Last Wednesday, I wrote about one of the rhythms I've gotten into the past few years in my time with the LORD which has sustained me and led me into worship.
Saturday Mornings
I spend Saturday mornings with the LORD, studying His word, worshipping, writing, and praying. It has been the sweetest, most sustaining time I have with the Father. I look forward to it, protect it, enjoy it, glean from it, and delight in it.
Being in His word without a time limit is a gift! I know that this is a season of life where I can enter into fellowship with the Father often, and I try to take advantage of that as much as possible. When I was teaching full-time and involved in other ministry things 2-3 nights a week, I didn't have hours everyday to spend studying. So this was a habit I developed and Saturday mornings with Jesus have sustained me, filled me, and led me into adoration and worship of our King!
Another thing that leads me into worship is prayer. I love going before the Throne of Grace and seeking the LORD. Once or twice a week, I have a real intentional prayer time. I have a prayer place in my house. It's in my guest bedroom, by the side of the bed. I lay out comfy pillows to kneel on, I stack up requests that people have sent me, and I leave out cards of recent weddings or birth announcements. I leave a bible out and open to the Psalms. I read through a psalm or two before I pray to help guide me and enter into His presence through worship and adoration.
I don't write all of this to sound pious, but to just offer some insight into things that have helped me love and worship the LORD with more of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I just can't get into the "morning devotional" routine, 2 minutes of prayer while driving to work feels like I check a box more than I seek the LORD, and I just don't feel fulfilled when I spend time with the LORD like that. These are just practical ways I spend time with the Father, and hopefully someone will find them helpful!
If you're like me, your "prayer place" can be the hardest place to get to. So I pray throughout the day, I talk to God often, I think about Him all the time . . . and I seek Him intentionally, in my prayer place, 1-2 times a week.
I wrote a post on prayer awhile back on why getting to our prayer place can be so hard and shared some practical tips on how to overcome prayerlessness. You can read it here: Prayer
What are some things that help you when it comes to prayer?
Showing posts with label spiritual disciplines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual disciplines. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Saturday Morning Challenge
When I started teaching, I quickly learned that I was too exhausted to do anything after work. I was a newlywed, and I love serving my husband, so I did cook dinner but beyond that, nothing. Exercising was out of the question, reading my bible was to “check a box” and “get it done” so I didn’t feel so guilty.
By the time the weekend came, I was so drained physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was out of energy, overwhelmed, tired, discouraged, and cranky. I could hardly do anything Saturday morning. So I started to protect that time at home. I slept in and did not plan anything until after lunch time.
I’d start a load of laundry, get my breakfast, and plop down at the counter with my books and my computer. I’d check my email (I didn’t have Facebook or Twitter yet) and then I’d just linger. If I found a devotional or article on website, I’d read it. I’d open my bible to whatever I was reading, and dwell there. I’d go off to my prayer place and pray (for myself, my husband, and the 20,000 people I’d offer to pray for throughout the week).
I just committed my Saturday morning to abiding in Christ. No agenda, no time limit, no excuses. And I’ve been doing it ever since.
My Saturday mornings are guarded and protected in my home, with my LORD. I saturate myself in the presence of the LORD. It is my time to be filled by Living Water and satisfied by the Bread of Life. Just like I make coffee dates or lunch dates with friends, this was my date with Jesus. (Sounds hokie, I know!) But honestly, we put everything else on our calendars, why not put some time to be intentional with the LORD?
This has brought so much freedom in my time of study with the LORD. I usually pick one book of the bible, or one sermon series to listen to, and stay there until I finish. {I don’t do well with bible reading plans because I often get more caught up in finishing rather than abiding, so this has worked for me.}
I treasure Saturday mornings like none other. I enjoy slowing down enough to read, pray, listen, worship, and rest. And to be honest, it fills me up like nothing else. Whatever I study/read on Saturdays I keep in my heart and meditate on throughout the week. I strive to be in the Word daily, and this practice has just broken the chains of feeling guilt for “not being in the Word enough”. I am often thinking about the Word and going back to it more because of my time on Saturdays.
Not only that, I feel like I’m growing in God’s word in such a deeper way. I read through the Sermon on the Mount several times in January. Now in February, I’m creeping my way through verse by verse. I can tell you meanings of words and verses that I never knew before!
This week in life group, we read through John 15 and talked about what it means to abide. I challenged my life group this weekend to just commit the first hour of their Saturday to the LORD. Don’t turn on the tv, don’t make any plans. Just wake up, open your bible, and abide.
John 15:5 tells us “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
We are so drained, so busy, so tired, so broken, so discouraged . . . and I wonder if this is why? We are doing it all apart from the One who sustains, fills us up, renews us, gives us strength, heals us, encourages us, and guides us.
Will you consider taking the first hour of your Saturday and spending it with the LORD? Feasting on the Bread of Life and drinking Living Water? If so, leave a comment about what you’ll be reading, or join me in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
I promise, it will fill you and sustain you more than you can ever imagine!
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)
“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)
By the time the weekend came, I was so drained physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was out of energy, overwhelmed, tired, discouraged, and cranky. I could hardly do anything Saturday morning. So I started to protect that time at home. I slept in and did not plan anything until after lunch time.
I’d start a load of laundry, get my breakfast, and plop down at the counter with my books and my computer. I’d check my email (I didn’t have Facebook or Twitter yet) and then I’d just linger. If I found a devotional or article on website, I’d read it. I’d open my bible to whatever I was reading, and dwell there. I’d go off to my prayer place and pray (for myself, my husband, and the 20,000 people I’d offer to pray for throughout the week).
I just committed my Saturday morning to abiding in Christ. No agenda, no time limit, no excuses. And I’ve been doing it ever since.
My Saturday mornings are guarded and protected in my home, with my LORD. I saturate myself in the presence of the LORD. It is my time to be filled by Living Water and satisfied by the Bread of Life. Just like I make coffee dates or lunch dates with friends, this was my date with Jesus. (Sounds hokie, I know!) But honestly, we put everything else on our calendars, why not put some time to be intentional with the LORD?
This has brought so much freedom in my time of study with the LORD. I usually pick one book of the bible, or one sermon series to listen to, and stay there until I finish. {I don’t do well with bible reading plans because I often get more caught up in finishing rather than abiding, so this has worked for me.}
I treasure Saturday mornings like none other. I enjoy slowing down enough to read, pray, listen, worship, and rest. And to be honest, it fills me up like nothing else. Whatever I study/read on Saturdays I keep in my heart and meditate on throughout the week. I strive to be in the Word daily, and this practice has just broken the chains of feeling guilt for “not being in the Word enough”. I am often thinking about the Word and going back to it more because of my time on Saturdays.
Not only that, I feel like I’m growing in God’s word in such a deeper way. I read through the Sermon on the Mount several times in January. Now in February, I’m creeping my way through verse by verse. I can tell you meanings of words and verses that I never knew before!
This week in life group, we read through John 15 and talked about what it means to abide. I challenged my life group this weekend to just commit the first hour of their Saturday to the LORD. Don’t turn on the tv, don’t make any plans. Just wake up, open your bible, and abide.
John 15:5 tells us “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
We are so drained, so busy, so tired, so broken, so discouraged . . . and I wonder if this is why? We are doing it all apart from the One who sustains, fills us up, renews us, gives us strength, heals us, encourages us, and guides us.
Will you consider taking the first hour of your Saturday and spending it with the LORD? Feasting on the Bread of Life and drinking Living Water? If so, leave a comment about what you’ll be reading, or join me in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
I promise, it will fill you and sustain you more than you can ever imagine!
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)
“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Start Somewhere
I’d love to spend time on Wednesdays sharing about some of the spiritual disciplines or spiritual practices (that sounds less strict) that have led me to worship the LORD with more of my heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Let’s start with an obvious one.
Bible reading.
For whatever reason, since I was a child, I absolutely loved learning. In my post yesterday, I told you all about how crazy I was about playing school, after school. I still love learning and studying, but I realize, that might not be the case for all of you. I think that might be what makes part of reading the bible so difficult. Not everyone loves to sit in solitude for an hour to read through Romans!
But we’re exhorted time and time again to make reading your bible of utmost importance. We are told to meditate on this book day and night (Johua 1:8), to be devoted to teaching (Acts 2), to be sanctified in truth (John 17), and to renew our minds (Romans 12).
So we know reading the bible is good for us, it will grow us up in the LORD and conform us to the image of His son. But, let’s face it . . . most of us feel a lot more guilt than pleasure when it comes to reading.
I don’t do it enough.
I should be in the Word more.
I’m not in the Word daily.
Etc.
We’ve all said that, right? I think part of that is healthy conviction, but the other part is guilt and shame from the enemy that keeps us from entering into fellowship with the LORD.
So here’s my encouragement for this week:
Just
Do
It
(Okay, I stole that from Nike.)
But really, just do it! Just once, pull out your bible, and read it. Then, go from there.
Even if it’s just reading for 2 minutes to start with, start there. Start somewhere.
Here are some practical tips that have helped me:
-Leave your bible out and open.
-Don’t turn on the tv first thing when you get home.
-Download a bible app on your phone. Instead of checking Facebook or Pinterest, read through a Proverb or a chapter in Matthew.
-1st day of a new month, start in the first chapter of a new book!
(I'm not a morning person, so you won't find "wake up 10 minutes earlier" on my list, but I've heard it has worked for others!)
And please, share any practical tips that help you devote time (even if it’s 2 minutes) in the Word!
Let’s start with an obvious one.
Bible reading.
For whatever reason, since I was a child, I absolutely loved learning. In my post yesterday, I told you all about how crazy I was about playing school, after school. I still love learning and studying, but I realize, that might not be the case for all of you. I think that might be what makes part of reading the bible so difficult. Not everyone loves to sit in solitude for an hour to read through Romans!
But we’re exhorted time and time again to make reading your bible of utmost importance. We are told to meditate on this book day and night (Johua 1:8), to be devoted to teaching (Acts 2), to be sanctified in truth (John 17), and to renew our minds (Romans 12).
So we know reading the bible is good for us, it will grow us up in the LORD and conform us to the image of His son. But, let’s face it . . . most of us feel a lot more guilt than pleasure when it comes to reading.
I don’t do it enough.
I should be in the Word more.
I’m not in the Word daily.
Etc.
We’ve all said that, right? I think part of that is healthy conviction, but the other part is guilt and shame from the enemy that keeps us from entering into fellowship with the LORD.
So here’s my encouragement for this week:
Just
Do
It
(Okay, I stole that from Nike.)
But really, just do it! Just once, pull out your bible, and read it. Then, go from there.
Even if it’s just reading for 2 minutes to start with, start there. Start somewhere.
Here are some practical tips that have helped me:
-Leave your bible out and open.
-Don’t turn on the tv first thing when you get home.
-Download a bible app on your phone. Instead of checking Facebook or Pinterest, read through a Proverb or a chapter in Matthew.
-1st day of a new month, start in the first chapter of a new book!
(I'm not a morning person, so you won't find "wake up 10 minutes earlier" on my list, but I've heard it has worked for others!)
And please, share any practical tips that help you devote time (even if it’s 2 minutes) in the Word!
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