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Elaborating On God's Word With Devotionals
Author: Alyice Edrich
A few years ago, a writer approached me with a dilemma. She said, "When writing about God's word, in a devotional, how do you get past the really WOW moments and write about what's been said when all that needs to be said has been said by Him? It's so hard to elaborate for God. He really doesn't need any elaboration, does He?"
She was right.
It’s hard to elaborate on God’s word and even harder to truly express the awe inspiring moments we gain from reading, meditating, and praying about the things in the Bible.
However, many people don’t have the time, or desire, to research what God’s true intent was when the Bible was written. And without fully understanding the times in which the Bible was written, it's hard to understand what certain terms and passages in the Bible mean today.
Have you ever attended a course where you had an instructor explain the differences between a verb and an adverb, but no matter how many times that instructor explained the difference, you couldn’t grasp it? Then you took the same course, with a different instruction, and it finally clicked? It finally made sense?
That’s what devotional writers, and devotions, do for BUSY people, for new Christians, and yes, even for veteran Christians.
When writing a devotional, take these tips into consideration:
Pray
Every devotional writer I’ve ever spoken with has said that devotions cannot be written without first seeking God’s blessings, instruction, and input. Praying will help open your heart and your mind to what God wants you to share.Consider Your Audience
When writing a devotional, it's important to consider who will be reading the devotional. Is it a child? A mother? A businessman? Who are you writing the devotion for?
Once you have an idea of who your target audience is, it's important to understand what kind of Biblical knowledge your readers already possess. Do they know who God is but don't know who Jesus is? Do they have a world's view of God or do they already see God as He is portrayed in the Bible?Consider The Passage
Ask yourself what the point of the passage is. Does the passage, as written, make sense in today’s language? If not, what are the terms being used, what do they mean during the times the passage was written, and how do those terms relate to today’s language?Search Your Past
Search your own life's experiences. Is there anything in your life that can bring the point home? In other words, have you experienced a blessing, a hardship, a life-turning point, a lesson, a miracle, etc? Can you relate to your readers by sharing your story?
If you cannot share a life story, can you find someone who is willing to open up and share his/her story for illustrative purposes?Tie It All Together
Your reason for writing the devotion is to help God reach His people. Each devotional you write needs to make a point; it needs to bring the Biblical passage home to the reader.
Learn more on writing devotions.
Read more on finding your niche as a writer
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