Slow My Roll

I sat in my DND meditation chair for my time of communion with God. I was excited about exploring a new topic. I opened my Bible to the passage I wanted to study. I read the scriptures. I researched related commentaries. And, then I had a head smack moment—where was God? I had jumped into my devotion with God without inviting God. I had failed to ask the headliner to join me.

My starting devotions without invoking God’s presence reminds me of my daughter’s first trip to Discovery Zone. She was so ecstatic when she entered the indoor playground that she pulled away from me and tried to rush ahead. I grabbed her hand and exclaimed, “Slow your roll little girl. We are not ready to go in yet.” I had not paid. We had not received our matching wristbands. I had not discussed the playground rules with her. I had not put on my knee pads. Like my daughter, I had rushed into my devotion before adequately preparing. While I may have been excited about spending time with God, I needed to “slow my roll.”

Failing to invoke God into my devotion does not happen all the time, but once is too often. I need to consider why and correct myself. Upon reflection, I realize that I neglected to invoke God’s presence for several reasons. There are times when I am so “Discovery Zone” excited about a topic or scripture that I just jump in, forgetting that I need the Holy Spirit to help me discern what I am studying. Or times when I approach my devotion as a job that I must perform, forgetting that I still must check in with the Boss. Or, embarrassingly, those times when I just forget to invite God, forgetting that in order to have a relationship with God, God must be present.

Psalm 5:3 reminds me to bring God into my devotions.

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You
and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. (AMP)

This scripture provides a simple instruction for ensuring I include God in my devotions. It reminds me to enter my devotion with God, not ahead of Him. It encourages me to preserve His presence in my devotion. Using Psalm 5:3, I can slow my roll and ensure God is with me throughout my devotions.

O Lord, You will hear my voice
           Breathe deeply to settle myself and close off the world.
           Focus my thoughts on the purpose of devotion—to commune with God.
           Invite God into this time of devotion.

I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You
           Channel my enthusiasm into praise and my sense of duty into prayer.
           Acknowledge His blessings and gifts of mercy.
           Ask for forgiveness from sins.

Watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]
           Search God’s Word.
           Wait for God’s discernment.
           Thank God for His presence.

I hope that by slowing my roll, God will continue to show me great and unsearchable things that I did not know (Jeremiah 33:3).

Reflect: How do you invite God into your devotion? How do keep Him with you during your devotion?

(Blogger’s note: Last week, as I read the filenames of blogs that were in draft, I realized I had started two, about a month apart, with this theme. I considered myself convicted on two fronts—this was an issue that God wanted me to write about, and this was an issue that God wanted me to address in myself.)