Devotional life includes our prayer time, meditation, and Bible reading. Every committed Christ’s follower must be rooted in his or her personal devotion. Event such as fellowship, prayer/Bible conferences, and seminars are essential but our personal daily devotion are also important to our spiritual growth.
In Mark 1:35, it says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Similarly, in Luke 5:16, says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” These two passages about Jesus can teach us principles to apply, as we become devoted and rooted in our devotional life.
What makes us become rooted in our devotional life?
1. Discipline
This phrase “very early in the morning” in Mark 1:35, implies discipline. A disciplined life refers to a lifestyle characterized by a strong commitment. Cultivating regular habits and practices that nourish spiritual growth. Jesus is very disciplined as He portrays the habit of waking up early in the morning to pray.
Tom Barnett’s The Power of a Half Hour, mentioned his discipline and daily intention, “Each day is a gift from God, and I am intentional in how I spend a good deal of my half hour blocks of time. I deliberately awaken each morning before sunrise to ensure that I am able to start each day with thirty minutes of worship, thirty minutes reading the Scriptures, and thirty minutes of prayer.”
Robin Sharma’s The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life emphasizes the need for a discipline morning routine. The main concept of the book deals primarily on a time management code, where you wake up at 5 AM to execute a twenty-minutes exercise, twenty-minutes planning and twenty-minutes study morning routine to start your day.
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2. Consistency
Consistency generally refers to the quality of being consistent, dependable, and reliable in behavior, actions, or performance over time. As stated, “Jesus often withdrew from the crowd, going to a certain place and pray.” This implies a regular and consistent habit of praying.
What happens to the brain when we are consistent? It changes. Neuroplasticity is the term used. It is the brain’s ability to flex or change. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. It allows the brain to adapt and change in response to learning, experience, injury, or environmental factors. This phenomenon enables us to acquire new skills, recover from brain injuries, and adapt to changing circumstances by rewiring neural pathways and modifying synaptic connections. Neuroplasticity is a fundamental concept in understanding how the brain can change and adapt over time.
It has been proven that there is an effects on our brain when we consistently pray. It helps quiets parts of the brain that react to pain (physical and emotional). It also lights up part of the brain that support happiness.
In an article “The Renewal of the mind” in a website The Mindful Christian, an interesting finding has been revealed. Amazingly, research has been revealing neurological changes that occur in the brain when we practice mindfulness on a regular basis. Mindfulness meditation quiets parts of the brain that react to pain (physical and emotional) and lights up parts of the brain that support happiness. God has created an amazing relationship between our minds and our bodies, so that the “renewal of the mind” (Romans 12:2) not only strengths our relationship with God and improves our emotional sense of well-being, but it also strengthens our brains and bodies for his service. And the more we practice healthy thinking through mindfulness meditation, the easier it becomes for our brains to continue this pattern.
Robert Zatorre and his colleagues at the Montreal Neurological Institute showed that when people listened to music that gave them a strong emotional and physiological response, the brain showed significant changes in the areas involved in reward, motivation, and emotion: the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (the bottom part of the prefrontal cortex), ventral medial prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, and midbrain were all activated. Healthy Brain Happy Life
In order for us to become more rooted with our devotional life, our habits of praying and communicating with the Lord should be consistent.
3. Focus
Focus illustrates what Jesus used to do. It says, “Jesus went off to a solitary place” (Mark 1:35). Tony Robins says, “Where focus goes, energy flows. And where energy flows, whatever you’re focusing on grows. In other words, your life is controlled by what you focus on.”
To focus on meditation and prayer is to go to a solitary place in order to avoid any distraction. Solitary does not necessarily mean, secluded or in a far away place. It is a mode where distraction is eliminated. Can you still go to a solitary place this time and not be distracted? Robin Sharma points out that, “Addiction to distraction is the death of creative production.”
In a news article by NBC News, a great benefit for the brain is explained when one focuses in prayer and meditation. When we sit down and engage in prayer or meditation, we are able to shift away from this frightened and stressed survival mode into “an intentional state,” says Dr. Hokemeyer, and ultimately “reengage our prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that rules our executive functioning and enables us to make intelligent mindful decisions.”
If we do a routine thing, our brain can form new pathways; which are also strengthened if we practice new habits. Furthermore, old pathways, which are not used regularly anymore weaken. The way your brain gets wired is based on the things that you repeatedly do.
There are two distinctive works of the Holy Spirit in the lives of every believer: soteriological and charismatic. In layman’s terms, the Spirit transforms and empowers. When the Spirit changes (neuroplasticity) our brain and put godly pathways, our whole life changes. When the Spirit creates new “mission” pathways in our brain, we will be on fire for missions. That’s why Paul said several times in his letters, “Always be filled with the Spirit.” As we become rooted in our personal devotional life, we are also allowing the Holy Spirit to rewire our brain, making godly neural connections.
Developing a deeper devotional life must be our goal. Let’s be discipline, be consistent, and always have focus.
