HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today begins a brand-new year. A time to look back and see from where you've come and a time to look ahead and see where you want to be. This is the perfect time of year to determine how you want to live your life. Have you been satisfied with your life: joyful, content, peaceful, patient, filled with kindness for others and that type of thing? Or are you lacking joy, contentment, peacefulness, and filled with resentment and anger toward others?

 

 

I encourage you to take time today and reflect on these things. This assessment begs the question: what are you going to do about it if you are sliding toward the negative side of things? Taking time on a daily basis to study God's Word is the prescription I would recommend for whatever is ailing you. Take time to sit down for 15 minutes a day and read from His Word. Pray and allow the Words to soak in and change you. Ask for His Holy Spirit to assist you in this endeavour. Do not try to do this alone. He is right there with you. Allow Him to be your sufficiency and to cover you with His grace and mercy.

 

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray for each precious one who reads this post and takes it to task. Lord, strengthen them as they take on the challenge of reading and soaking in Your Word each and every day. Father, give them the discipline needed to get the job done. I pray Your Spirit would fill them - each one - and reveal the truths of the Scriptures You have chosen for them to read each day. May You work in their lives daily to shape them into the likeness of Jesus Christ Your One and Only Son. In His precious and Holy name I pray, Amen

Blessed Understanding

"The unfolding of Your words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130 NASB

If you had an electrical problem in your house, you would probably call an electrician.

A problem with your car would find you seeking the advice of a mechanic.

When you are experiencing trouble or pain, fall to your knees and seek the One who loves you and knows you better than anyone. Jesus Christ died and shed His blood so we could have an intimate, personal

relationship with God Almighty. Don't allow anything to come between you and your Lord.

In addition to prayer, seek the guidance of the Bible. The Bible is our guide book for living.

 It has what we need to know. It teaches us how to live.

The Word of God is truth. Psalm 119:60

The Word of God is light. Psalm 119:105

The Word of God is alive and able to break through barriers. Hebrews 4:12

Not one of us is able to know all things. No one except the Lord Himself. Yet, reading God's Word

-The Bible-

will open our understanding to the Truth. The prayerful daily practice of Bible reading will teach us, strengthening our relationship with the One True God and our Lord Jesus Christ. As we listen to the Holy Spirit teach, we can develop discernment and wisdom that will enable us to hear His voice and give us the courage to follow His will for our lives.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this day. Thank you for Your promise to never leave nor forsake us. Thank You Lord for Your Word that reveals truth to us. We need Your touch and Your wisdom Lord. Pour out Your Spirit upon us that we may experience the Word of God with fresh eyes and a fresh understanding. Reveal the truths to us as You know we are ready for them. Lord, we pray for a blessed understanding of Your Word. Give us the courage and boldness to walk in Your Truth. In Jesus name, Amen.

I would like to challenge you to take time each day for the next 40 days to read from your Bible. Don't just read it to say you've done it, but pray and ask God to reveal what His Word is saying, and ask Him to direct you to apply it to your life. Some days you may read a verse or two. Other days, you may read a chapter or maybe more. How much you read is not important. Learning from and applying the Scriptures to your life is the goal of this challenge. If you miss a day, don't fret or give up. Remember, tomorrow is a new day and keep on going. He wants to spend time with you. Why not start right now? He's waiting for you!

Conversational Bible Study

How many times have you sat down to read the Bible and didn't understand a word you read? Has this ever happened to you or am I the only one? It used to be a very familiar process for me. I love to read. I mean really love to read. I can read a 500 page novel in a couple of days without any problem. However, reading a novel and reading the divinely inspired Word of God are two very different things.

It has been my experience even now, when I take the Bible and decide I'm going to read it, I don't get much out of it if I approach it the way I do any other book. Yet, if I take the time to inquire of the Lord what He wants me to learn and pray that He will reveal the truth of the Holy Scriptures to me, His Word comes alive and the experience is fulfilling.

I have learned so much in the last few years, just changing my approach to reading the Bible. Prayer is so incredibly important. It is our way to have a conversation with God. We can come before Him and lay out our hearts without fear. When we read the Bible, we are hearing from God. When we pray or praise the Lord as we read we are entering into a conversation with Him. Isn't that exciting?

Take some time even now to pray before you read a passage and ask the Lord to reveal the truth to you. You may have to wait in His presence and He may answer you immediately. That is up to Him. One thing you can count on is His promise to hear you. He hears and He cares.

"Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law, Psalm 94:12 NKJV.