The Beliefs of John Robert Stevens

John Stevens was a great proponent of each Christian having his or her own healthy devotional life outside of the worship services at church. He cited James 4:8 as an example of the simplicity of having a devotional life: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. It is therefore the responsibility of each believer to individually seek the Lord.

The devotional life includes such activities as reading the Bible, prayer, worship, and waiting on the Lord—which Stevens described as “the prayer of listening.”¹ He taught that an awareness of the Lord was instrumental in our devotional lives. “No matter how many prayers you make a day, if there is no awareness of the Lord, the prayer is nothing more than a religious exercise.”²

Stevens did not endorse the idea of performing certain rituals in order to fulfill a religious obligation. The expressions of the devotional life are not to be the focus in and of themselves. Instead, these activities are a means to express one’s hunger and drive to maintain a daily relationship with God.

Stevens mentioned waiting on the Lord 409 times in his written materials.
Stevens mentioned prayer 2,142 times in his written materials.
Stevens mentioned worship 4,115 times in his written materials.