 |
| Are you like a stubborn pig... or like Jesus...obedient? Pig created by Grandgirl Liberty. |
That
would be considered a morning devotional and prayer time. Years ago I used to
spend an hour or more just reading my Bible and praying. Somehow now I spend
less time actually reading and praying—mostly because…. No excuse. I do spend
sometimes a couple hours or more blogging…but that is not necessarily the same
as reading and studying God’s word. My confession of the day—well maybe of the
year! So, you perhaps wonder how does one go about having a devotional time? Since
the Bible is God’s word, when you read and study it, it is God’s opportunity to
communicate with you. The Bible is inspired by God as we know from 2 Timothy
3:16. Inspired. God-breathed. The best way to approach this time—even just a
few minutes every morning—is to pray first asking that the Holy Spirit help you
understand what you are about to read.
And we have received God's Spirit
(not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely
given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from
human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the
Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13
Then read
your Bible. But where to start? Start at the beginning…with Genesis. An
alternative, if you are a new Christian, start with the Book of John in the New
Testament. Jesus is identified as “the Word” of God.
In the beginning the Word already
existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
How long
should you read? Read until you feel like God is telling you something—it may
be a verse or a chapter…maybe all of one of the sixty-six books of the Bible.
Then mark the passage, write down the best thing that you read and how it
impressed you. How can you apply that passage to your life? By doing that you
are beginning to journal, and so many people, including me, just struggle with “journaling.”
This
is basically the method of study in the Navigator’s discipleship program. The
books I used about forty years ago are still available. They were The 2:7
Series, based on the Colossians 2:7 scripture.
And now, just as you accepted
Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow
down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow
strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7
For more
details and guidance, you may want Goggle study opportunities with the
Navigator’s organization or order them on Amazon.
After spending time hearing from the
Lord God in His word, it will be time to pray—to continue the conversation in
prayer. We’ll look at prayer time with God…tomorrow.
While
Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and
tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers
because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he
learned obedience from the things he suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8
Prayer
– Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not
banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore
to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Psalm 51:10-12
Meditate
on God’s word—reading and studying it.
Verses
of Salvation ~ For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?
God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as
surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my
hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me
your shield of victory (salvation);
your help has made me great. 2 Samuel 22:32-36
© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character
Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories
No comments:
Post a Comment