Honest exploration of the reasons we miss devotions - and how to overcome them.
Connecting with God is super easy: the Holy Spirit lives within us. It's a response to grace. There's nothing to do: we're already connected to God!
And connecting with God is incredibly hard.
In this lesson, let's identify the primary reasons you don't have a quiet time. By looking at these in an honest and safe way, we can then make a plan to overcome these challenges.
**Reason 1: We're busy.**
Often, when we're busy, it's because of the expectations that other people have for our lives.
In some seasons of life, there is more to do than we can do. It's not helpful to be blamed when we are placed in an unsustainable situation by other people. Perhaps the only job available requires us to work long hours, the commute is exhausting, and when we get home, the needs of our family take up all our time and energy until we manage to sleep.
However, even in a situation like this, we can still meet with the Lord. For instance, we can rethink our commute and see it as an extended opportunity to pray and meditate on God's word. This can become our daily opportunity to be strengthened by God's grace for the many challenges we must face.
But more often, "I'm too busy" translates into, "This is not a priority." If we're too busy for a daily devotional, are we too busy for social media, TV, or video games? At some point, we need to be honest with ourselves. For most of us, the problem is not our schedule, but our priorities.
To go back to an earlier lesson, we have to ask ourselves why we need to connect with God.
**Reason 2: We're distracted.**
Our phones, notifications, and endless entertainment options constantly pull our attention away from what matters most.
**Reason 3: We're challenged.**
Sometimes the Bible feels confusing, or we don't know what to do with what we're reading.
**Reason 4: We're discouraged.**
We've tried before and failed, so why try again?
**Reason 5: We're disconnected.**
Without community support, it's easy to let our devotional life slip.
The good news? Awareness is the first step to change. Once we name our obstacles, we can develop strategies to overcome them.
Which of these five reasons (busy, distracted, challenged, discouraged, disconnected) most affects your devotional life?
Be honest: is 'I'm too busy' really about your schedule, or about your priorities?
What is one practical step you could take to address your biggest obstacle?
Write down the primary reason you miss devotions. Be specific and honest about what's really happening.
Write down one concrete action you can take to overcome that obstacle. Share it with a friend who can encourage you.
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