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.

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Increasing our faith can be a rewarding and transformative journey that allows us to find greater meaning and purpose in our lives. It can also help us to develop greater resilience and inner strength, enabling us to navigate the challenges and uncertainties.

Matthew 6:9-13, says, “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

In this model prayer taught by Jesus, there are principles that can turn into habits and can also increase our faith if we practice them consistently.

To Increase our Faith, learn the habit of GLORIFYING GOD

The phrase “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” implies a statement of worship directly address to God. It is giving all glory to God. Glorifying God refers to acknowledging and magnifying the greatness, goodness, and holiness of God. It can involve praising God for His attributes and actions, giving thanks for His blessings, and recognizing His sovereignty over all creation. Glorifying God can also involve living a life that reflects His values and character.

In order for our faith to grow and increase, we must practice the habit of worshiping and glorifying God. Worshiping God for who He is refers to acknowledging and honoring His divine nature and character, rather than just for what He has done for us or what we hope to receive from Him. It involves recognizing that God is the creator and sustainer of all things and that He is worthy of our reverence and adoration simply because of who He is.

To Increase our Faith, learn the habit of SUBMITTING TO HIS RULERSHIP

Another way to increase our faith is to submit to God’s rulership. We can also learn a portion from the model prayer taught by Jesus that says, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Submitting to God’s rulership means acknowledging God as the ultimate authority in our lives and making a conscious choice to follow His will and guidance. It involves recognizing that God has a plan and purpose for our lives and that He knows what is best for us.

Submitting to God’s rulership requires us to let go of our own desires, plans, and ambitions, and to surrender our will to His. It means trusting that God’s ways are higher than our ways and that He has our best interests at heart.

In practical terms, submitting to God’s rulership involves living in accordance with His values and teachings, and seeking to honor Him in all that we do. It means prioritizing our relationship with God above all else and striving to serve Him through acts of love, kindness, and compassion toward others.

While submitting to God’s rulership may require us to make sacrifices and face challenges, it can also bring a sense of peace, purpose, and fulfillment to our lives. By placing our trust in God and seeking to live in alignment with His will, we can experience a deeper sense of connection and intimacy with Him.

To Increase our Faith, learn the habit of TRUSTING FOR HIS PROVISION

Jesus also taught His followers to ask. It is called a petition. It says in Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Trusting God for His provision means having faith that God will provide for our needs, both material and spiritual, according to His will and timing. It involves recognizing that God is the source of all good things and that He cares for us deeply.

Trusting God for His provision requires us to let go of our worries and anxieties, and to rely on God’s faithfulness and goodness. It means acknowledging that we are not in control of our lives and circumstances and that God has a plan and purpose for us that is greater than our own understanding. In practical terms, trusting God for His provision involves living with a sense of gratitude and contentment, and being wise stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to us.

The word “daily” indicates that God wants us to trust in Him and for His provision every moment of our life.

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To Increase our Faith, learn the habit of CONFESSING OUR SINS

Jesus continued teaching the model prayer and said, “And forgive us our debts…” The word “debts” is also translated as trespass.

There are two kinds of confession: confessing for repentance and confessing for restoration. When we accepted the Lord as our personal Lord and Savior, we also ask for forgiveness. It is the repentance from being a sinner. Confessing for restoration is the prayer for the believer after committing a sin. Learn the habit of confessing our sins every time we commit mistakes and trespasses.

To Increase our Faith, learn the habit of FORGIVING OTHERS

Jesus also taught us that we should forgive our debtors. It means we need to forgive those who sinned against us. The way to increase our faith is to develop the habit of forgiving others.

Forgiving others involves extending grace and compassion to those who have wronged us. Forgiveness is rooted in the belief that we are all imperfect and in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness and that extending forgiveness to others is an act of love and humility.

Forgiveness involves choosing to let go of our feelings of anger, resentment, and bitterness toward those who have hurt us. It means choosing to release the other person from their debt to us, and to no longer hold their actions against them.

Forgiveness is viewed as an essential component of our own spiritual growth and well-being. By choosing to forgive others, we are able to experience a sense of freedom and release from the burdens of anger and bitterness. We are also able to cultivate a spirit of compassion and empathy towards others and to live in greater harmony with those around us.

To Increase our Faith, learn the habit of FIGHTING THE RIGHT BATTLE

This part of the model prayer, “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” indicates that we are in a battle. Another way to increase our faith is the readiness to fight the right battle. We are at war every day because there is an enemy, the evil one – Satan. We must fight the right battle.

Another way to increase our faith is to rely on God, as He helps us fight the battle against the enemy. We are victorious because Jesus already won the battle.

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