Pillars of devotional life has to do with firm upright support for a superstructure.
Devotional life has to do with the following pillars:
1. Dedication: one is to note that dedication is a serious aspects in devotional life. It is never to be in half measures or lip service to give and undivided attention to one’s devotional life. Daniel was dedicated and kept to his schedules of prayers. Even in the face of oppositions, he did not lose his glamour or lost his focus, such as required of a Minister in his devotional life.
2. Act of Yielded ness: Yielding to God is another crucial aspect and once devotional life. It calls for total surrender, submission to the lord of life. No reservations. And that was why in isaiah’s encounter with God in his holy temple he was able to give this missionary reply “here am I, send me” when the evangelistic question was posed: “who shall I send,who will go for us”?
Today hoe often do we yield to God? In the face of the deprivation, humiliation, do we still yield to him in total trust that he is not only able but willing to see us through our immediate situation.
3. Getting involved in spiritual exercises
In order to get close to God, the following spiritual exercises will be necessary:
a. Prayer: By prayer we enter into Celestial board where issues concerning us are have been discussed. It is the knees that bends always that receive from God.As a minister we need to engage in it from time to time.Read 1 Tim.15 v 5;1 Thess.5 v 17. No man is holier than his prayer – life . prayer is an indication of a relationship with God.
b. Fasting: when there is abstention from food or other worldly pleasures one is likely in his devotion to be closer to God. In fasting we Express our humility hope and love of God. St Augustine writing in his day about fasting noted thus:
””that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we may live temperately and righteously, and godly in his present world….. Looking for that blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of the blessed god and our Savior Jesus Christ”. As ministers, we really need sometimes to abstain in order to draw ourselves closer to God.(Ex 34:28,1 Sam 7:6, Ezra 10:6,Dan 10:3,).
c. Meditation: when we seek for a deeper understanding of the mind of God to us in a passage, chapter or verse of the scripture, we are being drawn closer to him. This has to do with reflective thinking, we are not reading the word of God as a literature only to enjoy the story but we go deeper and down to find out more from God to us and about our situations (Josh 1:8 ,ps 4:4)
11 Rim.2:15: “…. A work man who has no need to be ashamed…..”
You will meditate over the characteristics and qualities of such a man as described in the verse. At the back of your mind you are considering a man approved unto God. From your incursion into such a spiritual exercise, all your being is put into it. Then as a great seeker after such a great truth, the gains of such outings is usually rewarding . Today many Front themselves as approved men of god why they are aware they are after their stomach or jobless and so hide on the cloak of religion. Meditative life enables us to know what God wants us to know and be where he wants us to be.
d. Practice of spiritual authority: Christ gave the church individuals the gift of authority :Luke 10 verse 18 to 19. On calvary Christ defeated Satan and so those who believe him and exercise this authority also draw closer to God. Paul found it very useful in his own day . Acts 13 verse 6 to 12: blinding of Elymas the sorcerer.
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e. Consecration to religious observance:
At important ceremonies of the church example ordinations, holy Communion, visitation to the sick or bereaved, we need special time of withdrawal in order to carry out such functions creditably. At ordination, you pray in your closet for the right candidate to be ordained, in holy Communion, you pray for reconciliation with God for the sick healing and to the bereaved Hope of internal life.
These things are not just to be taken as mere rituals but as a serious spiritual renewing experiences as we set ourselves apart from God’s use, the outcome is usually a great rewarding experience. (Mk 1:2-5)
