Devotions and consistent quiet times have always been a source of frustration for me. I know, I know, that sentence in itself seems wrong. Devotions are supposed to be just that: a quiet, sacred time devoted solely to God. A time to worship him and hear from him. However, my ADHD mind races 500 miles a minute. One second I am praying the next I am thinking about why donuts have holes. I have literally tried every possible thing in an attempt to find a method that is both worshipful and keeps my attention. Unexpectedly, pinterest saved the day. Literally one blog post was a complete game changer for me. I came across an intriguing pin called "Bible marking + Journaling 101" . Her system is little more developed than mine (she's been doing it for years) and hers is a littler be different but the basic concept is there.
Bible Marking as she calls it is a way to mark specific verses, words or concepts that stick out to you. For me, it kept me engaged and helped what I was reading 'come alive' in a sense. I am a visual and kinesthetic learner so seeing different themes and concepts in color helps me make connections and interact with the Word. I started out of curiosity one afternoon in a bible I am pretty sure I my mother let me borrow. As I ventured further into it I also did some research. I came across numerous different keys and methods of bible journaling. I did not find one specific way that fit my own so I did as the author of the blog post above mentioned and made my own.
My key: I started out (as mentioned in the post I linked) with a few concepts. Two were hers (Christian living and marriage) The others were my own (God's promises and Prayer, etc.) I added words or themes which are significant to me as I ventured further into different passages. My 'key' is still developing and likely will change.
Taking it deeper: I also take the verses that stick out to me and enter them into a commentary to tear apart the verse a little bit and dig deeper into the meaning. I journal/document the things that stick out to me (this is shown in the first picture).
Materials I use:
- Bible
- Spiral bound sketchbook
- Color pencils (I use the erasable kind)
- Index card
- Anything else that suits your fancy!
Here are some of the resources I used after starting this method to help develop my key:
1) http://fms-help.com/biblecoloring
2) http://womenlivingwell.org/2014/09/good-morning-girls-bible-study-journal-amazing/
I'm sure an update will come soon at I continue this!
How do you do devotions? What are your favorite methods?
