The Power of Devotions

Series: Balancing the Home

Balance and order in the home begin with our relationship with God. If we are failing in our relationship with God then we most certainly will fail in everything else that follows it. Chaos therefore ensues and begins to reign in our homes and in our lives. However, there is rest to be found in the presence of the Lord. “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (Exodus 33:14)

I am afraid that Christians are too ready to seek physical reasons for their lack of energy and enthusiasm. They analyze the quality of their sleep. They seek a variety of routines and regimented diets to help them gain more energy. Undoubtedly these may be necessary at times, yet there is a very probable spiritual answer to the weakness of our energy and spirit. This is an absence of the presence of God in our life. Just as there is no substitute for water in the body, there is no substitute for reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God and spending time in prayer.

The world understands this all too well and has derived substitutions for meditation on the things of God. They stress meditation but instead of thinking about God they emphasize thinking of one's own body. Yoga is offered as a substitution to a daily walk with God. It stresses putting the mind and body at ease. However, the powers of these substitutes is limited because the focus is set to the things of this world rather than to the things in Heaven above. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2) Herein lies our greatest obstacle to finding peace within ourselves and within our homes.

Balance will only be restored by the presence of God. In this we understand that the presence of God must then be the focal point of our home. Jesus makes this very clear, “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon the house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Luke 6:47-48)

How can we make the presence of God the focal point of our house? This is not something that we will naturally do because it does not appeal to the flesh. We must therefore bring the flesh under subjection and bring the focal point where it needs to be. Here are some things we can do to appropriately set our focal point.

Have Personal Devotions

You will not be able to keep the presence of God at the focal point of your family if you do not have your focus settled on it yourself. If you are willing to devote time to being in the presence of God He will give you the rest you desire. In his presence there is rest, there is confidence, and there is peace.

Have Family Devotions

This should be apart from your personal devotions with God. One of the best ways to set your family’s focus on the presence of God is to bring them into His presence and build within them a desire to have the presence of God as well. Read your Bible with your family, spend time praying with your family. Set the focus of your family up above.

Memorize God’s Word Together

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11) It is important for families to memorize the Word of God together. This keeps God central in our vision both individually and as a family. “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16:8)

Post God’s Word

I am not referring to facebook and twitter, though posting Scripture is a good thing. Yet how sad it is that we would post Scripture for everyone outside our house to see, but nothing on our own walls that proclaim the Word of God. “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:” (Deuteronomy 11:19-20) There is a power and a peace that we are missing out on if we are failing to have the presence of the Lord go with us through our days.