It is by far one of the biggest challenges faced by believers worldwide. It does not matter whether you are married or single, young or old, educated or uneducated, rich or poor. This struggle does not make any distinctions. It is common to all believers. "What is this great challenge?" you might ask. This struggle, we all face is to start and develop a daily personal time with the Savior, to grow in our love for God, our knowledge of His Word, and to receive spiritual nourishment. It is the struggle to set aside time every day to be alone with the Savior. Spiritual replenishment is not automatic and it is never easy. You have to work at it moment-by-moment. Your daily personal time with God is a part of this good work. It serves to perfect your faith, and to conform you to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is how you refresh your spirit and transform your soul. Your daily personal time with God is what God uses to change your thinking and align your thoughts with the mind of Christ. It's what God primarily uses to change your attitude, adjust your behavior, and transform the way you speak with others. It's what fuels your spirit. It is necessary for your spiritual maturity to flourish. It is at the heart of an abiding life (John 15). You can't grow spiritually without it. It is absolutely essential to your faith. Although this may be a significant struggle for you right now, it can also become your greatest opportunity to experience God in a completely new way. This daily devotional is designed for you to read five days a week for an entire year. It purposely leaves out two days for you to do something different such as review the entire week, memorize key scriptures, have an extended time of prayer, participate in a small group or attend a live worship service. Please don't rush through each devotional. Let God's Word sink deep within your heart. Allow God's Word to work in you and change you from the inside out. Prayerfully reflect on the progression as we unfold the book of John section-by-section, and include other important scriptures for you to meditate on. Each devotional is followed by a three-fold plan for personal reflection: READ Reading the scriptures is very important. Reading parallel passages is very helpful to further understand the section being studied. I encourage you to read each parallel scripture out loud at least twice. Think through the relationship between the daily devotional being read and the parallel scriptures provided. Ask yourself, "How does one compliment the other?" REFLECT This section helps you analyze the Scripture from multiple angles with a sharp focus on personal application. It is designed to help you discover more about the text through the use of questions and observations. You will learn more about God's characteristics, and the unique ways that He works through His Son, Jesus. Finally, personal application is highlighted to help you start applying these truths in your life right away. RESPOND As we grow in our personal time with the Savior, we have to be willing and ready to respond to His inner promptings. This involves asking the Lord, "What do I need to change, and how do I begin making these changes?" In other words, our response requires a plan of action. Every change takes a step of action. The question we have to ask is, "What is my next step in obeying God's Word?" This is often where spiritual breakthrough takes place-through our obedience to the Living Word of God-as the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to transform our heart for God. My prayer is that you would experience more of God's presence and power working in and through your life as you seek Him more each and every day. May you serve Him more as He reveals His love and His good work in your life day-by-day, and moment-by-moment. Marcel Sanchez www.MarcelSanchez.com