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Desiring God

Against the backdrop of life’s daily grind, how does personal daily devotion strengthen one’s walk with Christ? Grace News interviews Ngo Thian Chye and Matthew Koh to find out what they do during their daily devotion, how they find the time and energy for such regular devotion and the motivation behind their commitment.

Matthew and Thian Chye

Thian Chye (left) is a taxi driver and father of two grown children. Matthew is single and a junior lawyer. They might have vastly different personal and work schedules, yet these two servants of Christ share a united desire to lean upon the Lord daily through His Word and prayers.

Grace News: What is a typical working day like for you?

Matthew: I usually have 11- or 12-hour -long working days. I usually try to do my devotions at the beginning of the day, for example, by reading the Bible when I’m travelling to work or after I get to work. If that doesn’t happen for some reason, I’ll try to fit it in at another time, for example, when I am taking a break.

Thian Chye: I drive my taxi on weekdays from 6 am to 7 pm. I set aside time for my daily devotion by waking up at five every morning except for weekends when I wake up slightly later in the morning.

Grace News: What do you do during your devotion sessions?

Matthew: I try to read the whole Bible — from beginning to end, within one year. I also read Christian books (recommended by my brother or friends) as part of my devotional.

Thian Chye: I subscribe to a Bible app “YouVersion” and am currently using the one-year NIV plan which covers all aspects of our faith. A typical morning will include a 20-minute prayer time followed by Bible verse(s) meditation and reading a short write-up. I will also write in a journal what the Lord has spoken to me and personal application of the verses that I have read.

Grace News: What do you pray about?

Thian Chye: It varies from day to day with a simple plan so that my prayer can cover a wider range of needs. For example, on Fridays I’ll pray for my care group (because it’s CG night), on Saturdays the Care Group Ministry, and on Sundays the needs of our church and the church leaders. From Monday to Thursdays I’ll just pray for whatever needs the Lord impresses upon my heart — there are so many things to pray for if we are willing to commit to support others in prayer.

Matthew: I usually try to pray consistently for our church’s missionaries, they need to be covered in prayer. When there are things I’m worried about, I make it a point to pray about it and ask God to give me strength and peace, rather than letting my anxiety build.

Grace News: Why do you feel the need to do devotion every day?

Thian Chye: It’s a challenge and personal discipline that I want to undertake - I feel that if I want to love God and serve Him, I must make a deliberate effort to know Him better each day, including what He wants me to do (His will for me) and what direction He is giving me. You can get to know God through sermons, Christian books or fellowship, but the most important way is by meditating on God’s Word personally. And I pray because I can lift up my burdens unto Him and likewise support my fellow church members in prayers. It’s an act of dependence on God and also a reminder to me each day that it is God who lives in and through me.

Matthew: Without immersing ourselves in God’s Word, it is difficult to know what God wants and to make the right decisions when the time comes. When I do something that I regret, it is often because I haven’t immersed myself sufficiently in God’s Word and haven’t had biblical values imbued in me. The result is that when I act on instinct, I do the wrong thing.

Thian Chye: By cultivating a consistent daily devotional life, I am confident and have the faith in God to face the challenges of this world as a follower of Christ. It’s very enriching.