Writing a devotional is a wonderful opportunity to minister to others, to encourage and edify your brothers and sisters in the Lord. It's a great little "pit stop" that takes only a few minutes to read, causing the reader to smile, or be challenged but moreover to look to the Lord, the author and perfecter of our faith.
So how does one write a devotional? First of all open a word document and set the font to verdana or arial (fonts that are easy on the eye). And then start writing!
Remember that a devotional is not a teaching or preaching but a quick snack that believers can have a bite on at any time of the day. A devotional should have one point only and not several, as with teaching or preaching. One point, one purpose, one illustration!
It's really important to engage with the reader/listener and address your devotional to them. It's not about what you should be doing or have decided to do, but rather should be a conviction you have received from the Lord, via scripture or revelation, and how you lived out that conviction! In order that others can be inspired and encouraged to, for example, press on in a situation as you did!
AIDA is also a useful tool to remember. Many people involved in sales techniques will be familiar with its use! What does it mean? Quite simply, Attention, Interest (Illustration), Desire and Action. How does it apply to a devotional? Well, you need to get the reader's/listener's Attention firstly and foremost so that they want to listen to you! This can be done in several ways: asking a question or telling a joke are two possible ways.
Secondly, you need to maintain their Interest and this is often most successfully done by using an Illustration i.e. painting a picture with words!
Thirdly you want the person you are ministering to, to desire the conviction/revelation/breakthrough/success etc you have experienced, you want them to desire Jesus more! This is achieved simply by sharing from the heart with conviction, so everyone who reads/hears you sees the reality of Jesus and His love!
Finally, it's important to show people what to do, how to apply your devotional to their lives. For example, this can be done by encouraging the person you are ministering to, to look afresh to the Lord, seek Him and His ways, and as the Word says, all these things shall be added unto them!
Further to this, remember you are not writing a thesis or theological statement! Use words and phrases everyone can understand and limit your text to one page in a word document.
Use of the English language is also important, so please do not forget to use spell and grammar check to correct any errors (hence the importance of writing your devotional in a Word document)! Devotionals posted on blogs via The Internet Church are available to the public, and it really should not be left to them to proof read, edit your work and correct the mistakes!
So go ahead, give it a go and begin to pour out the others, so that the Body of Christ be edified. Have fun and enjoy discovering devotionals and ministering the love of the Lord!
Note to CPN Members: Write it, Blog it and post it in the right "category" of "Inspirational/Devotional" (see button below) - that way folks can find it and it's not in the blogs with the industry blogs on Book Marketing. Thanks
www.PamPerryPRCoach.com
Posted By: Pam Perry
Saturday, October 25th 2008 at 2:51PM
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