What does Northlake Christian School English teacher Michelle Marullo really think about daily devotions? Does it matter if your heart and mind are in the right place? In an interview with one of The Growl staff reporters, Marullo discussed the need for Christians to do devotions and what ‘doing a devotion’ means to her.

“It means everything,” said Marullo. “It’s not a specific time, it’s something we do throughout the day: walking with Jesus. It’s not that you just go and meet with Jesus. Yes, that’s important, but it’s not a matter of going and meeting and then leaving because [God’s] always there.”

Doing devotions should not be something one is forced or unwilling to do.

“It’s about where is your mind and your heart? It’s not an ‘I have to’, it’s an ‘I want to,’” said Marullo.

Marullo discussed how important devotions are for a believer in their walk with Christ. She highly encourages Christians to commit time to devotions as it helps them grow closer to God and helps Christians encourage and help others.

“We need to do devotions so we can grow in our faith. We grow by being in the word. The Bible tells us that when we are in his word, we draw near to him and he draws near to us,” Marullo said. “As we spend time having devotions, that’s our time to come together and encourage each other and dig deeper in his word as Christians and inspiring others to want to know him and love him and see him work in their lives.”

Marullo was more than thrilled to discuss the topic of devotions. When asked what her favorite verse was, Marullo was very excited, as many Northlake students can quote it already.

“Jeremiah 29:11, because it reminds us that our talents and strengths God has given us can [be] used for his glory,” said Marullo.

Marullo gave many tips on how Christians can effectively do devotions to maximize their time spent with God. She mentioned things such as talking to God while driving in the car or going on a jog. She truly believes that devotions are the most effective when one’s heart is in the right place with God.

“The way to do a devotion is first what is on your heart. You could do all the topical studies, but for me I ask God what he wants me to study,” said Marullo. “It’s not about how much did I read from the Bible, it’s about what did I get from this one little section?”

Marullo further expressed how her faith affects the way she lives her life. According to Marullo, God brought her to work at a Christian school. She believes that she was placed her at this school to be His light and show His love.

“Make sure you know why you are spending time with him because who would you rather spend time with besides the Creator of the universe who knows all things and loves you more than anyone could?” said Marullo.

Marullo is passionate about making sure people’s hearts and minds are in the right place before they connect with God, through devotions. She is always willing to talk to students about their walk with Christ and help them figure out how to grow closer to Christ.

Stay tuned for more teacher devotions and tips to help you in your walk with Christ.