Back to the Basics....
When a new year starts, we make all kinds of resolutions and goals. Even if we don't write anything down, or speak them out loud, we often review our lives from the past year and set out to change things or make some things happen.
Our spiritual lives are probably one of the biggest areas we want to work on. Right? We long to get closer to Him, and spend more time with Him.
If you are stuck trying to figure out where to start or how to start, I want to share a few things with you.
It's very, very basic. Which is good for a very basic girl like me. {basic with some episodes of drama thrown in from time to time}
Pick a time of day that works best for you.
Morning is my time. It just works. The house is quiet, I have coffee. The end.
Here's what I do after settling into my "spot" on the couch:
Word of warning: try very hard not to check your phone before starting your quiet time. I know it is very hard. If you have to check it, set a one minute timer. Make sure nothing is an emergency, then turn your phone off. Or at least on silent. I know from experience what a distraction our phones can me. It will suck your time away and before you know it your little quiet time window is over. :(
Okay, first I read our SHINE reading plan. It only takes about 10 minutes--if that. I like to do a little commentary search on it too. The best commentary I have found is at enduringword.com Check it out. You will be so glad you did.
After that, I will read the Proverb of the day. For example, today is the 14th, so I read Proverbs 14.
Can I just point out something? We can never read enough Proverbs. Ever. Proverbs are the basic instruction manual for everyday life. I need instructions.
After reading Proverbs, I spend time in prayer. I have some prayer books that I use often, but if they are not close by, I just pray. Pray, pray, pray.
A couple of days during the week I will write in my prayer journal. This takes the place of my prayers. I will write my prayers, instead of speaking them. It's powerful because it's permanent. I can go back and see what God was doing, and has been doing over the course of my life through prayer journals.
That's it.
Really, that's all.
Simple, right?
I always look at my days like an outline. I have a basic idea what I need to do each day, and then I ask God to fill in the rest.
Even with my cleaning schedule. If I don't have some sort of outline for each day, nothing will get done. It just won't.
I like the Lord to direct and order my steps every day. Let me rephrase: I need the Lord to direct and order my steps each day.
"Direct my footsteps according to Your Word, let no sin rule over me." Psalm 119:133
Our God is a God of order. Look at the rising and setting of the sun. Look at the seasons. The months of the years.The days of the week. The hours in a day. The minutes in an hour.
"God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." 1 Corinthians 14:33
You get the picture.
My days can be chaotic. This is just how life rolls sometimes. Or many times.
However, our spirits don't have to be chaotic. The unsettling around us, doesn't have to cause unsettling inside of us.
One of my favorite verses of scriptures is:
"How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!" Psalm 84:1
Guess where His dwelling place is?
Inside of us!
If we are believers in Christ, if we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on a cross taking our sins with Him, and God rose Him from the dead 3 days later....
If we know this to be true, then we know and believe that He dwells inside of us.
"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9
"But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you..."Romans 8:9
Maybe your basics today begin with acknowledging Jesus Christ as your Savior. If this is the case, Oh, what a joyous day this will be for you!
If this is your story today, I encourage you to find someone to pray with you, and talk to you if you are not sure what to do.
I am available to talk to you as well. Always.
I pray in Jesus Name, that the Lord will put someone in your life to encourage you on this journey, and pray for you along the way. Jesus loves you and He is desperately pursuing your beautiful self. You better believe it, precious one.
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.”
Psalms 23:6
Life with Jesus is so very simple. It's not a bunch of rules, regulations, hoops to jump through, or medals to earn.
It's just about receiving the Gift of Him. The Great Exchange of our sins for eternal life with Him.
Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it.
You can believe Him, sweet friend. He died for you.
back to the basics,
jill
Our spiritual lives are probably one of the biggest areas we want to work on. Right? We long to get closer to Him, and spend more time with Him.
If you are stuck trying to figure out where to start or how to start, I want to share a few things with you.
It's very, very basic. Which is good for a very basic girl like me. {basic with some episodes of drama thrown in from time to time}
Pick a time of day that works best for you.
Morning is my time. It just works. The house is quiet, I have coffee. The end.
Here's what I do after settling into my "spot" on the couch:
Word of warning: try very hard not to check your phone before starting your quiet time. I know it is very hard. If you have to check it, set a one minute timer. Make sure nothing is an emergency, then turn your phone off. Or at least on silent. I know from experience what a distraction our phones can me. It will suck your time away and before you know it your little quiet time window is over. :(
Okay, first I read our SHINE reading plan. It only takes about 10 minutes--if that. I like to do a little commentary search on it too. The best commentary I have found is at enduringword.com Check it out. You will be so glad you did.
After that, I will read the Proverb of the day. For example, today is the 14th, so I read Proverbs 14.
Can I just point out something? We can never read enough Proverbs. Ever. Proverbs are the basic instruction manual for everyday life. I need instructions.
After reading Proverbs, I spend time in prayer. I have some prayer books that I use often, but if they are not close by, I just pray. Pray, pray, pray.
A couple of days during the week I will write in my prayer journal. This takes the place of my prayers. I will write my prayers, instead of speaking them. It's powerful because it's permanent. I can go back and see what God was doing, and has been doing over the course of my life through prayer journals.
That's it.
Really, that's all.
Simple, right?
I always look at my days like an outline. I have a basic idea what I need to do each day, and then I ask God to fill in the rest.
Even with my cleaning schedule. If I don't have some sort of outline for each day, nothing will get done. It just won't.
I like the Lord to direct and order my steps every day. Let me rephrase: I need the Lord to direct and order my steps each day.
"Direct my footsteps according to Your Word, let no sin rule over me." Psalm 119:133
Our God is a God of order. Look at the rising and setting of the sun. Look at the seasons. The months of the years.The days of the week. The hours in a day. The minutes in an hour.
"God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." 1 Corinthians 14:33
You get the picture.
My days can be chaotic. This is just how life rolls sometimes. Or many times.
However, our spirits don't have to be chaotic. The unsettling around us, doesn't have to cause unsettling inside of us.
One of my favorite verses of scriptures is:
"How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!" Psalm 84:1
Guess where His dwelling place is?
Inside of us!
If we are believers in Christ, if we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on a cross taking our sins with Him, and God rose Him from the dead 3 days later....
If we know this to be true, then we know and believe that He dwells inside of us.
"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9
"But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you..."Romans 8:9
Maybe your basics today begin with acknowledging Jesus Christ as your Savior. If this is the case, Oh, what a joyous day this will be for you!
If this is your story today, I encourage you to find someone to pray with you, and talk to you if you are not sure what to do.
I am available to talk to you as well. Always.
I pray in Jesus Name, that the Lord will put someone in your life to encourage you on this journey, and pray for you along the way. Jesus loves you and He is desperately pursuing your beautiful self. You better believe it, precious one.
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.”
Psalms 23:6
Life with Jesus is so very simple. It's not a bunch of rules, regulations, hoops to jump through, or medals to earn.
It's just about receiving the Gift of Him. The Great Exchange of our sins for eternal life with Him.
Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it.
You can believe Him, sweet friend. He died for you.
back to the basics,
jill
