I can see her now, vividly in my minds eye, as she faithfully began her daily practice. As a child I would walk slowly past her bedroom door. As I would peer through the slightly opened door, I’d watch with a deep sense of awe as the light from the early morning sun shined brightly through her bedroom windows as if to indicate the glory of God had filled the room. I’d see her sitting up in her bed as she got ready to meet with Him. Then she would begin to sing a sweet melody from her Hymnal. After she concluded singing her song to the Savior, my dear grandmother would get on her knees and pray. You see, when my grandmother, who we affectionately called Mamita, which means “little mama” in Spanish, prayed, you knew that the angels of heaven hushed their singing, because God was listening. When she finished talking with God, she then sat up, opened her Bible and began to read. I’d often hear her mouthing what she was reading in a soft whisper. Then she would supplement her Bible reading with her Adult Bible Study Guide. Finally after finishing the lesson she would get back down on her knees and talk to God in prayer.

I must have watched my grandmother do this a thousand times while I was growing up. She did this faithfully everyday. She’d have her quiet time with Jesus and then begin her day. As I am writing, Mamita just passed away at 101 years old and was the godliest woman I’ve ever known. Her very presence just oozed with the peace and joy of Christ’s presence. One thing was for sure in my young mind. My grandmother knew Jesus and it showed!

As I’ve grown I have personally discovered that the love of God is compelling and beautiful as it flows forth from the pages of Scripture. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit seeks to draw us to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. When the heart is finally convicted and subdued by the drawing of the Holy Spirit, then surrender to Christ, as Savior from sin and Lord of your life, is experienced. Then baptism is the public demonstration of this inward change of heart. But then what? I remember when I got baptized at 12 years old. No one sat down with me and showed me how to practically grow in my daily relationship with Jesus. So why don’t we let Jesus show us how.

Jesus is our Model

Come with me into the Scriptures and see, with your minds eye, the devotional life of Jesus. Watch Him as He rises up early in the morning, before the busyness of the day got started. He walks out into the quiet stillness of the early morning and finds a place of solitude to pray to His Father. The Gospel of Mark captures the scene very well. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” Mark 1:35.  Jesus began His day with prayer. Before He engaged in the overwhelming demands of His day, He spent quality time with the Father. It was in a solitary place that was more than likely a quiet location. This quiet place where Jesus often prayed to the Father was often in nature. “And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.” Mark 6:46. Again the scriptures say, “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” Luke 5:16.

He not only prayed early in the morning, but He also prayed at night. He prayed with such intensity that the Bible records that He once prayed all night. “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12. Those moments with His Father must have been so precious to Him. His connection with His Father was so close that His will was surrendered to and bound up with the Father’s will. So much so that when He faced the most crucial moment in His life and ministry He could present His request honestly, but still pray for His Father’s will to be done. “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39.  Jesus’ prayer time with His Father was also attractive to His followers. “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1. Apparently when Jesus prayed, His disciples, after seeing it, wanted Jesus to teach them how to pray like He did! However, there was something else that was vitally important to Jesus’ devotional experience.

Jesus, from an early age, demonstrated that He spent a lot of time in the scriptures. Luke describes a scene when Jesus was just 12 years old that reveals the astonishing insights He had in the word that can only come from Him spending time reading, studying and meditating on it. “Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.” Luke 2:46-47.  Later on in His life, at the outset of His ministry, the Devil came and tempted Him about His divine identity. His immediate response gives us a glimpse into how dependent He was on hearing from His Father through the Scriptures. “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:3-4. This was not just something Jesus said. It was something He lived.

As we have journeyed through these biblical windows into the devotional life of Jesus we are struck with two simple, yet essential ingredients to how Jesus stayed in close relationship with His Father. He maintained regular communication with His Father by talking to Him in prayer and hearing from Him through Scripture. At the time of this writing I have been married for over 13 years and I have discovered that any healthy relationship is based on regular communication and quality time. Intimacy and friendship is developed as you spend quality time with someone, listening to them and then talking to them. When this is done on a regular basis you begin to know this person’s character and if you like what you discover, you are likely to become intimately drawn to them. My friend, this is what happens when we spend time with God, listening to Him speak directly to us through the Bible and then we talk back to Him through prayer. This is what Jesus did and since we are followers of Jesus, His love compels us to enter into the same experience.

My Experience

As I mentioned to you earlier, I was baptized at 12 years old. However, I must confess that I didn’t truly start to take knowing Jesus personally through Scripture seriously until I went to university. I had grown up knowing the truths of the Bible, reading portions of it and reading what others said about it, but the conviction came over me one day to really know God for myself through reading the Bible for myself. Around this time an elder from my church gave me a Bible reading plan, where by the end of the year I would have read through the entire Bible. Initially the thought of doing this was quite intimidating, but I decided to give it a try. It was ultimately a very deep and rewarding experience. However, I found that I rushed through the experience to complete the plan, because I had pride in the idea that I completed reading the entire Bible. I relished for a little while in my accomplishment of reading the entire Bible and then put it down. After a while I felt the major difference not being regularly in the Bible had on my life, but I knew that I didn’t just want to rush through the experience again. This time I wanted a way to do it where I was truly soaking in the word and more intentionally growing in my relationship with Jesus.

It was several years later that the thought of journaling came to my mind. Now growing up I had always admired people who journaled in their devotional life with Jesus. They always seemed super spiritual to me. However, I honestly never thought that I would ever get into it or be able to sustain it…until about 10 years ago. And ever since I started journaling in the way that I am about to show you, my life has never been the same since! I am now completely in love with Jesus. So what made the difference? I found that intentionally journaling through the unfolding story of Scripture with a “Gospel lens”, focused my thoughts in an intentional way that has major life-transforming power!