5 Ways to Keep Your Devotional Life Strong While Traveling

Just like you wouldn’t leave home without your passport or phone charger, think about the essential tools that help you connect with God, and pack them for your trips. Bringing a printed Bible or a Bible app on your phone is vital to have God’s Word readily available. 

As Psalm 119:105 says to God: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” 

When you’re in unfamiliar territory, both physically and spiritually, God’s Word can give you the guidance and encouragement you need. It’s also essential to pack a prayer journal or a notebook to write down your prayers and how God answers those prayers. You can record what you’re learning on your trips, what you’re grateful for as you enjoy new experiences, and other thoughts and feelings that come to you as you connect with God while traveling. 

Another simple but significant item to pack is headphones. You can use headphones to create a personal sanctuary wherever you are, listening to worship music, sermons, Bible readings, and more. 

Packaging a devotional book or app at home may also be helpful because having a short daily reading or reflection is a great way to start your day or wind down in the evening on your trips. Think of these items as your spiritual first-aid kit. Having them with you will make it easier to intentionally connect with God, no matter where your travels take you.

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You won’t have your usual devotional schedule or your devotional space at home while traveling, but you can still find places to connect with God during your trips. You need to be creative about doing so. 

Early mornings and late evenings are excellent times to plan to spend devotional time with God, since they’re usually quiet times without many distractions. Mark 1:35 describes how Jesus spent devotional time in the early morning: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Follow Jesus’ example of taking regular breaks from activities to enjoy focused time with God. 

You can also take advantage of quiet times in between your sightseeing activities – like during a long train or bus ride or while waiting in line – to say a quick prayer, reflect on a Bible verse, or just be still and remind yourself of God’s presence with you. Nature is the best place to plan to enjoy your devotions because every part of creation shows you something important about God, the Creator. 

Romans 1:20 states: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” 

So, whenever possible on your trips, do your devotions in nature’s sanctuary. You can communicate with God during a walk in the woods or a botanical garden, while sitting on a beach by the ocean, up on a mountain, or in any other natural setting that inspires you. Your hotel room can also become a sacred space for your devotions whenever necessary. It’s a private place you can rely on throughout your trip to focus on spending time with God without distractions. Wherever you do your devotions, God will meet you where you are!

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Prayer (talking to God) and meditation (listening to God) are your primary ways of communicating with God. So, it’s vital to continue practicing prayer and meditation while traveling. Since travel can pull you in many different directions, it’s crucial to stay focused on your relationship with God while traveling, and praying and meditating regularly can help you do so. 

God encourages you in Psalm 46:10 to: “Be still, and know that I am God.” 

So, plan at least 5 minutes every day or night (whichever works best for you) to pray and meditate. Pray about whatever is on your heart and mind. Don’t worry about following any particular prayer methods or formats you may follow at home. 

Since God gives you freedom in prayer, feel free to use your time traveling and away from your usual routines to pray in fresh ways. Just talk to God in whatever way comes naturally and enjoy your conversation with him. Remember, communicating with your Creator is an incredible privilege. God listens carefully to all of your prayers! 

Then, meditate on a Bible verse or passage, or something God has shown you lately on your trip. Let it sink deeply into your heart and mind by reflecting on what it means and how you can apply it to your life. 

One powerful way to meditate on the Bible is by practicing Lectio Divina, which involves slowly reading a Bible passage multiple times and paying attention to what word or phrase resonates with you each time. After each reading, reflect on how it speaks to you. This can be an excellent way to listen to what God might highlight through His Word during your new travel experiences. You can also hear from God during quiet times when God speaks to you through a feeling of peace or a thought that gives you the guidance or encouragement you need. 

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 3:10: “Again the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’” Like Samuel, you can position yourself to hear God by devoting time to listening carefully. After your times of prayer and meditation, write down any insights that came to you. This can help you process what you’ve experienced and track how God may speak to you during your travels. Every day or night during your trips, enjoy two-way conversations with God that help you see how God is with you wherever you go.

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Traveling gives you unique opportunities to experience how massive God’s creation is, and how diverse God’s people are. Paying attention to these wonders can be a powerful form of devotion in itself. Look for the wonder of God’s work around you every day while traveling. 

You can find it anytime and anywhere – in nature, new things you learn, the people you meet, and much more. There’s no end to the amount of God’s wonder you can encounter, because it’s everywhere on earth, as Psalm 65:8 points out when it says to God: “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” 

So, use the senses God gave you – seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting – to fully enjoy your trip experiences and find glimpses of God’s work through them. As you discover God’s wonder around you on your trips, reflect on your experiences. What stands out to you? What are you learning about yourself and the world around you?

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the meaning of the wonder you find, and to show you how to apply that to your life. The more you pay attention to the wonder of God’s work around you while traveling, the more your trips can become devotional times themselves that inspire you with awe and motivate you to stay connected to God.

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Although you have to be away from your church physically while traveling, you don’t have to disconnect spiritually from your church community. Technology gives you wonderful ways to stay connected and feel supported. You can attend online services that your church streams live or in-person worship services from other churches in the areas you’re visiting to connect to the broader body of Christ. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages you: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” 

You can also stay in touch with your small group or close Christian friends through calls, texts, or video chats. Share your experiences, pray for each other, and encourage each other. Another way to stay connected to your spiritual community while you travel is by participating in online Bible studies or prayer meetings. If you’re comfortable doing so, you can share your travel experiences and how you see God at work through those experiences on social media. Staying connected to your spiritual community on trips, however you can, can give you the encouragement and accountability you need to keep your devotional life strong while traveling.

God goes with you wherever you travel, and it’s essential to stay connected to God while traveling by keeping your devotional life strong. No matter where your adventures take you, you can experience God’s presence in new ways and learn more about him. So, for your next trip, remember to pack not just your suitcase, but also a plan for connecting with God in fresh ways that inspire you and strengthen your faith!

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