This book is not a daily devotional. Rather, it is an in-depth review of what the devotional life entails.Its primary purpose is, therefore, to give you a thorough scriptural understanding of the "what", "how", "when" and most especially the "why" of the devotional life.For many Christians today, a devotional is almost equivalent to reading a piece of inspiring scripture or Christian writing each day from their favorite ministry. While the devotional always involves daily scripture reading and sometimes a devotional piece of writing, there is more to the devotional life than these. A paradoxical truth is that many believers do not fully understand what a devotional really is though many do have some form of regular devotions ever so often. Well, this is the spiritual knowledge gap this book is seeking to fill.
There is nothing that will impact your spiritual life as a habit of spending time with God on a daily basis. Yes, I mean there is nothing that has this practical ability to impact your intimacy with the Lord to the degree that a personal life of the Word and prayer will do. Interestingly, there are few things in our lives that are facing the pressure of life's demands to the point of near-extinction like our daily time with the Lord. As a Minister, I have seen the deplorable struggles of so many Christians with their spiritual lives. They love the Lord but are just living in a dry place, struggling day-by-day to keep up with the Christian life. For many, it is a daily struggle, without results. One believer told me she knows what the Lord wants her to do but she just cannot help it. I vividly remember an online comment I read from a frustrated believer who said( paraphrased) "I just cannot understand Christianity. I do not seem to relate to the experiences that I read in scriptures or what others are saying" Christianity appears to be a "spiritual scam" to him. He loves the Lord but the "promises" of the Christian life seems to be a distant reality. Is this what the Lord intended the Christian life to be? Certainly not.
As you will read in The Devotional Life: Your Key to a Spiritual Life with Results, there are no shortcuts to a healthy and fruitful spiritual life. The secret to a blissful Christian life is your practical relationship with the Holy Spirit on a day to day basis which is built upon a solid foundation of spending time with Him in the Word and in prayer. "Something" happens inside of us in the presence of the Lord. And if believers will overcome the pressures of life to develop a healthy devotional life, the rewards will be overwhelming.
As a Physician, I understand the value of proper nutrition for the health and vitality of the body. I will show you how the Word of God, as spiritual food, is crucial for your spiritual health and vitality. In fact, the struggles of many Christians today are due to what I call "spiritual malnutrition".This occurs when the Word of God is not where it should be and/ or not doing what it is meant to do. Some might have an excellent head knowledge of the Word but have no results to show as the Word is not where it has to be and not working in their lives as it should. But first, I will show you why less time is not the main reason why many believers are struggling so desperately to maintain a healthy devotional life. There are a few other reasons which are not so obvious.
My prayer is that as you read through this book, the Lord will stir up in your heart a fresh and holy hunger to spend time at His feet hearing His Word and talking with Him and to see for yourself the practical consequences of spending time with the Lord.
Oben, Patrick: - Dr. Patrick Oben is a Physician and Minister who delights in bringing healing to both the spiritual and the physical heart. He is the Founder of Glory & Grace, a teaching ministry that is building the Church through the power of the Word. He lives with his wife Ma Ayuk and daughter Michaela in Iowa, USA. Visit Patrick at patrickoben.com.
