Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Prayer In The Bible
Intro
Building a relationship with God requires that we have open communication. Prayer is a way of communicating with God. As with all relationships we must show vulnerability, understanding and practice.
Prayer is a blessing, privilege and a gift, but putting prayer into action takes practice. Over the next 3 weeks we will explore 5 types of prayers - praise, confession, petition, intercession and kingdom advancement. – She Reads Truth will lead us through instructions and examples of each type of prayer in Scripture. Together we will discuss the Who/Where/When of prayer and challenge ourselves to put what we have learned into action.
Tomorrow will be the first day of this lesson and we will start by exploring the first type of prayer, Praise.
Praise: Noun to offer grateful homage to (God), as in words, song, or prayer.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 1: Praise
Day 1 Scripture: Psalm 8
There are those moments when we pray for help and guidance or for the screaming baby to fall asleep. But there are also those moments when our breath is taken away and we forget ourselves - these moments are moments of prayer praise. Words don't even have to be spoke for God knows that you are in awe of something he created, you are enjoying a gift he made for us.
These moments are best when experienced when we wake up each morning, not that I roll out of bed ready to praise, but if we find just one moment each morning to sit and make it all about God then our day might be so much better. The moment I enjoy the most is those few minutes before the kids wake up and the hustle starts, to say "Thank you God".
From my Journal:
I know that I feel more centered when I do my devotional time in the morning, when I take the time to cherish and nurture my relationship with God. My mornings spent with God are for learning the word, applying it to my life and to give praise and thanks to God. My nights before I fall asleep and when I'm in the car alone are my times to pray for help.
Moving on there were two versus that I really liked in Psalm 8.
V3 "When I look at the night sky and see the work on your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place."
David is in awe - he is thanking God for the wonder of the sky and acknowledging that God made it.
V5 "Yet you made them (Us) only a little lower than God and crowned them with Glory and honor."
We are only a little lower than God and oh the blessing of his glory and honor. Grace
O Lord, Our Lord your majestic name fills the earth." - Psalm 8:1
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 2 - Praise
Day 2 Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 Psalm 100
Praising the Lord - having a voice and using it to joyously and happily thank God.
There are so many way to praise the Lord
Singing in the car
Praise of church
Worship and sing with your kids
Hum
"Give the Lord the glory he deserves - worship the word." - 1 Chronicles 16:29
How should we be praising the Lord? Should we do it out of obligation?
When I think praise that I know God loves I think of Gladness, Joy, Thanks, Love, Excitement, and Energy.
From my journal:
Sometimes when I feel the pull to go to church it's to praise. I often feel more open to praise when I go to church alone. This is something that I need to work on, I should feel comfortable to praise even when my husband is at my side. I really enjoy singing anywhere - at church and I have my car radio tuned to the Fish (my local christian music radio). In the mornings I have our home radio tuned to the christian station so my 3 year old and I can sing and dance around. That is praise!
Friday, May 2, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 3 - Practicing Praise
Day 3 Scripture: Psalm 8, 1 Chronicles 16:7-36, Psalm 100
Everything done right requires practice. We have to practice to say thank you to God. First we have to ask ourselves "How do I see God's hand at work in my life?" The answer to this question are the things that we need to say thank you for.
We also have to remember that we have to say thank you even in the harder times. This doesn't always happen when we are in the thick of the storm, but saying thank you after the calm has come. Thank you for bring the storm that put me back on my path or kept me from going down a rough road. After we start challenging ourselves to say thank you, we will start giving our thanks naturally.
shereadstruth.com has a great exercise for "thank you" beginners. Pretend that you are writing God a thank you note.
God,
I am sincerely thankful for _______________________.
Thank you
I'm faithfully yours
Try every day to say thank you, for everything at first. Before long you will be thanking God all the time. This might be a practice that you have to do every once in awhile. If you notice that you haven't thanked God daily then set up a challenge for yourself to thank God daily for 2 weeks, or a month etc.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 4: Confession and Repentance
Day 4 Scripture: Psalm 32:1-7
The best thing about the crucifixion is how we were all born again free from sin. But then what? We as humans began to sin again. We cannot take our sin and hide from God. We cannot sit quietly and tune out what the spirit has to say.
This is the place that the devil likes us to be. Alone and away from God swimming in our sin and guilt. He will lie to us so that we stay in this dark and lonely place.
But God will always forgive us. We have to be accountable with God, be honest, and try to fix what we have done, heal those we have hurt, and correct the damage we have done.
From my journal:
The Psalm of David teaches us that the longer we hide our sin the worst we feel. We have to give this sin and guilt over to God and allow his forgiveness to rain down on us. We cannot dwell in the pain after we have repented we have to heal. Do not "drown in the floodwaters of judgement."Psalm 32:7
God Forgives All
How was everyone's weekend? Our family had a great time enjoying the weather, playing outside and making homemade ice cream (our favorite). Hope you have a great week and continue to follow along with great series.
The Psalm of David teaches us that the longer we hide our sin the worst we feel. We have to give this sin and guilt over to God and allow his forgiveness to rain down on us. We cannot dwell in the pain after we have repented we have to heal. Do not "drown in the floodwaters of judgement."Psalm 32:7
God Forgives All
How was everyone's weekend? Our family had a great time enjoying the weather, playing outside and making homemade ice cream (our favorite). Hope you have a great week and continue to follow along with great series.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 5: Confession & Repentance
Day 5 Scripture: Luke 15:11-32 The Parable of the Lost Son
The thing about sinning, confessing, and repenting is that we first have to be honest with ourselves that we have done something against God and our beliefs. Once we have been honest with ourselves that this is something we didn't mean or want to do and we are not happy with the what we have done we must then go to God and those affected by our sin. We can't go to God with some preconceived thought of how God will respond or with an expectation of what restoration might look like. Confession and Repentance is very simple we have to take our offending sin to God, be honest and genuinely repent and want to do better.
No matter the sin or how long you turn away from God He will always gladly welcome you Home.
From my journal:
It's such a reassuring thought that God will always celebrate our return home, but the going home can sometimes be so hard. It took me almost 13 years to get back to God, and I struggled a lot in these years with other sins and brokenness. I was face down in my sin and the devil made me feel unworthy of God's forgiveness and love. It took having my second daughter to forgive myself and not think about what God was going to do. I finally stepped out of the dark and turned to God. Nothing really happened at first, but I continued to pray and pray! I started to feel God with me and have the confidence that only He can bring. My life started to fall into place and I felt happy and peaceful. There are still days when nothing goes right, I yell at my kids, or I'm selfish but my life is in such a better place having a relationship with God.
It's such a reassuring thought that God will always celebrate our return home, but the going home can sometimes be so hard. It took me almost 13 years to get back to God, and I struggled a lot in these years with other sins and brokenness. I was face down in my sin and the devil made me feel unworthy of God's forgiveness and love. It took having my second daughter to forgive myself and not think about what God was going to do. I finally stepped out of the dark and turned to God. Nothing really happened at first, but I continued to pray and pray! I started to feel God with me and have the confidence that only He can bring. My life started to fall into place and I felt happy and peaceful. There are still days when nothing goes right, I yell at my kids, or I'm selfish but my life is in such a better place having a relationship with God.
"He was dead and has come back to life."
"He was lost and now he is found."
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 6: Practicing
Confession and Repentance
Confession and Repentance
Day 6 Scripture: Psalm 51:1-12
Just like an skill that we learn we must practice. Start by reading today's scripture and then write down a couple prayers of confession and repentance.
Here are some prompts to get you started:
- Who have I injured? What action caused this hurt?
- When have I put myself, others, or other things before God?
- Ask God to show you any un-confessed sins.
- Reflect on your day and go to God with your sins of the day.
Make sure to ask for forgiveness (freedom) from the guilt and for guidance to do better.
"Have mercy on my O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out my sins, wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin for I recognize my sin, it haunts me day and night." - Psalm 51:1-3
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 7: Reflection
Today is a day to reflect on you and what we have learned in this study so far. Take some quiet time today to meditate and memorize. Let the truth of God's word grow in our hearts.
"So remember this and keep in firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other." - Deuteronomy 4:39
"But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, we live for him." - 1 Corinthians 8:6
"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." - Psalm 119:105
Friday, May 9, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 8: Prayers of Petition
Day 8 Scripture: Luke 11:5-13, Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 22:39-44, James 5:13-18
Prayers of petition are the most common prayers we make. Prayers of petition are those that are more about what we want or need, demands for guidance, prayers for help, or prayers said as a group. God created us to come to Him with our problems and requests for help and he always listens to these types of prayers.
God doesn't always answer are prayers in the way we want. I read a quote somewhere that said "when things are falling apart, the pieces might be falling into place." this is how God answers are prayers of petition sometimes. When we ask God for something we need be open to the idea that you might receive something different that you expect.
From my journal:
"Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." - Luke 22:42
God knows all and has already seen where we will go in life. When we ask for something or want to make a big decision / change in our life we should pray to God with what we want and ask God to share with us what his will is.
"Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you." - Luke 11:9
If we are suffering, happy, ill or in need we should earnestly pray. Prayers offered in faith will have power. Pray, sing praises and have a close communication and relationship with God.
Prayers of petition are the most common prayers we make. Prayers of petition are those that are more about what we want or need, demands for guidance, prayers for help, or prayers said as a group. God created us to come to Him with our problems and requests for help and he always listens to these types of prayers.
God doesn't always answer are prayers in the way we want. I read a quote somewhere that said "when things are falling apart, the pieces might be falling into place." this is how God answers are prayers of petition sometimes. When we ask God for something we need be open to the idea that you might receive something different that you expect.
From my journal:
"Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." - Luke 22:42
God knows all and has already seen where we will go in life. When we ask for something or want to make a big decision / change in our life we should pray to God with what we want and ask God to share with us what his will is.
"Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you." - Luke 11:9
If we are suffering, happy, ill or in need we should earnestly pray. Prayers offered in faith will have power. Pray, sing praises and have a close communication and relationship with God.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 9: Prayers of Petition in Scripture
Day 9 Scripture: Psalm 56, Matthew 26:36-46, and Luke 18:1-8
Intimacy is what God wants from us and this intimacy extends all the way down to our asking (petitioning) for the things we want and need. God wants to share an intimate relationship with us a give and take of communication. Us asking and praising him and God answering our prayers and blessing us with an enjoyable life.
But we cannot spend our time in prayer constantly asking for this and that, please God don't let it rain, or please let me get this juice stain out of the carpet. We need to make sure that we are not taking advantage of our privilege to pray. The balance between longing and surrender, boldness and trust this is the way that Jesus prayed to God in Gethsemane (the mount of olives). A great example of how we should be petitioning the Almighty Lord.
From my journal:
Psalm 56:3 "But when I am afraid I will put my trust in you." David was so afraid but he continued to have faith, pray, and trust in God. He prayed for strength and for God to stand beside him. David never once prayed to be freed. That blows me away. Instead of praying "please God let me go, let me escape." His prayer of petition was for God to make him strong and that if it was God's will we would be a sacrifice.
Matthew 26:39 & 42 "My Father! If it be possible this cup of suffering be taken away from me...If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done."
And Jesus knew that man had betrayed him and his death would shortly follow. Jesus' only prayers of petition was that he would do what God asked, even through his fear of dying, he only wanted to make sure that it was God's will.
Luke 18:1 "they should always pray and never give up." If we truly need something whether physical or words of guidance we should cry out to God in prayers of petition. Even if we have to cry out day and night until we get an answer. God will not turn a deaf ear to us, he welcomes the intimate interaction and he will always answer us.
"The pleas of an honest heart following hard after God are music to His ears." - She Reads Truth
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 10 - Practice Petition
Day 10 Scripture: Matthew 26:36-46 and Philippians 4:6-7
Practice, practice, practice - practice is the only way to become comfortable with prayer. While we will never achieve "perfection" on this earth, God's will for us is for a closer relationship with His perfection.
Today we will practice how best to approach God with our petitions. Each desire that we have is important to us and in turn important to Him. Part of practicing prayer is so we know that we can go to God for anything, safety, comfort, guidance, wisdom, and in prayers of petition.
For today's practice exercise I would suggest a journal or you want to simply pray through the list below.
- Thank God for watching over you and always being at your side. Repent if you feel you have hidden anything from God over the past few days.
- Try to find something to ask God for (anything large or small).
- Make sure to be specific when you pray, don't hold anything back.
- Be bold in asking God for what you want - He can even grant what you might think is impossible.
End your prayers with "Not my will, but yours be done. Amen"
Philippians 4:6-7 "Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand. Hid peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 11: Prayers of Intercession
Day 11 Scripture: Nehemiah 1, John 17, and Romans 12:12
The word intercede means to intervene on another's behalf. In prayer it means to go to God in the name of another.
In today's scripture we see Nehemiah and Jesus praying to God for others, putting their own agenda aside and praying for the struggles of others.
When we pray prayers of intercession there is a kind of formula that we see examples of in the bible. First we confess and repent of our own sins, second we remind / praise God of his commandments and how we love and respect them, lastly we make our requests for help for the person we are praying for.
From my Journal:
John 17 - The Prayer of Jesus
Jesus praised and thanked God his father before praying his prayer of intercession.
"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me..." John 17:9
"...Now protect them by the power of your name. So that they will be united
just as we are." John 17:11
just as we are." John 17:11
This is my favorite part of this scripture.
"I'm not asking you to take them out of this world, but to keep them sage
from the evil one. John 17:15
from the evil one. John 17:15
"Make them holy by your TRUTH, teach them your word which is TRUTH" John 17:17
Friday, May 16, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 12: Prayers of Intercession
in Scripture
Day 12 Scripture: Exodus 32
Exodus is the story of the Gold Calf and Moses praying to God to share the people of Israel.
-Moses goes to God on behalf of the people of Israel
-The people get tired of waiting and wondering when Moses will return and so they go wild and make a new God - the Gold Calf
-Moses pleads and prays to God to not abandon the people even though they turned away from him
-God grants Moses' request, but reminds Moses that when he calls them home God will hold them accountable for their sins (I read this as they will not be entering the gates into heaven, but it is not Moses' concern.)
From my journal:
I will admit that one of my biggest faults is I invest too much into others, and in an attempts to help I put myself into other people's drama. Getting lost and becoming overwhelmed by others is letting our hearts wonder away from God. God wants us to pray prayers of intercession instead of trying to correct other people's problems ourselves.
God wants us to be interactive through our prayers and conversations with him. God is a personal God. God wishes us to pray for others.
Intercessory prayer is less about us and God and more about grace and sharing God with others. James 5:16
Praying for others not only shows grace and shares God's greatness, but it's a selfless act shared between you and God. What we need to remember is when we pray for others we are taking the sadness we feel over the situation and giving it to God, we need to feel relief that God is taking care of it. We can pray every time we feel the sadness, but God will make the decision on how to act in the other person's life.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 13: Practicing Intercession
Today is all about taking action and putting what we've learned about prayers of intercession to work.
Make sure to grab your journals.
Write down or pray the following prayers.
1. Quiet your mind and identify a person or persons you look up to spiritually
2. Write down how this person(s) showed instruction or examples of intercession
3. Write or say a prayer on intercession on behalf of the person(s) above
4. Don't forget to include praises to God for giving you the privilege of prayer.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 14: Memorize
Today is all about quiet time with the word of God, meditate and memorize his word. Go back over all the scripture we have read so far in this study, see what speaks to your heart. Spend this time in with God, drink in his words and memorize them into your heart. We do this to bring honor and joy to God and for us it allows us to grow in his TRUTH.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 15: Kingdom Praying
Day 15 Scripture: Matthew 6:10
There are prayers of praise, we focus upward. Prayers of confession are focused inward. And prayers for His Kingdom where we turn our attention outward.
What is kingdom prayer? What are we praying for when we pray this type of prayer?
Kingdom prayers are for asking God to bring heaven to earth. To bring God's work down to us, to ALL of us.
We can open the door to heaven and let God's work be done, the Gospel to be spread, for God to bless us all. We need to see the world through His eyes, with His love.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 16: Kingdom Prayer in Scripture
Day 16 Scripture: Colossians 4:2-4, John 13:34, and Psalm 88:9
The Big Picture
Sometimes we are so focused on OUR lives and what's going on in OUR lives that we can't see the bigger picture. "Can't see the forest, for the trees."
God made the world and the universe in such a way that they don't need God's constant overseeing, saving, and redemption. But humans are completely different - we need God daily.
Psalm 88:9 "My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O Lord, I lift my hands to you for mercy."
Colossians 4:2-4 "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ"
From my journal:
Its estimated that there are 7,167,265,400 and counting in the world today. God tells us that just 1 person can make all the difference. We can make a huge difference in His Kingdom. This power can be used to take care of us, our families, and all the billions of others.
ZOOM OUT
We have to stop worrying about what clothes to buy, where to eat, and what car we drive. We need to seek His Kingdom and stop looking at ourselves under a magnifying glass. God can help us lift our eyes and see the bigger higher purpose of God's will, but we have to ask through prayer. We will then see what is close to God's heart. ♥♥♥
God's expression of his will is the commandment that "you love one another, even as I have loved you" (John 13:34). We ask for God's loving plan to be fully realized on earth as it already is in heaven.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 17: Practicing Kingdom Praying
Day 17 Scripture: Psalm 103:19, Isaiah 61:1, and Revelations 11:15
How do we choose what to pray for? There are so many world issues and we have all our own issues, it may seem a little overwhelming to pick just one thing. Try to remember to stay focused on the bigger picture, pray for the hurting of the world close and far.
As you see the news stories instead of turning away or sitting in worry use these opportunities to pray. Ask God for a good ending, for His Kingdom to come to earth and for people to find God.
As you pray you might find that God will lay down a path for you, directing you towards a specific area, person, or issue. You may be the good outcome. You might be the one to bring God's work to a problem. Isaiah 61:1
From my journal:
Lately I have really tried to sit down and think if there are other's who need my prayers. A friend in need or families facing loosing everything in a flood or fire. I still pray from myself, but why not pray for others too? There is power in prayer and every prayer is heard by God. So pray for those around you that request prayers, for all the hungry in the world, pray for your neighbor, or those hurting in Russia.
My 1 prayer could make all the difference. Isn't that amazing? God gave me this gift to use and to share, so by praying I am bringing His Kingdom to earth.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 18: Private and Corporate Praying
Day 18 Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6
The who, where, and when of praying
I think most of us can easily say that we have no problems with private prayer. That quiet time when we build our personal relationship with God. When we can humbly speak to our Father and in the quiet hear his response. But what about Corporate prayer? Out in the public for all to hear? Social media is the synagogue of today. Do you struggle with putting your prayers out there for all to see / read / hear?
Whether it’s on Instagram or as a guest at your neighbor’s table, each time we call out His name publicly, we must carefully examine: am I doing this to be impressive, or am I doing this because He’s impressive? - She Reads Truth .com
Corporate prayer is when we a community (the christian community in groups large or small) come together in prayer, lifting one another up and praising God.
Are we calling out his name to impress others or because He is impressive? I think we really have to ask ourselves this question.
From my journal:
I'm sure you have seen o Facebook or received an email that say "if you are a believer than repost this or forward it on." I don't need to "like" something so that everyone knows I am a Christian. My prayers and actions show I'm a Christian, I don't need to impress others with my prayers.
Do not go around tooting your own horn at all the charity you give, the works you do for the church, or yell out about the prayers you pray. Don't act like a Christian to impress people.
"But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." Matthew 6:6
God calls us to pray privately and also to share in prayer with other like minded and like hearted people. There is nothing wrong with asking the church or small group to pray with you, or for a group to pray together and all pray for someone or something.
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16
Additional Scripture:
James 5:16
Acts 2:42
Luke 9:28
John 17
Mark 14:32
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 19: The Everywhere & The Somewhere
Day 19 Scripture: Acts 4:23-31 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17
When should we pray? Where should we pray?
ALWAYS & EVERYWHERE
We should have such a closeness with God and also those around us (friends and family) that a conversation can naturally flow into prayer (what would God say? Lets pray about it.)
Remember our practice days in this series? I wrote "Everything done right requires practice." and we have to build our relationship with God through time spent in quiet study, prayer, and praise.
A relationship with God is build through communication and time spent in prayer - anything, anywhere, & everywhere. But this relationship also develops when we meet with God regularly at a specific time and place.
Do you make and keep your appointments with your Father?
A specific place can be anywhere you choose. A place with your bible, journal, pens, markers, etc. Where you feel comfortable, relaxed, and can open your heart to God without distractions.
In bed in the morning before the kids are up (this is my place). Or in your home office, on the patio with your coffee, at night cuddled up on the couch...ANYWHERE
Do you look forward to that time? Do you feel different when you miss that appointment?
Additional Scripture about quiet prayer (your appointment with God)
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Mark 1:35
Luke 5:16
Luke 6:12
Acts 10:9
Daniel 6:10
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Prayer in the Bible Day 20 - Practice
We have talked about making and keeping an appointment with God, a specific time and place for building our relationship. Yesterday we learned about two types of prayer, Private and Corporate (prayer we share with others). Today we are going to put these two types of prayer into practice.
Step out of your comfort zone and turn your focus on one of the two prayer types that might make you feel uncomfortable. If you are comfortable praying alone but praying with someone else makes you squirm than focus on keeping an appointment with a friend to pray.
Private Prayer
Goal - Praying alone at an appointment time
Review the following scriptures about private prayer: Matthew 6:6, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, Acts 10:9 and Daniel 6:10.
Make / Find a realistic space for daily prayer
Pick a location and make it yours
Commit this time to the Lord
Praying with Others
Goal - Ask the Lord to help you choose a person to pray with
Review the following scriptures about praying with others: Acts 2:42, Acts 20:36, James 5:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Choose a comfortable place where you and your prayer partner can pray, talk, praise, and enjoy Christian companionship
From my Journal,
Praying and bible study in small groups makes me feel really nervous. People can get really heated and defensive when others have a difference of opinion, especially when it comes to religion. I have tried to have fellowship with some of friends and it ended with feeling upset and judged about my views and thoughts. I feel intimidated because of those interactions with sharing my feelings and personal thoughts about my faith.
Currently I really don't have any close friends that I feel okay praying with. I would really like to pray with my husband, but he is not very religious. I am trying to get my husband to open up about being more involved in our faith. I try to talk to him daily about what I'm doing to grow my relationship with God.
My goal is to keep praying in private, talking to my husband about our faith, and to find someone (hopefully soon my husband) to pray with.
Tomorrow is the end of our study She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible. Tomorrow is a meditate and memorize day. Take tomorrow and look about over your journal entries and all the scriptures we have used along the way. Pick out your favorites and take some quiet time to memorize them into your heart.
I will start looking into the next study over the weekend.
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 1: Intro
Prayer In The Bible
Intro
Building a relationship with God requires that we have open communication. Prayer is a way of communicating with God. As with all relationships we must show vulnerability, understanding and practice.
Prayer is a blessing, privilege and a gift, but putting prayer into action takes practice. Over the next 3 weeks we will explore 5 types of prayers - praise, confession, petition, intercession and kingdom advancement. – She Reads Truth will lead us through instructions and examples of each type of prayer in Scripture. Together we will discuss the Who/Where/When of prayer and challenge ourselves to put what we have learned into action.
Tomorrow will be the first day of this lesson and we will start by exploring the first type of prayer, Praise.
Praise: Noun to offer grateful homage to (God), as in words, song, or prayer.
Prayer In The Bible
Intro
Building a relationship with God requires that we have open communication. Prayer is a way of communicating with God. As with all relationships we must show vulnerability, understanding and practice.
Prayer is a blessing, privilege and a gift, but putting prayer into action takes practice. Over the next 3 weeks we will explore 5 types of prayers - praise, confession, petition, intercession and kingdom advancement. – She Reads Truth will lead us through instructions and examples of each type of prayer in Scripture. Together we will discuss the Who/Where/When of prayer and challenge ourselves to put what we have learned into action.
Tomorrow will be the first day of this lesson and we will start by exploring the first type of prayer, Praise.
Praise: Noun to offer grateful homage to (God), as in words, song, or prayer.
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 1
Prayer in the Bible Day 1: Praise
Day 1 Scripture: Psalm 8
There are those moments when we pray for help and guidance or for the screaming baby to fall asleep. But there are also those moments when our breath is taken away and we forget ourselves - these moments are moments of prayer praise. Words don't even have to be spoke for God knows that you are in awe of something he created, you are enjoying a gift he made for us.
These moments are best when experienced when we wake up each morning, not that I roll out of bed ready to praise, but if we find just one moment each morning to sit and make it all about God then our day might be so much better. The moment I enjoy the most is those few minutes before the kids wake up and the hustle starts, to say "Thank you God".
From my Journal:
I know that I feel more centered when I do my devotional time in the morning, when I take the time to cherish and nurture my relationship with God. My mornings spent with God are for learning the word, applying it to my life and to give praise and thanks to God. My nights before I fall asleep and when I'm in the car alone are my times to pray for help.
Moving on there were two versus that I really liked in Psalm 8.
V3 "When I look at the night sky and see the work on your fingers p the moon and the stars you set in place."
David is in awe - he is thanking God for the wonder of the sky and acknowledging that God made it.
V5 "Yet you made them (Us) only a little lower than God and crowned them with Glory and honor."
We are only a little lower than God and oh the blessing of his glory and honor. Grace
Prayer in the Bible Day 1: Praise
Day 1 Scripture: Psalm 8
There are those moments when we pray for help and guidance or for the screaming baby to fall asleep. But there are also those moments when our breath is taken away and we forget ourselves - these moments are moments of prayer praise. Words don't even have to be spoke for God knows that you are in awe of something he created, you are enjoying a gift he made for us.
These moments are best when experienced when we wake up each morning, not that I roll out of bed ready to praise, but if we find just one moment each morning to sit and make it all about God then our day might be so much better. The moment I enjoy the most is those few minutes before the kids wake up and the hustle starts, to say "Thank you God".
From my Journal:
I know that I feel more centered when I do my devotional time in the morning, when I take the time to cherish and nurture my relationship with God. My mornings spent with God are for learning the word, applying it to my life and to give praise and thanks to God. My nights before I fall asleep and when I'm in the car alone are my times to pray for help.
Moving on there were two versus that I really liked in Psalm 8.
V3 "When I look at the night sky and see the work on your fingers p the moon and the stars you set in place."
David is in awe - he is thanking God for the wonder of the sky and acknowledging that God made it.
V5 "Yet you made them (Us) only a little lower than God and crowned them with Glory and honor."
We are only a little lower than God and oh the blessing of his glory and honor. Grace
O Lord, Our Lord your majestic name fills the earth." - Psalm 8:1
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 2
Prayer in the Bible Day 2 - Praise
Day 2 Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 Psalm 100
Praising the Lord - having a voice and using it to joyously and happily thank God.
There are so many way to praise the Lord
Singing in the car
Praise of church
Worship and sing with your kids
Hum
"Give the Lord the glory he deserves - worship the word." - 1 Chronicles 16:29
How should we be praising the Lord? Should we do it out of obligation?
When I think praise that I know God loves I think of Gladness, Joy, Thanks, Love,Excitement, and Energy.
From my journal:
Sometimes when I feel the pull to go to church it's to praise. I often feel more open to praise when I go to church alone. This is something that I need to work on, I should feel comfortable to praise even when my husband is at my side. I really enjoy singing anywhere - at church and I have my car radio tuned to the Fish (my local christian music radio). In the mornings I have our home radio tuned to the christian station so my 3 year old and I can sing and dance around. That is praise!
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 3
Prayer in the Bible Day 3 - Practicing Praise
Day 3 Scripture: Psalm 8, 1 Chronicles 16:7-36, Psalm 100
Everything done right requires practice. We have to practice to say thank you to God. First we have to ask ourselves "How do I see God's hand at work in my life?" The answer to this question are the things that we need to say thank you for.
We also have to remember that we have to say thank you even in the harder times. This doesn't always happen when we are in the thick of the storm, but saying thank you after the calm has come. Thank you for bring the storm that put me back on my path or kept me from going down a rough road. After we start challenging ourselves to say thank you, we will start giving our thanks naturally.
shereadstruth.com has a great exercise for "thank you" beginners. Pretend that you are writing God a thank you note.
God,
I am sincerely thankful for _______________________.
Thank you
I'm faithfully yours
Try every day to say thank you, for everything at first. Before long you will be thanking God all the time. This might be a practice that you have to do every once in awhile. If you notice that you haven't thanked God daily then set up a challenge for yourself to thank God daily for 2 weeks, or a month etc.
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 4
Prayer in the Bible Day 4: Confession and Repentance
Day 4 Scripture: Psalm 32:1-7
The best thing about the crucifixion is how we were all born again free from sin. But then what? We as humans began to sin again. We cannot take our sin and hide from God. We cannot sit quietly and tune out what the spirit has to say.
This is the place that the devil likes us to be. Alone and away from God swimming in our sin and guilt. He will lie to us so that we stay in this dark and lonely place.
But God will always forgive us. We have to be accountable with God, be honest, and try to fix what we have done, heal those we have hurt, and correct the damage we have done.
From my journal:
The Psalm of David teaches us that the longer we hide our sin the worst we feel. We have to give this sin and guilt over to God and allow his forgiveness to rain down on us. We cannot dwell in the pain after we have repented we have to heal. Do not "drown in the floodwaters of judgement."Psalm 32:7
God Forgives All
The Psalm of David teaches us that the longer we hide our sin the worst we feel. We have to give this sin and guilt over to God and allow his forgiveness to rain down on us. We cannot dwell in the pain after we have repented we have to heal. Do not "drown in the floodwaters of judgement."Psalm 32:7
God Forgives All
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 5
Prayer in the Bible Day 5: Confession & Repentance
Day 5 Scripture: Luke 15:11-32 The Parable of the Lost Son
The thing about sinning, confessing, and repenting is that we first have to be honest with ourselves that we have done something against God and our beliefs. Once we have been honest with ourselves that this is something we didn't mean or want to do and we are not happy with the what we have done we must then go to God and those affected by our sin. We can't go to God with some preconceived thought of how God will respond or with an expectation of what restoration might look like. Confession and Repentance is very simple we have to take our offending sin to God, be honest and genuinely repent and want to do better.
No matter the sin or how long you turn away from God He will always gladly welcome you Home.
From my journal:
It's such a reassuring thought that God will always celebrate our return home, but the going home can sometimes be so hard. It took me almost 13 years to get back to God, and I struggled a lot in these years with other sins and brokenness. I was face down in my sin and the devil made me feel unworthy of God's forgiveness and love. It took having my second daughter to forgive myself and not think about what God was going to do. I finally stepped out of the dark and turned to God. Nothing really happened at first, but I continued to pray and pray! I started to feel God with me and have the confidence that only He can bring. My life started to fall into place and I felt happy and peaceful. There are still days when nothing goes right, I yell at my kids, or I'm selfish but my life is in such a better place having a relationship with God.
It's such a reassuring thought that God will always celebrate our return home, but the going home can sometimes be so hard. It took me almost 13 years to get back to God, and I struggled a lot in these years with other sins and brokenness. I was face down in my sin and the devil made me feel unworthy of God's forgiveness and love. It took having my second daughter to forgive myself and not think about what God was going to do. I finally stepped out of the dark and turned to God. Nothing really happened at first, but I continued to pray and pray! I started to feel God with me and have the confidence that only He can bring. My life started to fall into place and I felt happy and peaceful. There are still days when nothing goes right, I yell at my kids, or I'm selfish but my life is in such a better place having a relationship with God.
"He was dead and has come back to life."
"He was lost and now he is found."
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 6
Prayer in the Bible Day 6: Practicing
Confession and Repentance
Confession and Repentance
Day 6 Scripture: Psalm 51:1-12
Just like an skill that we learn we must practice. Start by reading today's scripture and then write down a couple prayers of confession and repentance.
Here are some prompts to get you started:
- Who have I injured? What action caused this hurt?
- When have I put myself, others, or other things before God?
- Ask God to show you any un-confessed sins.
- Reflect on your day and go to God with your sins of the day.
Make sure to ask for forgiveness (freedom) from the guilt and for guidance to do better.
"Have mercy on my O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out my sins, wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin for I recognize my sin, it haunts me day and night." - Psalm 51:1-3
She Reads Truth - Prayer In the Bible Day 7
Prayer in the Bible Day 7: Reflection
Today is a day to reflect on you and what we have learned in this study so far. Take some quiet time today to meditate and memorize. Let the truth of God's word grow in our hearts.
"So remember this and keep in firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other." - Deuteronomy 4:39
"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." - Psalm 119:105
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 8
Prayer in the Bible Day 8: Prayers of Petition
Day 8 Scripture: Luke 11:5-13, Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 22:39-44, James 5:13-18
Prayers of petition are the most common prayers we make. Prayers of petition are those that are more about what we want or need, demands for guidance, prayers for help, or prayers said as a group. God created us to come to Him with our problems and requests for help and he always listens to these types of prayers.
God doesn't always answer are prayers in the way we want. I read a quote somewhere that said "when things are falling apart, the pieces might be falling into place." this is how God answers are prayers of petition sometimes. When we ask God for something we need be open to the idea that you might receive something different that you expect.
"Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." - Luke 22:42
God knows all and has already seen where we will go in life. When we ask for something or want to make a big decision / change in our life we should pray to God with what we want and ask God to share with us what his will is.
"Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you." - Luke 11:9
If we are suffering, happy, ill or in need we should earnestly pray. Prayers offered in faith will have power. Pray, sing praises and have a close communication and relationship with God.
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 9
Prayer in the Bible Day 9: Prayers of Petition in Scripture
Day 9 Scripture: Psalm 56, Matthew 26:36-46, and Luke 18:1-8
Intimacy is what God wants from us and this intimacy extends all the way down to our asking (petitioning) for the things we want and need. God wants to share an intimate relationship with us a give and take of communication. Us asking and praising him and God answering our prayers and blessing us with an enjoyable life.
But we cannot spend our time in prayer constantly asking for this and that, please God don't let it rain, or please let me get this juice stain out of the carpet. We need to make sure that we are not taking advantage of our privilege to pray. The balance between longing and surrender, boldness and trust this is the way that Jesus prayed to God in Gethsemane (the mount of olives). A great example of how we should be petitioning the Almighty Lord.
Psalm 56:3 "But when I am afraid I will put my trust in you." David was so afraid but he continued to have faith, pray, and trust in God. He prayed for strength and for God to stand beside him. David never once prayed to be freed. That blows me away. Instead of praying "please God let me go, let me escape." His prayer of petition was for God to make him strong and that if it was God's will we would be a sacrifice.
Matthew 26:39 & 42 "My Father! If it be possible this cup of suffering be taken away from me...If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done."
And Jesus knew that man had betrayed him and his death would shortly follow. Jesus' only prayers of petition was that he would do what God asked, even through his fear of dying, he only wanted to make sure that it was God's will.
Luke 18:1 "they should always pray and never give up." If we truly need something whether physical or words of guidance we should cry out to God in prayers of petition. Even if we have to cry out day and night until we get an answer. God will not turn a deaf ear to us, he welcomes the intimate interaction and he will always answer us.
"The pleas of an honest heart following hard after God are music to His ears." - She Reads Truth
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 10
Prayer in the Bible Day 10 - Practice Petition
Day 10 Scripture: Matthew 26:36-46 and Philippians 4:6-7
Practice, practice, practice - practice is the only way to become comfortable with prayer. While we will never achieve "perfection" on this earth, God's will for us is for a closer relationship with His perfection.
Today we will practice how best to approach God with our petitions. Each desire that we have is important to us and in turn important to Him. Part of practicing prayer is so we know that we can go to God for anything, safety, comfort, guidance, wisdom, and in prayers of petition.
For today's practice exercise I would suggest a journal or you want to simply pray through the list below.
- Thank God for watching over you and always being at your side. Repent if you feel you have hidden anything from God over the past few days.
- Try to find something to ask God for (anything large or small).
- Make sure to be specific when you pray, don't hold anything back.
- Be bold in asking God for what you want - He can even grant what you might think is impossible.
End your prayers with "Not my will, but yours be done. Amen"
Philippians 4:6-7 "Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand. Hid peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 11
Prayer in the Bible Day 11: Prayers of Intercession
Day 11 Scripture: Nehemiah 1, John 17, and Romans 12:12
The word intercede means to intervene on another's behalf. In prayer it means to go to God in the name of another.
In today's scripture we see Nehemiah and Jesus praying to God for others, putting their own agenda aside and praying for the struggles of others.
When we pray prayers of intercession there is a kind of formula that we see examples of in the bible. First we confess and repent of our own sins, second we remind / praise God of his commandments and how we love and respect them, lastly we make our requests for help for the person we are praying for.
From my Journal:
John 17 - The Prayer of Jesus
Jesus praised and thanked God his father before praying his prayer of intercession.
"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me..." John 17:9
"...Now protect them by the power of your name. So that they will be united
just as we are." John 17:11
just as we are." John 17:11
This is my favorite part of this scripture.
"I'm not asking you to take them out of this world, but to keep them sage
from the evil one. John 17:15
from the evil one. John 17:15
"Make them holy by your TRUTH, teach them your word which is TRUTH" John 17:17
She Reads Truth - Prayer in the Bible Day 12
Prayer in the Bible Day 12: Prayers of Intercession
in Scripture
Day 12 Scripture: Exodus 32
Exodus is the story of the Gold Calf and Moses praying to God to share the people of Israel.
-Moses goes to God on behalf of the people of Israel
-The people get tired of waiting and wondering when Moses will return and so they go wild and make a new God - the Gold Calf
-Moses pleads and prays to God to not abandon the people even though they turned away from him
-God grants Moses' request, but reminds Moses that when he calls them home God will hold them accountable for their sins (I read this as they will not be entering the gates into heaven, but it is not Moses' concern.)
From my journal:
I will admit that one of my biggest faults is I invest too much into others, and in an attempts to help I put myself into other people's drama. Getting lost and becoming overwhelmed by others is letting our hearts wonder away from God. God wants us to pray prayers of intercession instead of trying to correct other people's problems ourselves.
God wants us to be interactive through our prayers and conversations with him. God is a personal God. God wishes us to pray for others.
Intercessory prayer is less about us and God and more about grace and sharing God with others. James 5:16
Praying for others not only shows grace and shares God's greatness, but it's a selfless act shared between you and God. What we need to remember is when we pray for others we are taking the sadness we feel over the situation and giving it to God, we need to feel relief that God is taking care of it. We can pray every time we feel the sadness, but God will make the decision on how to act in the other person's life.
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #1
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #1
To start out I would suggest going over to http://shereadstruth.com/2014/02/24/intro-bible/ and check out the video there as an introduction into She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day.
This study is really about us women coming to understand the Word of God.
What is true of God's Word? Each day's study will include portions from Psalm 119 and additional scriptures relevant to the day's topic.
I will be journaling as I read and will share some of that with y'all. I would recommend you also journal, as it keeps a record of your thoughts as you read God's Word.
I hope you follow along with me and enjoy this wonderful study.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #2
The bible is the story, the story of God. It is a story of God who revealed himself through Jesus Christ and accomplished His purpose through love, glory, grace, and mercy on us. The best part about this story is that it's about God, it doesn't have to be completely about us. We are free from being the center of attention and performing flawlessly, that's all God's job, this is His story.
"To truly know Him, to live a life of abundance and grace and joy and meaning in relationship with Christ Jesus, we must listen to Him speak." - She Reads Truth
Here are some of my thoughts:
We should not compare our lives to those of others, but instead we should compare our lives with what God commands. God has a plan already set for us before we even start, and its far bigger than we can imagine. The thing we have to remember is that our plans might not be God's plan, we have to turn our plans over to God and if it is right for us God will answer with Yes, if he answers with No then He will lead us in our faith where we need to be.
Matthew 5:17-18
I will be honest I had some trouble with this scripture. I was kind of lost to its meaning, I had to do some additional reading of Matthew 5:1-20. Matthew starts with the be-attitudes or the new laws/ways of living that will allow us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 17-18 is God's explanation of the New Testament and how the 10 commandments of the Old Testament have been met (it's purpose achieved) and are therefore removed.
I would love to hear your thoughts, please comment or email me!
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #3
“All scripture is breathed out by God,”
I think it is save to them say that it is Truth - something real that we can look to, hold on to. In Genesis God breathed life into Adam, His own breath created the first man - how personal!
"And this is where it gets personal again. Because we know that the Bible is the totally-truthful breath of God – the only voice of God we will ever hear or ever need to hear until He returns – we know that to read it means to hear the voice of God spoken to us Every. Single. Day. And writing it on our hearts in memorization means to carry that with us everywhere we go." - She Reads Truth
Here are some of my thoughts that I journaled:
Give me your love and I will devote myself to you and your word. I will us your word as protection and I will share your truth to others. I love your word and prize!
Your word and promises revive me
Isaiah 42:5-6 - God created the heaven and all living things in it. But when He created us, He called to us and demonstrated His righteousness, He will guard us and we will be the light to guide the nations.
"When the Bible speaks, God Speaks" - Albert Mohler
Thursday, April 10, 2014
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #4
During the 1st day in Genesis - "God said." What God said was, it was true and it was fact. His plan for even that 1st day was made and when he spoke it was done. Its the same for the promises he has made with us, they are true.
You made me, created me, gave me your love and your grace and I in return should follow your commandments - Your Truth. "I delight in your instructions." Psalm 119:70
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 "Those called by God to Salvation...Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Christ made us right with God, he made us pure and holy and he freed us from sin."
From my Journal / My Thoughts:
I think has been one of my favorites parts of this series so far. I really felt a connection to my life in each passage I read.
I wonder about my life, where its going, and what my purpose is. I turn to your word God for guidance and wisdom. You have done so many things for me and my family and I trust and pray I will continue to be blessed.
My daughter has been sick with a high fever since yesterday and I tried to finish this last night, but was so tired. So this morning I read Isaiah 55:10-11 and this is what I wrote in my journal.
Gods word and belief in us is like the snow that waters the earth in turn growing the grain for the farmer. God send His word out into the hearts of the people of the world and it prospers where he send it. I think its the same with us, we are the seed that God sends out - he knows that we will prosper where He sends us. We are where we are suppose to be doing what we are suppose to do. This is so reassuring - I am where I am suppose to be doing what God has planned for me.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Why do we read the bible, memorize scripture, and meditate on God's word? Why do you read the Bible? Before the 12 months or so I had not / did not read the Bible, it was intimidating. The language was hard to understand and I was lost on the meaning and how to apply it to everyday life. She Reads Truth really makes it easy.
Today we are looking at putting on God's armor and fighting the Christian fight against the evils that "The forces of darkness that are defeated, but not yet harmless." As a Christian there will be times when when we will have to fight against evil spiritual forces, pick up the sword of God, use the wisdom of God's word, and with God at our sides we will defend ourselves.
"Reading Scripture and meditating on it, storing it up in our hearts and minds, is not mere Christian duty. It is our privilege." - She Reads Truth
From my journal:
In Ephesians the armor of God is laid out. There are 6 pieces to the armor, the recipe of how to stand against evil and come out on the other side whole.
1. The body of the armor - Gods righteousness
2. The belt of truth
3. The shoes - God's peace
4. The shield of faith
5. The helmet - God's salvation
6. The sword of the spirit (two-edged sword) - God's word
Psalms 119:103 "How sweet your words taste to me, they are sweeter than honey."
God's word serves so many purposes - wisdom, guidance, protection, comfort, joy, and solace. When we struggle or when the people around us seek to hurt us in someway, God and his word is where we should turn to for comfort and protection.
Friday, April 11, 2014
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #5
Why do we read the bible, memorize scripture, and meditate on God's word? Why do you read the Bible? Before the 12 months or so I had not / did not read the Bible, it was intimidating. The language was hard to understand and I was lost on the meaning and how to apply it to everyday life. She Reads Truth really makes it easy.
Today we are looking at putting on God's armor and fighting the Christian fight against the evils that "The forces of darkness that are defeated, but not yet harmless." As a Christian there will be times when when we will have to fight against evil spiritual forces, pick up the sword of God, use the wisdom of God's word, and with God at our sides we will defend ourselves.
"Reading Scripture and meditating on it, storing it up in our hearts and minds, is not mere Christian duty. It is our privilege." - She Reads Truth
From my journal:
In Ephesians the armor of God is laid out. There are 6 pieces to the armor, the recipe of how to stand against evil and come out on the other side whole.
1. The body of the armor - Gods righteousness
2. The belt of truth
3. The shoes - God's peace
4. The shield of faith
5. The helmet - God's salvation
6. The sword of the spirit (two-edged sword) - God's word
Psalms 119:103 "How sweet your words taste to me, they are sweeter than honey."
God's word serves so many purposes - wisdom, guidance, protection, comfort, joy, and solace. When we struggle or when the people around us seek to hurt us in someway, God and his word is where we should turn to for comfort and protection.
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #6
The bible is enduring and through all the years since it was written it still ensures. People still have faith and turn to the TRUE words of God for comfort and clarity. When we feel especially confused, sad, tired, or influenced from the outside (culture) that is when we need to turn to the Bible.
All the essential tools we need as Christians are found in the Bible.
"Heart-wounds need healing and souls need freeing in every single country on this spinning globe – so thank God His Word is not bound!" - She Reads Truth
From my journal:
Many people in the Bible have been chained and persecuted because of their faith. But they believed in Jesus and in turn in God and living in the world and commandments of God. "And this word continues to work in you who believe." These people had so much faith and trust that they continued to believe and share the world of God. Even if they were to die they had faith that they were doing God's work and would see God in Heaven. They knew the Truth in God's word.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #7
Today, let us memorize God’s word. Not for our own glory or honor, but as praise to our Father and the growth of His Truth in our hearts.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #8
Intimacy with God comes in spending time in the word. We turn to God and his word when we need relief and encouragement, but we also need to share what we learn with others. Hearing and telling is the give and take of the scriptures.
Today's Psalm passage teaches us that we can pray and cry out to God for rescue and he responds with teaching us his words and guiding our steps with love. I know your laws / commands are TRUE.
Psalm 119:143 "As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands."
From my journal:
In Luke we read about the light of God's word. No one lights a lamp and covers it up. The word of God is like that lamp it shines brightly for all to see. But just like the farmer's seeds some only hear the words for a moment, some don't have the deep roots to help the plant grow, others life gets in the way, but for those that hear God's word and cling to it and it will grow a hundred fold.
Luke 11:28 "Blessed are those that hear the word of God and put it into practice."
Faith comes from hearing, hearing the message and sharing it with all who will hear it.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
She Reads Truth - This is The Bible Day #9
Our Final Day in This Series
Day #9 Scripture: Psalm 119:153-176, Proverbs 4:20-22, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, Acts 4:23-31We are those commissioned by God to transform the very air in which we live, not because of who we are but because of who He is. - She Reads Truth
We are the aroma (a pervasive characteristic or quality) transforming the very air. Through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
2 Corinthians 4:20-22 "Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, life a sweet perfume." A Christ-life fragrance, a life-giving perfume.
From my Journal:
Rescue me from suffering
Take my side
Revived by mercy
Peace
Psalm 119:160 "The very essence of your word is truth."
I really liked both the Proverbs passage and the passage from Acts. I can really use some healing right now both for my body and mind. And I hope through this blog I am sharing His words and being like a wonderful perfume to your souls.
If this is the Bible – if all we’ve read these past 9 days is true – then this is our next step: “To grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) and to be the fragrance of a merciful God to an aching world. - She Reads Truth
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