Dock Resource Kit
Sunday sermon, 12 January 2025
This week, Abie spoke to us about the importance of building a devotional life, exploring how we can intentionally set aside time to spend with God. Drawing on her personal journey, she challenged us to evaluate whether we are truly prioritising time with Jesus or letting the busyness of life distract us. Through the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10, Abie reminded us that God desires our presence more than our productivity. She encouraged us to find our time, method, and reason for devotion, highlighting the transformative power of being in God’s presence.
Dock Discussion Questions
Reflect on Distractions
What are some of the biggest distractions in your daily life that prevent you from spending intentional time with God? How can you address these distractions this week?
Mary or Martha?
In the story of Mary and Martha, who do you relate to more and why? How do you think you can adopt Mary’s approach of sitting at Jesus’ feet in your daily life?
Finding Your Method
What practices or tools have helped you connect with God in the past? Are there any new methods you feel inspired to try, such as silent stillness, journaling, or using an app?
The “Why” of Devotion
Why do you think spending time with God matters? How would you describe the impact devotion has had on your relationship with Him and your day-to-day life?
Long-form, editted transcript
Devotion: Finding Time with God
Good morning, everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Abie. Today is my first Sunday back after a year on maternity leave, which is very exciting. Some of you might be thinking, “What do you mean back? You’ve been here the whole time.” That’s true, but I’ve been away from training, and I start back tomorrow as an ordinand. It’s a privilege to speak to you today about something close to my heart—prayer.
January is our month of prayer. It doesn’t mean we don’t pray the other 11 months, but January is an ideal time for goal setting and evaluating our lives. As a church, we want to ask, “How can we build a healthy and strong prayer life?” This morning, I’ll talk about devotion: the habit of setting aside time for God. After all, how can we claim to give our lives to Christ if we’re not willing to give Him our time?
As an ordinand, training to become ordained as a priest is rigorous. It involves many interviews, meetings, references, and even a psychological assessment. One of the final hurdles is a residential panel, formerly known as the Bishop’s Advisory Panel. During my assessment, I scored highly in my love for people and the Gospel, and I excelled in a role-play PCC scenario. But when it came to my personal spiritual life, the panel’s feedback was humbling. They wrote, “Abie did not sufficiently articulate that she prays.”
Hearing that feedback stung. It felt deeply personal. I was disappointed, even angry, that people would judge something so intimate. But as I reflected, I realised the critique had merit. I had fallen into a rut. My life revolved around God—meetings, Bible studies, and ministry—but when did I spend time with Him, just for me?
This realisation was like someone asking about your significant other: “When did you last spend time together one-on-one?” And realising you can’t answer. I needed a wake-up call to prioritise my relationship with God, to spend time with Him because I love Him.
Mary and Martha: A Lesson in Priorities
Let’s turn to Luke 10:38–42:
“As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’
‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”
I’ve read this story many times, and I see myself in Martha. As someone who loves hosting, I can imagine her rushing around for 13 unexpected guests. She wanted to serve Jesus, but she became distracted by her tasks. She wasn’t intentionally ignoring Him, but her busyness kept her from sitting at His feet.
Life is full of distractions—work, chores, hobbies, and even good intentions. But from the very beginning, God modelled rest. He gave us Sabbath as a gift, not a burden. Even Jesus retreated from His ministry to spend time with His Father.
Three Steps to Devotion
Step 1: Find Your Time
Now, at the risk of immediately leading you into distraction, I’d love for you all to take out your diaries or calendars—whether they’re on your phones or in physical form. Look at your week and ask yourself: “Have I scheduled time for God?”
A great habit many in our church follow is setting an alarm for 12pm every day. When it goes off, they pause, no matter what they’re doing, to say the Lord’s Prayer. It’s a small but intentional way of saying, “God, this moment is yours.”
If your week already feels packed with meetings, appointments, and commitments, remember Jesus’ words to Martha: “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.” Even five minutes of undistracted time with God can make a difference.
Step 2: Find Your Method
The Bible shows us that God speaks to people in diverse ways—through burning bushes, whispers, visions, and even donkeys. Your devotional practice doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Here are a few ideas:
Silent Stillness: Mother Teresa once said that when she prays, she listens. When asked what God says, she replied, “He listens.” Simply sitting in God’s presence, doing nothing, can be incredibly profound.
Gratitude: Begin your prayers by thanking God for the day. It shifts your focus from complaints to blessings.
Apps and Technology: Tools like the Church of England Daily Prayer app, Lectio 365, or Soul Space can guide your prayers and keep you focused.
Structured Devotionals: Study guides or books can provide inspiration. Personally, I’ve found “Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans” to be incredibly moving. The prayers are centuries old but often express exactly what I need to say.
Journaling: Writing your prayers can help combat distractions. One person shared that they fill an entire page every morning, which keeps their thoughts anchored.
Creative Practices: I recently heard about a couple who used to live in different countries. They’d record daily prayers as voice notes for each other. What a beautiful way to stay connected, both to each other and to God.
Step 3: Find Your Reason
Finally, find your reason. Why do you want to spend time with God? If you don’t have a compelling reason, it will never become a priority. Ask yourself:
Do I believe spending time with God will edify my life?
Do I truly love Him?
Do I trust that He longs to spend time with me?
If the answer to these questions feels uncertain, start small. Dedicate time to God this week and see how it transforms your perspective. Being in His presence changes everything—our hearts, outlook, and even how we view ourselves.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for every person here today and those joining online. We’ve chosen to spend this time with you because we believe it’s better than anything else. This week, help us find time, methods, and reasons to draw closer to you. Fill us with your Spirit, deepen our hunger for your presence, and let us never grow complacent in our relationship with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.