Finding time for a devotional life in college may seem like an impossible task. Who has time to spend on something ungraded? Sometimes, assignment deadlines may seem more pressing than reading your Bible.
While the first and greatest commandment of the Bible is this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37), this command mentions nothing about those who are wading waist-deep in essays and group projects.
How can we stir our affections for God when we feel ourselves sinking in coursework? How can we cultivate a healthy spiritual life with so many time-sensitive demands on us?
Spiritual Disciplines Lead to Spiritual Growth
A consistent devotional life is one of the best means for spiritual nourishment amid the busy seasons of life.
By devotions, spiritual disciplines, and time spent with God, I simply mean those habits such as:
- Bible reading,
- praying,
- journaling,
- Scripture memorizing,
- and other ways that God provides for us as means to better know Him.
These practices are more important than any other part of our lives as believers, and it’s vital that we make time to prioritize them.
The Goal of Spiritual Disciplines
We must first identify our goal in practicing spiritual disciplines. The goal of spiritual disciplines is to know and enjoy God. This motivation should trump all other motivations because knowing God is the highest motivation we can have.
But it’s important to remember that the practice of spiritual discipline itself is not the object of our faith. Jesus is.
Because of that, if we miss a day (or more), we can trust that Jesus will remain the same and continue to love us. His grace toward us should not produce laxity in our faith but rather provides us with a renewed desire to pursue Him.
Develop the Desire and Discipline
The most common reason people don’t spend time with God is a lack of desire. Before attempting to meet with God regularly in devotions, ask Him through prayer to give you both the desire and discipline to meet with Him daily.
All you have to do is ask God — He will provide!
Prioritize Spending Time With the Lord
Consider these two verses about Jesus’ prayer life from the Gospels:
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” — Mark 1:35
“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” — Luke 6:12
As followers of Christ, we imitate His habit of spending time with God. Jesus prayed because He needed God’s strength to fulfill His mission, and His prayer life more deeply reflects His intimate fellowship with the Father.
But His pattern is also a model to us: We pray as He prayed to dedicate ourselves to God’s mission and to deepen our own fellowship with Him.
Set Aside a Specific Time
College and extracurricular activities wire our brain to do. As Christians, though, we must resist this temptation and simply be with God.
Set aside time every day to spend with God. I prefer the morning because I recognize my inability to slow down once my day starts to roll. But that is my preference. Choose what works for you!
Carefully guard this time once you establish it! Make every effort to prevent other commitments or tasks from interfering with this precious time. Spending time with God before checking texts anchors us in God before the external pressures of our day begin to assail us.
Establish a Simple Routine
After finding a time in the day to meet with God, make a general structure for that time. My personal policy is “flexibility within limits.” Freedom within a box.
I typically spend half my time in prayer and half in the Word. However, some days, I spend more time in prayer. Similarly, sometimes I read several chapters of Scripture. Some days I only read a Psalm.
If this is a new habit, start small! I recommend a seven-minute devotional time. Spend three minutes in the Bible and four minutes praying. Chances are that time will increase as you develop this habit.
My devotional toolbox: my Bible, regular journal, prayer journal, pen, and highlighter.
Spiritual Growth Doesn’t Stop With Devotions
Although our daily time with God plays an essential role for deepening our relationship with Him, our personal worship of Him is not limited to time in prayer or in the Word.
Through Christ, we can worship God through all that we do.
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” — Colossians 3:17
Also, prayer and Scripture meditation need not stop after the devotional time ends. A good phrase I use is “never hang up the phone.” The Bible puts it as “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). In other words, maintain constant communication with God through prayer throughout the day.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18
As we commit to a consistent, faithful daily walk with the Lord, something beautiful begins to happen. The regular rhythm of spending time with God blossoms us into spiritual maturity. As we fix our eyes on Christ, God transforms us into His image.
Class: 2026
Major: History with a minor in Pre-MDiv
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, PA
Bible Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:15 – “And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
Go-to Coffee Shop Drink: I don’t typically drink coffee! A strawberry-banana smoothie would have to be my answer.
Fun Fact or Interesting Hobby: I lived in the city as a young kid, grew up in the suburbs, and now live in the country.
Favorite Thing about being a Cedarville Student: My favorite thing about Cedarville is the genuine care that people here have for one another.
Posted in: College Life, Lifestyle, Well-Being