Growing And Learning Through Monthly Devotionals


Over the past few months, I've been so blessed to have several devotionals to use during my quiet time. My four most recent ones are all from Illustrated Faith, and here's just a glimpse into what I've been learning and how God has been growing me in this season.


In November I wrote my way through Gratitude Documented and Project Gr8ful in one notebook. When you're ever in a particularly low place in your life, no matter who cliche it may sound, count your many blessings. Gratitude to God for all He has done and is doing helps us remember that He's working on future blessings, too.


One side of the spread is a short prayer based on studying one Scripture for the entire day. Sometimes I wrote a single sentence, while other times I basically wrote a novel. It all depended on how much was on my heart and how quickly I could get it all out in writing.


On the other side are three specific things I was grateful for that day. It was never difficult to come up with three because through this project, God opened my eyes to how deeply and profoundly blessed I am. My circumstances may be difficult and my heart may break some days, but there are always ... ALWAYS ... three things to be grateful for.


In December I turned a Christmas Story Little Golden Book into a month-long prayer journal. It features two Advent devotionals from Illustrated Faith, and they were exactly what I needed in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas.


Each spread has a pocket with images, Scripture and a prayer for the day. The other side has my journaling from selected Scriptures in the Christmas story. The cards are attached with washi tape so they can be removed to read the back.


I love all the images and colors and patterns from the embellishments and sets for this devotional. They all coordinate and make each page special to me because they represent everything I learned during Advent.


In January I began to work in my 100 Days of Prayer book again. Shanna Noel's devotional coordinates with a Print & Pray Shop set that has images, phrases and accents for each day. You work at your own speed, decorate the pages as you like and add journal blocks to record your thoughts and prayers. 


The lessons are thought-provoking, timely and just the nudge I need to dig deeper into my relationship with God. I've given myself a little grace with this book, as it's very difficult to do anything for 100 days straight. Though I did see a new, clean copy of this devotional at a local store last weekend, and mine is so bulky and beautiful that I forgot it was every slim and sleek like that.


And finally, in February, I studied through Peace Over Anxiety, a study about how peace and hope are achievable only through Jesus Christ. Filled with Scriptural truth about what peace can do in a believer's heart and through their life, it is the perfect devotional for a month when you're already focusing on love.


I created the huge journal blocks in my word program and printed them out on card stock. The pages themselves are white card stock covered on both sides with coordinating decorator paper. I highlighted all over the pre-printed study pages and embellished them all with fussy-cut accents. All different, yet all pointing to God in perfect love and wisdom, these four devotionals have been a fountain in a dreary land over the past few months, and I praise God for placing them in my life at just the right moments. What devotionals can you begin right now that will help you grow in the Lord?

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