If I haven't made my thoughts about prayer known by now, here I go again:) --
Bible reading is the BEST place to hear God speak to you daily. As you read the Bible, God's voice... becomes personal, passionate, and practical. Bible reading BECOMES God's (audible, visible) voice. In a daily appointment with God, it is through the Word that He reaches into your heart with emotional comfort or strength and enters your mind with His thoughts and ideas.
One of my all time favorite quotes is on page 206 by Andrew Murray (I'm going to encourage you to turn to the page, read it and underline any of his comments that resonate with you.)
Perhaps the greatest benefit, though, of reading the Word is that it KEEPS YOU COMING BACK!
After 28 years, I can honestly say, "NO ONE talks to me the way God does. He is SO encouraging to me (despite my many goofs). He is SO kind to me, SO fatherly, SO Captain-like, SO 'FOR' me. I'd be SO sorry if I missed ANY of that..."
For this session, please answer the questions within Chapter Eighteen--post any "ah hah" moment you might have had while reading/praying/studying/listening. Then be sure to meditate on Psalm 119--allow the power of God's Word to give you new perspectives, new confidence, new expectation. (You can either spread this out over the next two weeks, or read it daily for two weeks.)
Remember, this entire series is a course in how to "let prayer change YOUR life" so that you can teach, inspire, mentor and encourage others to become men, women, and students who PRAY by talking to God and listening to God daily...
Be encouraged,
Becky
This came out so strongly in the last two weekends as I sat watching two online simulcasts. Prayer, plus the Word (knowing it and reading it), plus the Holy Spirit's enabling power filling us daily equals our ability to share His love with others. It's like an equation, where not one element can be left out. I know God is really emphasizing this in my life........
ReplyDeleteIn response to the question in Chapter 18: I have been in the book of Isaiah in my Bible reading:
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 18:4
"For so the LORD said to me, 'I will take my rest, and I will look from my dwelling place like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of the harvest.' "
What God said to me that morning is that he will patiently wait until the appropriate time to intervene in my affairs at just the perfect time. This gives me the hope and strength to keep waiting on God to reveal the decisions I need to make and what will happen at my work. God's word does draw me out of bed every morning at 5am. This isn't something I could do alone.
God is so good! I believe He is always working!
ReplyDeletePraying with expectation, reading the bible knowing God will speak: Powerful Becky, you are right, it makes you want more of God and less of me. Yesterday, I got up a hour earlier than normal to pray for a gal who is running for office. I opened her email and started typing, Dear Lord Jesus.... tap tap went my fingers, transformed by the quietness of the moment. Feeling the Holy Spirit speak through my fingers. 30 minutes elapsed, I took a pause and read the daily reading for the day. Tingles went through my body as right there in Colossians God spoke. I had prayed that God would guide her knowing when to speak and when not to. I asked him specifically for the fruits of the spirit to be evident in her life as she pursued what she felt was God's calling on her life. I spent much time in praise. You can imagine how tender it was to read these words from Colossians 1:9
ReplyDelete"I will not stop praying for you, since you first told me of your run for city counsel. I ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your life will produce every kind of good fruit. At the while , you will grow as you learn to know god better and better. I also pray the you will be strengthened with all he is glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. My you be filled with joy, always thing the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the king=gdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." I hit the send key
Later she sent me a wonderful email saying how deeply she was moved by the power of the holy spirit.
I spent 3 hours in my car yesterday listening to Praise music and just feeling the blessing of sitting in the presence of the King. What a glorious day. Prayer with the word is complete!
I Have a Psalm 119 booklet and so I am reading through and marking that. My observations from yesterday: v 1-32 were some of the requests he asked of God.
ReplyDeletedo not forsake me utterly
do not let me wander from Thy commandments
Teach my Thy statutes
Deal bountifully with thy servant that I might live and keep Thy Word
OPen my eyese that I may behold wonderful things from Thy Law
Do not hide Thy commandments from me
Take away reproach and contempt from me
teach me Thy Statutes
Make me understand the way of Thy precepts
Strengthen me according to thy Word
Remove the false way from me, graciously grant me Thy Law.
That right there is enough to pray on and through! Praying the Word!
(have yet to read this week's chapter, that's next!).
AMEN
DeleteAmen!
ReplyDeleteI've been having difficulties posting from my iphone but I wanted to post to show that I'm still with you.
ReplyDeleteNone the less, I have grown more this year spiritually than I have my whole life. I feel so grateful! I may not be having my QT down to the same formula as Becky uses every day but there has definately developed a deep desire, longing, dependance, trust, mindfulness, need, awareness of where I fall short, and I could go on for my God. I believe I'm now having a two way conversation (even if i still talk more than i listen:) during my QT...however, I crave and need, in order to get over my "do it myself" arrogance, to be engaged two way all day long!!! I think that is the direction He and I will be going in 2013:)
This is quite personal so I won't go into detail on the blog but after reading Becky's blog and doing the chapter this morning (yes I was a little behind) Ii tried to go back and read more scripture. I'm doing Jesus Calling so I took one of todays verse Jeremiah 31:3 and began reading the chapter and BAM, I didn't have to get very far. 31:4 is what I needed...He confirmed his promise of redeeming my sexual past and using Ps 119:24 assured me how He (not me by going counseling, talking, trying to it figure out) was going to heal and unite my husband and I. I am to pray for my husband, seek to honor and submit to him by doing what my God tells me, and consequently, the Great (physical, emotional, and spirtual)Physician will take responsibilty for the results. What a gift!
In response to the conference call (I listened to tonight:), at this time I don't feel the call to teach this book any time soon (I'm willing if he wants:) and while there were only three or four people on the call...I want to say BECKY, BE ENCOURAGED!
BTW, a written prayer list was not working for me but my iphone or ipad is with me constantly. I looked through a few and found one that is working, keeping my prayers organized in order to pray consistantly and for different ones different days of the week as Becky suggested. Not perfect but it works...Pocket Prayer Pro. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on it.
ReplyDeleteLyn, wow, thanks for sharing your experiences. It's such a blessing to see how God is at work in each of us.
ReplyDeleteI finally finished the chapter.
The verse I wrote were Jer 10:14 idols have no life or power in them, they are worthless!
Our pastor has been talking to us about this, and how anything we replace God with is an idol. I've been convicted, I dont have things very perfected, but I've been convicted to get my focus on HIm more.
Also 11:4, God says we simply need to obey and do what He commands and He will be our God, we will be His people.
Again, something we are discussing in one of my classes at church. It boils down to this, this is the whole key. And it ties into this chapter because the combination of Word and Prayer helps us obey.
Love it!!!!!!!!
I'm sure many of you have figured I have "dropped" off from the class but i have to say the complete other has happened. This class has basically "saved" me. I think i blogged sometime ago that I was having surgery in July and it turned out to be much more serious than expcted - including being back in the hospital twice. However God always shows me His plan as we were right in the perfect chapters when i could do nothing but basically lay in bed or my recliner - I laughed as i was struggling with persevering in prayer... I haven't exactly liked some of God's "suggestions" and some of His plans but He always shows me how right He is!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy heart has been in the Word much more than usual - well at least for much longer periods of time! And during this past year i was introduced to Andrew Murray's works for the first time. I was excited to read the comments this past couple of weeks as he has truly brought me to see how pray and the Word do have to be together and consistent at all times. And at the same time I have been reminded of how important it is to call on the Holy Spirit to give me better understanding.
I have a long way to go with my recovery and i am missing my prayer group before church, Bible studies, sometimes missing the conference calls, etc. but i am reminded that sometimes we need to miss some of these special gifts God gives us so that we will be more appreciative. It is a blessing to read your blogs and to listen to the calls (even afterwards). I truly believe God gave me this "class" at this time when i had such concentration time and appreciation. I'm able to spend a little longer at the computer and look forward to "live" conference call tomorrow.
Although i may never be able to tell you to your faces or share my feelings - your comments and blogs have meant alot these past months. Blessings, Cindy
Cindy, good to see you posting.
ReplyDeletePrayers sent your way, that you continue to mend.
Thanks for sharing. This group surely has been able to bless me through the comments and through meeting each person here.
Again, blessings and healing prayers sent your way.