Boy, I don’t know if I’ve ever been asked this before. I’ve just told the world, via the Laodiceans, that for private devotions I’d schedule a minimum of 15 min morning and evening and more typically half an hour. Does that sound about right for anyone else? Assuming you’re willing to share, obviously!
ninetysix and ten 
Currently, I’m following the example of A. W. Pink (1886-1952) who, when he was a new Christian, read 10 chapters of the Bible every day. With this method, he was able to read the entire Bible 3 times in a year – and he did this for the first 10 years of his Christian life. I’m not a new believer, but I’m doing this this year (I’m now on my 3rd trip through the Scriptures since January 1st) because it is a good way to get the “grand sweep,” the “big picture” of the Bible’s story. Interestingly, when doing so, I’m amazed at how many of the little details I’ve picked up along the way, too.
It takes me about an hour to read through the 10 chapters. I’ve not yet decided what I’ll do for next year.
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Sorry! Bad phrasing. It wasn’t supposed to be a personal question, just general curiosity on what Daily Devotion is, in Presbyterian Land, generally agreed to be supposed to look like!
I can take your comment down if you prefer.
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It’s obviously insisted on, ie morning and evening, but as far as i can remember, the only time i’ve heard precise numbers being put on it was when an older minister said that an hour a day was surely not too much to spend with your God – hence i suppose half an hour morning and evening. No need to take the comment down – it’s just a fact after all :) I have really no idea how representative it is tho. (Help Richard?) People outwith my everyday circles also talk about “quiet times” which has always seemed a bit coy to me, but maybe other people have more concrete ideas. If you were retired or on holiday it would be nice to think you could spend longer than that – didn’t the puritans spend hours on end in prayer – and it somehow doesn’t seem adequate to imagine that they weren’t exposed to the same hectic pressures and time-constraints of everyday life as the rest of us are today :S
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Cath: Well, different people call it different things – “quiet time,” “devotions,” etc. It doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as you do it. I believe Christians should be in the Word every day. But, how you work that out is up to you. Everyone’s schedules and personal circumstances are different. I know one man who gets up at 4:00 am to have his devotions; but that works for him because he’s a morning person, which I most definitely am not.
As I said, we should be in the Word every day, but if you have to skip a day, there’s no need – and no use – feeling bad about that. Just pick up where you left off the next time. God gives us the freedom to work out how we do this. Some people like morning and evening, as you’ve noticed. Others like to do it all at once. The worst thing that could happen is for people to get all legalistic about it, which just sets you up to feel guilty when you fall short of your own artificial goal.
Personal devotions should have their own natural rhythm in the Christian life. If it’s drudgery instead of something done eagerly, you’re not doing it right!
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Thanks Richard :)
I did a very quick google and now realise it’s all much more fraught than i’d imagined, so i think discretion is the better part of valour on this one, at least for the time being … :)
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