5 Strategies to Maintain Your Devotional Life on Vacation

Vacations are awesome! A chance to get away, rest, and spend quality time with loved ones.

Dad and me standing at the top of a water fall during one of our hikes.

Last week I went on a family vacation. It was great, last-minute, but great! We did quite a bit of hiking, played games in the pool, and did a little shopping. Though this doesn’t sound like a lot, once you factor in meals, conversation, and a coffee run… or two it’s a full schedule.

On vacation, you’re out of your usual environment so most of your routine is gone. But that doesn’t mean your devotional habits have to suffer while on vacation.

Below are 5 tips that help me when I am trying to maintain my devotional life on vacation.

1. Pick Your Time

For Devotional habits to be maintained on vacation you have to decide when you’re going to do them. This is VERY basic but that’s how this stuff works.

On this most recent trip, my nieces decided that the apartment I was staying in was going to be where they’d hang out. I enjoyed this a lot. But it meant some very cute 6 and 8-year-old distractions would be coming over as soon as they knew I was up. I needed to plan my time accordingly.

I try to give myself at least 20 minutes of focused time. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t, but if I don’t try nothing happens.

2. Pick Your Place

Choosing a place for devotional habits is something that has helped me for years. In the new environments of vacation lodging, this can be challenging as well.

The first couple of days on this trip I went for a walk in the morning for my prayer time. The new sites and sounds held a few distractions, but for the most part, I was able to focus. Then I would read my bible in the apartment where my stuff was set up.

Walking may not help you, but maybe there’s a balcony where you can hide for a few minutes, or if things get crazy you could try going to a coffee shop, anywhere that you can be consistent and that is accessible. I’ve known some who get up early and hide in a bathroom for their devotional habits. This wouldn’t be ideal for me but it worked for them.

3. Set Up for It

When you get to where you’re staying get out your Bible, Prayer Notebook, Journal, devotional book, or whatever you need. Make it visible. This visual reminder can help you keep up with your devotional habits.

I like to have a place to keep my Bible (I usually bring a hardcopy with me on vacation), journal, and prayer notebook where I can get to them easily in the morning. This also helps me to not lose them somewhere else.

4. Go To Church

Being in church is one of the best things you can do for your devotional life. On vacation, this can sometimes fall through the cracks, but let me encourage you to make it part of your plan.

There are many reasons to attend church even on the road. We, as believers, need fellowship with other Christians. We need to be challenged from God’s Word even when we can’t be part of the meeting of our local church. It is such a joy to meet like-minded brothers and sisters in other parts of the country.

Going to a different church can feel uncomfortable. You’re not with your church family, you can’t sit in your seat, the pastor may preach differently.

I’ve had some strange experiences visiting churches on vacation. When I was a teenager we went to a church for a Sunday evening service. My family and I arrived a little early and walked up to the front doors. They were unlocked. Assuming that someone was inside we went in to find that the building was empty. After about 20 minutes of us sitting in an empty church building, people started to show up. They had a service and then left, just about as quickly as they came.

This was a strange one, but most of my church visiting experiences have been much better.

This last week most of my family was able to attend a prayer meeting with a small but great church not far from where we were staying. It was a blessing to sing with these brothers and sisters and to share in their prayer time. We were encouraged to hear the Word of God preached with boldness and clarity.

5. Give Yourself Grace

Give yourself some grace. Not everything will be like it is at home. Leave yourself some room. Remember these habits are about walking with God not keeping up with a checklist.

While I was on vacation my scripture memory plan just didn’t happen. I didn’t choose to stop, it just didn’t happen. But I can get back into it now that I’m home.

One day while I was gone, my schedule went crazy and I ended up reading my bible on my phone away from my journal. I texted myself my journaling thought for the day. I don’t like having my quiet time that way that’s how things worked that day.

When things go different than you had planned remember to put God first, not your habits. Give yourself some grace.

Your Turn

How have you maintained your devotional life while on vacation?

What are some struggles you’ve had in this? (There may be others in the comments who can give help from their experience.)

Are you on vacation? About to go on vacation? Put some of these tips to use and let me know how it goes.

Share this post with anyone you know who is headed out on vacation this summer.

The Most Important Thing

You walk in to church, this meeting is going to be different you’ve decided that you’re going to do the most important thing first, then the next most important thing, then the next…

So you walk right past all your friends, you bypass the coffee table, and you start. You’re not listening to announcements or reaching for a hymnal. You bow your head and with the rest of the congregation you start praying. This prayer is meaningful, not quick and formal. You pray for each other, then for lost people around you to be saved. Then you pray for your government officials by name, even the ones you don’t like.

You see, if we take the Biblical approach to church meetings the most important thing we do is pray.

1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1 Timothy 2:1–2

First of All

I like the focus of this statement, “first of all.” While there are lots of things we can (and should) do in church meetings, this one is first. First in priority if not in order of service. While I don’t think this post will prompt all church attendees to stop talking to each other before church, I hope I can remind you in the next few paragraphs of the great value of prayer.

Pray, pray, pray, pray

This passage points out four areas of prayer, or kinds of prayer. Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, and Giving Thanks.

Think through these when you’re praying. I know personally I can get a bit self-focused in prayer (supplication), when I really need to be praying for others (intercession) or praising God for all that He has done for me (giving of thanks).

Even when praying as a church we can be in seasons of difficulty where we wouldn’t naturally consider thanksgiving, or when we are blessed and praising but don’t bear the burdens of others in Intercession.

How To Make it Important

Application comes down to personal choices. In personal prayer make the time to pray meaningfully. Make this time as early in the day as you can. This is never easy, but it’s worth it. (More could be said about this but I’ll hold off for a future post.)

In church, don’t let prayer become rote or obligatory. Prayer isn’t a transition between things in the order of service, prayer is talking to The Almighty, prayer answering God Who knows when you’re just going through the motions.

When you pray publicly, pray to God. Don’t pray for the approval of anyone else hearing. Their approval is fleeting. God is looking for faithful sincerity.

What about you?

Write in the comments below: How do you do your personal prayer time? How has your church applied this teaching that you think might be helpful to others?

What are we doing at Church?

I have an unpopular truth to share with you… are you ready? “Worship” the way we tend to think of it today, singing, isn’t a primary purpose of church meetings. There it is. Singing in church is something I LOVE (note the all caps, those weren’t a mistake) but the New Testament only lists them twice in connection to church meetings (Eph 5:19 and Col 3:16), however the references to other key components of church meetings are all over the New Testament, particularly Paul’s Letters.

“What are they?” You may be asking, well I’ll tell you about one of them this week, the other we’ll look into next week.

Pay Attention! What Paul would say to focus on.

“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”
1 Timothy 4:13

Paul wanted Timothy to pay attention to these these three things: Reading, Exhortation, and Doctrine. This isn’t to say that this was the only thing that Timothy ever did, I’m sure there were many times of comfort, rejoicing, etc. But these things needed to be in focus. Let’s look at why this might be and how we can put feet to this scriptural command.

Reading

Bible reading is the foundation or scriptural understanding and spiritual growth. It is the energy and accountability that believers and churches need to live for God. Timothy and his church needed Bible reading, you and I need Bible reading as well.

What are your Bible reading habits like?

Don’t read condemnation in that question. I sincerely care about your time with God in His word. There is no greater habit you can build than to be faithful in Bible reading and Prayer.

Public Bible Reading

Bible visibility is a key part of a New Testament church. You should hear the words of scripture read every time you go to church. When I preach I am careful to read the words of scripture. They have power! My words don’t have that power.

Exhortation

The word “exhortation” is a bit outside of our normal vocabulary. Most of don’t go to church saying: “Man, I need some exhortation today.”

Exhortation (english word) means: “incitement to that which is good or commendable” We might think of the word “encouragement.” If someone is down, we encourage them, if they are doing well, we encourage them. You get the point. The greek word carries the same breadth of meaning.

Could you go to church saying, “How can I encourage someone?”

There are many people who need this support, encouragement, and confidence. Where better to get it than from God’s people?

Doctrine

The church is meant to be a group of people that teach each other and learn from each other. The word “doctrine” simply means teaching. The teaching of God’s word. But not just the fun trivia we need practical application.

Teaching and Learning are amazing gifts, but it’s not easy to learn. Learning requires humility. Many times we go to our church meetings and don’t want to lose face. Trust me there is more to gain in learning than you might lose by acknowledging that you don’t know.

Bible Ready, Encouraging others, and Bible Teaching

That’s it. Paul would want us to pay attention to these things. So get to it.

When you’re in church next look for the presentation of the Word of God (reading), seek to be an encouragement to others (exhortation), and walk into it willing to learn (doctrine).

Your Turn

How can you do these things in your next church meeting?

Maybe your church is still meeting online, how can you apply these goals to the online format?