Going through seminary, students are taught to study the Bible and uphold its doctrines about God while also being encouraged not to neglect their devotional times with God. Yet during my own devotional time I, and probably many others, often asked myself, “Is this the best way to grow spiritually, or is there a better way? What could I do differently? Should I incorporate my studies with my devotions?”
In this series I ask a different scholar two questions about how he or she spends time with the Lord and continues to love him with all their mind, strength, and heart. While no one method or style is “the only way,” we can draw on one another’s experiences.
This week I have asked Dr. Madison Pierce if she would share her thoughts with us.
1. How do you spend your devotional time with the Lord?
Most of my personal devotional time is organized around the Book of Common Prayer. I generally pray the Daily Office every day, and then one of my other goals is to try and incorporate as many of the others time of prayer as a I can in a given day. I love the balance of prayer, Scripture, and confession. And I really appreciate knowing that brothers and sisters around the world are reading the same passages and joining with me in some of the same prayers. Additionally, I appreciate that these passages are set because it means that I trust God to bring them into conversation with me on a given day and help me to understand what his word has to say to me at that particular time.
2. How do you practically seek to deepen your love for Christ?
In addition to my participation in the Daily Office in particular, my overall goal is to cultivate peace. I think so many of our rhythms press us towards conflict and opposition, but I think these cultural values are contrary to the will of God. As a result, I try to find ways of understanding those with whom I disagree about issues of secondary importance (e.g., eschatologies), participating in constructive rather than critical conversations, and spending my energy on major issues rather than minor ones.
Madison Pierce holds the Associate Professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary. She has written books on Hebrews, the Catholic Epistles, and the Gospels (upcoming).
Thank you, Dr. Pierce!
Other Scholars’ Devotions
- Andrew Abernethy
- Michael Bird
- Craig Blomberg
- Darrell Bock
- Gerry Breshears
- Denny Burk
- Andrew Das
- Stephen Dempster
- Jason DeRouchie
- Kyle Dunham
- James Edwards
- Rebekah Eklund
- Matthew Emerson
- David Firth
- Stephen Fowl
- Norman Geisler
- Ben Gladd
- Joel Green
- Sigurd Grindheim
- Robert Gundry
- Nijay Gupta
- Jim Hamilton
- Matthew Harmon
- Charles Lee Irons
- Dru Johnson (a fan favorite)
- Dru Johnson Redux (the extended edition)
- Craig Keener
- Edward (Mickey) Klink
- Melissa Kruger
- Tremper Longman
- Ernest Lucas
- Ken Magnuson
- David Moffitt
- Jonathan Moo
- Jeffrey Niehaus
- B. J. Oropeza
- Amy Peeler
- Nicholas Perrin
- Patrick Schreiner
- Tom Schreiner
- Brandon Smith
- Aida Besancon Spencer
- Douglas Stuart
- Frank Thielman
- Robert Wall
- Bruce Ware
- Rikk Watts
- Trevin Wax
- Cynthia Long Westfall
- Ben Witherington
- Kevin Youngblood
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