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“How do I start having devotions?” (Ask Dr. Stanley)

If you’ve struggled to make time for God each morning–or have never understood how to do it–don’t miss this advice from Dr. Charles Stanley. In Touch Ministries, 2012.

Amidst the demands of work, family, and other obligations, carving out time for personal devotions can often feel like a daunting task. Yet, the practice of devotions—dedicated time set aside for prayer, reflection, and study of Scripture—is a foundational aspect of nurturing a vibrant spiritual life. If you’re wondering how to start having devotions but aren’t sure where to begin, fear not. Here’s a beginner’s guide to help you embark on this transformative journey of spiritual growth and intimacy with God.

1. Set Aside Time

The first step in establishing a habit of devotions is to set aside dedicated time in your daily schedule. It doesn’t have to be a large block of time—start with just a few minutes each day and gradually increase as you become more comfortable. Whether it’s in the morning before the day begins, during a lunch break, or in the evening before bed, find a time that works best for you and commit to it consistently.

2. Create a Sacred Space

Create a sacred space in your home where you can retreat for your devotional time. It could be a cozy corner with a comfortable chair, a prayer altar adorned with meaningful symbols and objects, or simply a quiet room free from distractions. Designate this space as a sanctuary for prayer, reflection, and communion with God, and make it a place where you can feel at peace and centered.

3. Choose a Devotional Resource

There are countless devotional resources available to guide your time of devotion, ranging from printed books to online apps and websites. Choose a devotional resource that aligns with your interests, spiritual goals, and preferred format. Whether it’s a daily Scripture reading plan, a thematic devotional book, or a guided prayer journal, find a resource that resonates with you and helps facilitate your encounter with God.

4. Start with Prayer

Begin your devotional time with prayer, inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and illuminate your time of reflection. Offer a simple prayer of gratitude, surrender, and openness to God’s leading, acknowledging your need for His wisdom, strength, and guidance. Prayer sets the tone for your devotions and opens the door for deeper communion with God.

How to start having devotions

5. Engage with Scripture

Central to devotions is the study and reflection on God’s Word. Choose a passage of Scripture to read and meditate on, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the text. Reflect on its meaning, relevance to your life, and implications for your faith journey. Consider journaling your thoughts, insights, and prayers as you engage with Scripture, allowing for deeper reflection and personal application.

6. Reflect and Respond

Devotions are not just about passive reading but active engagement with God’s Word and presence. Take time to reflect on what you’ve read, asking yourself questions such as: What is God saying to me through this passage? How does it apply to my life? What action steps is God calling me to take? Allow the truths of Scripture to penetrate your heart and transform your thinking, attitudes, and behaviors.

7. Cultivate a Spirit of Worship

Devotions provide an opportunity for intimate communion with God, where you can express your love, adoration, and gratitude to Him. Incorporate elements of worship into your devotional time, such as singing hymns or worship songs, offering prayers of praise and thanksgiving, or simply sitting in silent awe of God’s presence. Let your devotions be a time of heartfelt worship and surrender to the One who deserves all honor and glory.

8. Be Consistent and Flexible

Consistency is key to developing a habit of devotions, but flexibility is also important. Life can be unpredictable, and there will be days when devotions may look different or have to be postponed. Be gentle with yourself and strive for consistency without becoming legalistic or rigid. Remember that the goal of devotions is not perfection but intimacy with God, and allow yourself the grace to adapt as needed.

Conclusion

Starting to have devotions is a journey—a journey of exploration, discovery, and deepening intimacy with God. By setting aside time, creating a sacred space, choosing a devotional resource, starting with prayer, engaging with Scripture, reflecting and responding, cultivating a spirit of worship, and being consistent yet flexible, you can embark on this transformative journey with confidence and purpose. May your devotional time be a source of spiritual nourishment, renewal, and empowerment as you draw near to the One who loves you unconditionally and desires to commune with you intimately.

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Step 3: Agreements

A. CHRISTIAN COUNSELING EXPECTATIONS

1. Christian/Biblical Counseling: Biblical Counseling, sometimes called Pastoral Counseling or Christian Counseling, has the Lord Jesus Christ as its center.

It is the counsel which:

a) Includes listening, teaching, encouraging, preparing, comforting, warning, admonishing.

c) Its purpose is to glorify God and guide the counselee into an increased understanding of his/her personal, love, grace-oriented relationship with Jesus Christ.

d) Will result in pursuing a transformed life that reflects God’s grace, glory, and joy. This type of counseling is in contrast to secular forms of counseling. Our goal is to:

“Proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me” (Col 1:28-29).

“Equip the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:12-13).

2. Referrals to Professionals: If you have significant legal, medical, or other technical questions, seek advice from independent professionals. Our Christian counselors will cooperate with such advisors and help you to consider their counsel in light of relevant scriptural principles.

3. Intent Listening: We encourage counselees to speak their minds appropriately and discuss thoughts, anxieties, and fears so the counselor can clearly understand core problems.

4. Assignments: Counselees progress more rapidly when they study or perform specific informational or behavioral assignments individually tailored to the problem.

5. Accountability: We desire to maximize your and the counselor’s time. One of our goals is to help believers learn how to glorify God and have the outward life reflect the yielded, godly inward life, resulting in peace and joy. Therefore, each counselee must participate actively in the counseling sessions and excercises between the sessions.

6. Length of Counseling: Biblical Counseling will vary in the amount of time required according to the individual, his/her motivation, the amount of time spent on homework, and the particular situation and/or problem. On average, Biblical Counseling requires less time than conventional, secular counseling. Simple issues may be solved in one session. Difficult situations often require a more extended period. When multiple people are involved in the counseling, more may be needed as frequently happens in marriage counseling. Substance abuse and addiction problems may require many more sessions, with intensive accountability, drug tests, and other professional help.

B. CHRISTIAN COUNSELING AGREEMENT

I/We affirm the accuracy of the personal information provided herein, have read the information above, and agree to the conditions. I now agree to the following conditions:

1. I (We) understand that the counseling I, my family, or those legally under my guardianship will receive will be based upon the Bible to glorify God and lead to a healthy, Spirit-empowered grace-filled life.

2. I (We) will keep the appointment time or will call before 72 hours to cancel. If I cancel an appointment with less than 72 hours' notice or fail to show up, I will be charged for the appointment due to losing the counselor’s time or other potential appointments.

3. I (We) understand that confidentiality is an integral part of the counseling process, and my counselor is careful to protect confidentiality, desiring to operate under high ethical principles. However, there are times when my counselor must share certain information with others, such as revealed information that indicates a genuine potential for harm to me or others. In that case, counselors may have to share that information with the appropriate authorities or family members, being obligated by conscience and the laws of the State of Florida regarding counseling relationships.

4. I (We) understand that Impact Family Inc. has cameras in the building to monitor movements for security purposes. All inbound or outbound contact with the client via phone or webcam sessions may be recorded for quality insurance and kept in a secure HIPPA-compliant data file/center(Google Drive) with two-factor authentication. If recorded, all data will be deleted or turned over to the client upon written request on our contact page.

5. I (We) understand that contributing online or by phone demonstrates that I have read, heard, and agreed with these essential terms. I will read further on the website (www.impact.vision/terms) any other terms and conditions not communicated in this summary agreement statement.

5. I (We) now agree to hold all independently contracted Christian Counselors affiliated with Impact Family Counseling Network and its leadership harmless from any advice, counsel, or suggestions rendered during our counseling sessions. I (We) recognize that their role is to assist me/us in hearing and understanding God’s will in the matters we discuss. Therefore, we will not prosecute or engage in any litigation negatively affecting Impact Family Inc., Impact Family Biblical Christian Counseling Network, Impact Family Network, or organizations granting them the ability and resources to provide counseling services. We will follow an Amicable Dispute Resolution with Professional Christian Mediation Companies only.

6. I (We) agree not to attempt to subpoena or require any counselor to appear in any legal proceeding related to any matters discussed during counseling, nor will I (we) attempt to subpoena any notes or records associated with this counseling.

C. CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CONTRIBUTIONS

Impact Family Inc. is a faith-based ministry that depends upon the generous contributions of its counselees, members, and partners. Impact Family Inc. underwrites additional costs. We encourage you to pray and ask the Lord what you should give above the suggested amount on the counselor’s profile.

If you cannot offer that amount financially or in kind, if your Church refuses to help with a contribution, or if you have questions, please discuss them with our team or apply for a scholarship.

Checks or money orders are to be written to Impact Family Inc. You can also donate online at www.impact.vision/donate. To schedule a session, please go directly to our team page.

Suggested Donation Amounts For Sessions:

$85-$150 new clients/intake session
$85-$150 existing clients
Sessions last, on average, 50-150 minutes.
See current contribution amounts here https://impact.vision/session

For mailed-in payments with written permission from the Executive director, please send your check or money order to us at:

Impact Family Inc.
8362 Pines Blvd. #116
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024

Counseling sessions with mailed payments are not scheduled until contributions have been received, deposited and cleared in bank account. Please schedule 2 to 3 weeks before sending the contribution.

D. CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CHILDCARE

Unfortunately, Impact Family Inc. is unable to provide childcare. If bringing a child, please ensure the issues you present to the counselor are appropriate for them.

E. CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CANCELLATION, RESCHEDULING, & REFUNDS

Clients are entitled to a full refund if they cancel 72 hours before the appointment by clicking the cancelation link on your client portal bookings page and clicking refund on the orders page. View Refund Process Tutorial
Clients are entitled to a full refund if the counselor does not attend the session after 15 minutes of their scheduled appointment. After 10 minutes of waiting, you must
- 1) knock on their door (Client's doing an office session)
- 2) call their phone number and extension that is listed in the email confirmation sent to your inbox
- 3) email them with the email address in the confirmation sent to your inbox
- 4) contact the support team through our contact page
If clients have verified documentation of a medical emergency or death in your immediate family, you are entitled to a 100% coupon to reschedule your session at another more convenient time.
To reschedule your session, go to your Client Portal @ Click Edit on your Session | Direct Link: https://impact.vision/calendar-client-portal
- Step 1: Login Into Your Client Portal & Cancel the Session | Direct Link: https://impact.vision/calendar-client-portal
- Step 2: Go To Orders And Request a Refund before the 72-hour deadline | Direct Link: https://impact.vision/my-account/orders
- Watch the refund tutorial for help.

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