complete devotion to God in all of history.
In Luke 4, he was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit where he fasted for 40 days...no people, no food, no pets, no “roof over his head”, no nothing. It was just Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the wilderness.
Then the most unwelcome of visitors shows up, Satan. He tempts Jesus with a call to use his supernatural power to turn stones into bread. He’s understandably hungry, and yet replies,
“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.”
He was quoting Deuteronomy 8.3. The second half of that verse is...
“but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
On that note, David paints quite a picture emphasizing just that in Psalm 63.1 about seeking God, using a physical metaphor for the soul. This Psalm is David praying...
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
May we seek to be devoted to God like Jesus, and to yearn for it deeply as David did.
How do we do that?
DRAW NEAR TO GOD.
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” - James 4.8a.
Daily devo is an important practice. Yet do not feel confined to only connect with God during devotional time. Devotion to God must transcend everything we do, and specifically in this Inflooent program, transcend your work and business.
Paul wrote to “pray without ceasing.” Again, devo time is important. But it is encouraged as one practice within a life fully devoted to relationship with God, through Christ Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Word is full of examples of men connecting with God at all different points in a day...Moses, Jacob, David, King Hezikah, Jesus, Peter, Paul, Silas, Cornelius, and more. So make devo time the one opportunity you can look forward to connecting with God without distraction every day.
THREE STEPS FOR DRAWING NEAR TO GOD WITH DEVO
1) FIND A QUIET PLACE
“But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” - Luke 5.16*
The context of this verse is the passage about Jesus cleansing a leper (Luke 5.12-16). He charged the man to tell no one, but the guy did anyway. So word spread and crowds became a thing. While our “busyness” in life may not be an actual crowd, it’s often a mix of people and a crowded mind. Read the words carefully, and we notice this isn’t a one time thing for Jesus. We see a similar description of Jesus’ behavior in 8 other verses. For Jesus, this was a habit.
We need to do the same. Here’s why…
It’s Jesus, so it automatically makes sense to do.
The mind/heart gets right with God. Focus, perspective, intimacy, growth, conviction, repentance, blessing, and replenishment are all outcomes of time alone with God. It’s difficult to achieve any of this when in the midst of a loud and demanding environment.
A note on using technology for devo time: If you use technology like I do, then silence your notifications. If you find yourself tempted to check email or texts or social media, then switch to real pages, a paper journal, and a pen.
*As a rule, when you see a single verse, always test a commentary concerning the meaning of that verse by reading it in context to ensure the Holy Spirit is helping you properly discern for yourself what God means by that verse.
2) READ SCRIPTURE
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3.16-17.
Before I read, I like to briefly clear my head and reset my mind on God through a simple prayer. For me it goes something like this, “Father, thank you for your Word, for talking to me in this tangible way. May the Holy Spirit help me focus and discern what you would have me learn. May I be prepared to receive it and apply it boldly in my life to honor you.”
Some practical guidelines:
Version matters. The version of Scripture you use matters because you want the words you read to most accurately reflect the intended meaning of the author. Most versions of the Bible today are considered acceptable by qualified scholars. There are three translation categories of Bible: word-for-word, thought-for-thought, and paraphrase/commentary. Only the first two can be safely considered legitimate Scripture. Some Biblical scholars would disagree. Nonetheless, none will refute the integrity of the available word-for-word translations. So, go with word-for-word such as NASB or ESV if at all possible. Thought-for-thought options include NKJV or NIV.
Read chunks. 66 books, 2 testaments (Old and New), 9 sections (Law-5, OT History-12, Poetry-5, Minor Prophets-12, Major Prophets-5, Gospel-4, NT History-1, Letters-21, Prophecy-1), 1,189 total chapters. And all these components have sections (passages) within. Those sections make for excellent “chunks” to read because the context is right (less likely to misunderstand single verses), they can be consumed in a reasonable amount of time, and they are still rich with insights.
Caution: Do not view your reading as something to complete...a box to check. Scripture is not something to conquer. Understanding it isn’t just about acquiring knowledge as a means to being successful in business (as the world defines success). You may very well experience provisional successes because of your applied knowledge. But you will also experience persecution when you desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus (see 2 Tim 3.12).
Scripture is alive! “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” - Hebrews 4.12. By contrast, the business books you read are not alive. That isn’t a call not to read business books. It is a call to prioritize the Bible as THE source of truth in your life. It is your priority go-to resource for work, business, family, community, country. It is the standard by which you can measure any knowledge you acquire.
When you read your “chunks”, use the following model*:
Read. Just read. Get a general sense for what the passage means...people in it, their role, the context (may need to read the passage before or after to help with getting context).
Read it again. Slow down and highlight key words that stand out to you because they inspire you or because they don’t make sense to you.
Write down 1-3 conclusions you think you see from the passage. Include how you can apply them to your work and/or business. Include how you can apply them to you and your family (see James 1.22 and James ).
Write down any questions about the passage...things that seem “off” to you or don’t make sense. If any of these questions are deeply troubling to you, send them to support@inflooent.com. We will help you work through them.
*If you desire to go deeper in your study, deeper than the model above, please email support@inflooent.com and we can match you with some tools and resources that will support you in your effort.
Slow is better. The world is in such a big hurry. And so are we men. With your devo, don’t be. Scripture is rich. And with the Holy Spirit as your Helper (John 14.26), you will experience so much more of that richness God has for you if you slow down and consider what the words mean, in context of Scripture, as the author intended. Take small bites such as a passage (a group of verses usually marked with a heading of some sort). But don’t get in the habit of settling for single verses in your devo time. Why? Because context matters for understanding the author’s intended meaning. And remember all scripture is breathed out by God. If you want a deeper dive on this, check out this blog on the often misinterpreted Philippians 4.13: “I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me.” Standing on its own, out of context, this verse is often misinterpreted as inspiration for winning a deal or a game. In context, it’s meant to describe Paul’s steadfastness, through Christ, in all his circumstances, which were largely awful when he wrote this. That doesn’t necessarily mean God doesn’t want you to win at something. It’s just that this verse is about being able to endure adversity because of Christ.
Commentary is not scripture. So let’s not confuse things and read it as such. Commentary is a terrific tool to help us better understand scripture, and a way to support fellowship with other believers. However, it is often overused. Some people get in the habit of reading scripture, not understanding parts of it, then immediately reading the commentary. Or worse, they choose a paraphrase, such as The Message, and consider that Scripture. Scripture is the Word of God translated without applying the translators’ opinion on meaning. A paraphrase is dangerous because the translators’ opinion is applied within the confines of the paraphrase being labeled as scripture. That’s simply misleading and inaccurate. When meaning from scripture is interpreted and clearly labeled as commentary, the reader has the clear opportunity to discern (and do so with help from the Holy Spirit). Scripture is inerrant. Commentary is not. Nonetheless, commentary is a worthwhile supplemental tool. Just remember to allow you and the Holy Spirit to work through Scripture together first. If you want to supplement your devo with good commentary, consider The MacArthur Bible Commentary, The Moody Study Bible, and the ESV Study Bible.
Bible studies can be good. Be Careful. The right bible study aides are good tools to ensure focus in your devo time. While there are many choices, let’s make sure we have good ones. To keep it simple and safe, stick with MacArthur book studies. You can find them on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle. They are good because they break up the Scripture in consumable segments and ask good questions to ensure you focus your mind on the Word. What a bible study is not: While The Bible App is a convenient tool for reading scripture on your phone, it includes hundreds of “Plans”. While many of them make for useful commentary, they are not true study. They are opinion pieces supplemented by Scripture. That is the wrong order of things. This is not for your devo time. Additionally, there are dozens of questionable authors who, when their teaching is tested against Scripture, which is what Scripture calls us to do, is actually contrary to Scripture. In case you want references for said Scripture, you can find an exhaustive list here. And feel free to test the content of this guide to that end. We are subject to the same standard of testing against the truth of Scripture.
3) PRAY
Jesus gives us a model for prayer in both words and action. As we covered in the “Find a quiet place” section above, Jesus’ devo time was often, in solitude, and marked by prayer. This is why we pray...because He did. As our personal Savior and Lord, He is our model for living life in righteousness. Even though this guide simply cannot contain the depth of the riches of scripture on this topic, below is a sample of reasons why we pray, from scripture:
Jesus commands it (Matthew 6.5-14).
Jesus did it (lots of examples including Mark 1.35).
Help in weakness (Romans 8.26-28, Hebrews 4.16).
Straight paths (Proverbs 3.5-6).
Peace of God (Philippians 4.6-7).
Power against temptation (Matthew 26.41, Luke 22.40,46).
Wisdom from above (James 1.5-6, 4.17).
Alignment to God’s will for your life (Luke 22.42).
Courage (Joshua 1.9).
Cleansed heart (Psalm 51.10).
Joy (John 16.24).
Whether prayer is a tough thing for you or not, make it a priority in your devo time...and beyond. In fact, Scripture calls us to make it a constant state of our being. Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5.17), “pray constantly” (Romans 12.12), “praying at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6.18).
In Matthew 6.5-14 (part of His Sermon on the Mount), Jesus gives us a model to pray. A good way to think of this is that it’s a word frame. The words are right. Nonetheless, those exact words are not specifically required every time you communicate with God (“pray then LIKE this…”). Sometimes you may not know what to pray and the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf…
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” - Romans 8.26.
Back to the Lord’s Prayer framework. Jesus frames the word frame in verses 7 and 8 with a critical instruction, which for Devo should be easy to accomplish,
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
NOTE: there is considerably more depth within this topic. Let’s keep it simple for this guide. Here are key steps in how to pray:
Show reverence (Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name.).
Embrace God’s will (Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.).
Petition physical needs (Give us this day our daily bread,).
Petition forgiveness for you and your family (and forgive us our debts,).
Declare forgiveness of others (as we also have forgiven our debtors.).
Petition protection (And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.).
There are many other examples of how to pray in scripture from Paul, Peter, David (Psalms are full of prayer), Moses, Abraham, Joseph, Joshua, and others. Here are some practical adaptations for praying in devo time:
Write. Write your prayers in your own words. Just do so respectfully (Matthew 6.9). Writing things down focuses your mind and allows for you to reflect and evaluate what you’re thinking. You don’t have to do this all the time, or ever. But it’s definitely had a positive impact in my life. Some men are journalers, others are not. Don’t let writing become a burden. It’s meant to be a tool. For me, it comes and goes. I’m always glad when I do, but sometimes I just want to listen to God while other times I’m just talking to Him or asking for direction during moments throughout the day...on things big and small.
Confidence. Go to Him with confidence through and in Jesus (Hebrews 4.14-16). This is not confidence in you or your abilities. This confidence is in Jesus Christ. That calibration will keep you effectively humble yet bold with this attitude of confidence.
Gratitude. As much as possible, go to him with gratitude, praise, appreciation. You can focus on his attributes (holy, righteous, gracious, just, loving, others), his work on/in/for you or the people/events/things your care about, Jesus and his sacrifice, the gift of the Holy Spirit, eternal life. The list is truly endless. God uses gratitude to bring healthy focus to your mind and soul...on Him and the priorities he values for you. (Reference any of Paul’s letters and almost any Psalm for examples).
Petition. Even though he already knows what you need, petition Him. Don’t overthink it. Just lay it out and think through it with God. Be real with Him. He will help you refine and focus the “stuff” over time. One fixture to petition with respect to your family and your work (Paul does it a lot in his letters): opportunities to be bold for Jesus at home and at work, visibility to those opportunities, and the courage and conviction to act on them. Your Iand God will work together (supplemented by the Inflooent program) on the specifics of how that looks for you.
Make “amen” a comma. Many Christians, including me for a season, treat “amen” like a period at the end of a sentence. It’s understandable since a lot of the way we learn is from church, where verbal group praying goes like that. You can picture it. The pastor says, “let’s bow our heads and pray”. We all bow, he speaks while we pray along in our hearts. He says, “amen”. And we all think, “the end”, as we are ushered on to the next song, the message, or the door when the service ends. “The end” mustn’t be the end! God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit so we can keep the line of communication with Him open... from devo time through the rest of the day. It’s a mind/heart choice.
To pray in moments is to simply have conversation with him in your mind. Sometimes it is a petition, other times it is praise, and other times it is listening. Sometimes it will be all three. Pray on your way to work. Pray before meetings. Pray in meetings. Pray when you’re in conversation and struggling to get to the right outcome. Pray when things are great and you want to praise Him for it. Pray when things are hard...especially in the little moments. Pray at the end of the day. Offer to pray for people who express needs. Pray for them regardless of their answer. Pray when you’re sure of what you’re doing...and when you’re not. Prayer is conversation with God. Part of being reverent in your praying is doing it without ceasing. It doesn’t have to be a formal thing all the time. Always keep the door of your mind/heart open to God. View your prayer life as one continuous prayer beginning right now!!!
So why not put “Pray” at the beginning of your devo time? Absolutely appropriate to do. And if you’ll note, there’s a nod in this guide for doing that. And, when praying without ceasing as Paul says, we are in a constant state of conscious connection with God. The reason it is third here in this guide is based more on my own experience of Scripture shaping my heart so that my prayer is more aligned with God. God speaks to my mind in Scripture. From that, I know better how to communicate back with him. For devo time especially, I’d rather let God speak first.
Prayerful Hope for You
I prayerfully hope this guide will help you invest more time reading Scripture and praying so you will grow in your relationship with God. While the guide is informed by Scripture and includes Scripture, it is my commentary as guided by the Holy Spirit. It is NOT Scripture. Test everything you do and read against Scripture. If you have the privilege of calling Jesus your Savior AND Lord, then you have the gift of the Holy Spirit and Scripture...the ultimate authority for living a godly life!!!