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. Ken Keathley if he would share his thoughts with us.
1. How do you spend your devotional time with the Lord, and how do you practically seek to deepen your love for Christ?
In my devotional time with the Lord, I have a routine that helps me focus and reflect. First off, I use the daily reading plan available on Biblegateway.com. It usually includes a couple of chapters from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. It’s a solid, structured way to dig into the Word.
For jotting down my thoughts, I keep a daily journal. It’s nothing fancy—just a Word document that I save in a Dropbox folder. The beauty of this setup is that I can access it from any device I’m using, be it a tablet, laptop, or desktop.
Timing is crucial for me. I aim to have my quiet time before breakfast every day. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and keeps me consistent.
Another thing I do in my journal is write out my morning prayer. Putting it down in words makes my prayer time much more deliberate and thoughtful, rather than just winging it.
Lastly, the journal isn’t just for the ‘here and now.’ It serves as a sort of spiritual diary, and I find it encouraging to look back on past entries. Seeing how God answered previous prayers or guided me in a real blessing.
Ken Keathley is Senior Professor of Theology and the Jesse Hendley Chair of Biblical Theology and Director of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture at SEBTS. He has written books on old-earth creation vs evolutionary creation, such as 40 Questions on Creation and Evolution, and on salvation Find him on Twitter here.
Thank you, Dr. Keathley!
Other Scholars’ Devotions
- Andrew Abernethy
- Holly Beers
- Michael Bird
- Craig Blomberg
- Darrell Bock
- Gerry Breshears
- Denny Burk
- Mitch Chase
- Andrew Das
- Stephen Dempster
- Jason DeRouchie
- Kyle Dunham
- James Edwards
- Rebekah Eklund
- Matthew Emerson
- David Firth
- Stephen Fowl
- Norman Geisler
- Benjamin Gladd
- Michael Gorman
- Joel Green
- Sigurd Grindheim
- Robert Gundry
- Nijay Gupta
- Jim Hamilton
- Matthew Harmon
- Michael Haykin
- Charles Lee Irons
- Dru Johnson
- Dru Johnson 2 (extended edition)
- Craig Keener
- Edward (Mickey) Klink
- Melissa Kruger
- Darian Lockett
- Tremper Longman
- Ernest Lucas
- Ken Magnuson
- Scot McKnight
- David Moffitt
- Jonathan Moo
- Jeffrey Niehaus
- B. J. Oropeza
- Amy Peeler
- Nicholas Perrin
- Madison Pierce
- 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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