Thy word is thy lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)
Welcome back to Renew Inspiration! So, how often do you read and study God’s Word? Do you just read your favorite verse, pray, then move on with your day? In order to be engaged in God’s Word throughout our lives, we must schedule quality time to not only read God’s Word, but also to write down our personal thoughts about the verses read, determine how we can apply the verses to our own lives and cross reference the information in the Bible Concordance.
Here’s my suggestions for beginning this spiritual journey:
• Set a time to better engage in God’s Word and stick to your plan.
• Gather your materials, such as Bible, Notebook/Journal, Pens, Highlighters, Sticky Notes, Bible Concordance, Dictionary, etc.
• Designate a quiet space with no distractions, such as cellphones, televisions, people, noise, etc.
• You may want to play some soft music in the background to set a relaxing mood.
• Make sure your study area is free of clutter and well lit.
• Pray and meditate while studying God’s Word to open your mind and heart.
• Speak to God often to strengthen your relationship and ask Him to direct your study time.
Thought for today – Each day I need to let God’s Word interrupt me, rearrange me and redirect me.
Making time to read and study God’s Word is so important. God’s Word can help guide us in the right direction or make us rethink a situation before we pursue it further. In addition, our time spent in Scripture must alter us if it has truly been an encounter with God. God has created us to interact and respond to His Word in multiple ways. We should all endeavor to engage in God’s Word throughout our lives and hold ourselves accountable throughout our journey.
Here’s some ways to better engage in God’s Word:
• Study – When we study God’s Word we are investing focused time in a passage word, character or theme. Study requires you to analyze the Scripture which takes concentration and focus. The primary goal of study is understanding.
• Devotional – The goal for devotional reading is application. Simply put, what the Scripture means to me. However, we must make sure this is not the only way we interact with Scripture or we risk losing the truth.
• Meditation – Meditation is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His Word. During meditation it is important to fill your mind with Christ. The goal of meditation is reflection.
• Memorization – It is important to understand what Scripture teaches us so have God’s Word hidden in your heart and mind. Memorizing God’s Word helps us achieve the goal of discipline.
• Action – Clearly, we must be focused on doing what Scripture teaches. We must be changed and compelled into action, whether in our thoughts or our actions. Spending time in God’s Word must lead us to obedience.
So, as you can see, there are various ways to better engage in God’s Word. Keep in mind, you may not be able to engage in all of these ways each day but schedule your time to include all the areas of study, so you can have a better understanding of God’s Word. Remember, spending time studying God’s Word is our intentional determination to grow in our understanding and to strengthen our bond with Him. Even if you have not engaged in God’s Word in the past, take a leap of faith and start today.
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Journal Prompts – Time for Reflection
MIND
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
• What takes your mind away from the Lord, thus robbing your peace?
• What is your biggest dream?
• What has prevented you from going after your dream?
• What thoughts have I been repeating in my head lately? Are they true?
BODY
Who is own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripe ye were healed. (I Peter 2:24)
• List 5 ways you’ve become stronger and more courageous this month.
• Lord, please strengthen my heart when it comes to ________________.
• When I’m in pain, physical and emotional, I find strength in ________________.
• How can I make more space in my life for the things I love?
SPIRIT
Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. (Proverbs 1:23)
• Where do you see the unmistakable mark of the creator? Thank and praise God for it.
• How is God trying to get your attention to stop, treasure, and ponder how he’s working in your life right now in this very moment?
• When have you seen God use something small to produce a big outcome?
• What can I do to nurture my spirit more?
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
How often do you read God’s Word? When is your favorite time to ready and study God’s Word? Do you have a favorite scripture that is hidden in your heart? Do you keep a written Bible Journal or Notebook to reflect your study time? If so, please share in the comments section. I look forward to reading your feedback!
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For those struggling to understand what God is saying to them through the Bible I suggest reading Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer we did this in our women’s Bible study this year and the book and videos are wonderful.
Lisa, thank you so much for sharing Priscilla Shirer’s book!
I love Priscilla! I’ve done one or two of her Bible studies, and she just seems like such a down to earth person!
Thank you for this blog today Latisha. I’ve started reading the Bible from the very beginning and will continue until I’m finished. You’ve given me ‘food for thought’ on how to approach it as I get further into it and I thank you for that.
Have a Blessed week ahead my friend…
Carpe Diem,
Dwayne
Dwayne, that is so awesome! Good luck on your spiritual journey!
Thanks for your inspirational blog, Latisha!
My favorite verse is: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
I hold this word close to my heart and whenever I feel I can’t continue I say it, it provides me strength.
Love the ideas on how to really study the bible and the journal prompts are awesome!