Sharon Jaynes: "I love, absolutely love, studying God’s Word. From the time I first said “yes” to Jesus, I have devoured the Scriptures.

And yet, I’ll admit, extended times of prayer have been a struggle for me. Perhaps that is one reason it is called a discipline. I have to discipline myself to set the time apart—to “be still and know.”

But then I began to realize just how compartmentalized my time with God had become. My spiritual life was more like an outlined lesson plan with sub-headings A, B, C and 1, 2, 3 than a love relationship with Jesus.

So I made a change. It was God’s suggestion really. Why not pray and read at the same time?

When I read the Bible, I pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal what the words say, what they mean, and how I can apply them to my life.

For example, one day while reading Ephesians 1:8, I felt compelled to pray this verse for several people. So I stopped reading and began communing with God in prayer.

Dear Lord, I pray for Steven today. I pray that You will open the eyes of his heart so that he may see the hope to which You have called him and the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…

I prayed that Scripture for several people, until I felt the promptings from the Holy Spirit cease. Then God and I got back to reading again.

Another day, I was reading Matthew 6:9-13, what we’ve come to know as The Lord’s Prayer. 'Our Father,' Jesus began.

Stop right there and think about that, the Holy Spirit seemed to say.

Our Father. As I ruminated and marinated in the words 'our' and 'father' God spoke to my heart about the sort of father I’d always longed for and the sort of Father I already had in Him.

If I had stuck to a schedule for my Bible reading that week, I would have fallen terribly behind. But the continual conversation I had with God about that one little word, 'father,' was priceless.

Consider the word meditate. This word often conjures up images of Eastern religious practices. But it is a wonderful word that we should not be afraid to use.

Meditation simply means to think deeply and continuously about something. For a Christian, meditation and constant communication go hand in hand.

As we think deeply and continuously about God’s Word, He opens our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our minds to understand. When you meditate on Scripture, you mull over God’s words in your mind until they move from your head to your heart.

So here’s my suggestion…pray and read…at the same time. I’ve decided that when I read God’s Word, I’m going to keep the lines of communication open.

After all, this is the only book you will ever read where the Author is right there with you every time you open the pages!

Let’s Pray

Good morning Lord! I can't wait to experience this day with You. I'm so glad that Jesus is in me and I am in him. We're in this thing called life together. Help me practice Acts 17:28 today...in him we live and move and have our being—in him we exist. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

"Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long"(Psalm 119:97 NIV).

How to Revamp Your Quiet Time
Sharon Jaynes January 4, 2016

This whole idea of de-compartmentalizing our lives is found in A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More.
Learn how to erase the line between your secular daily life and your spiritual live so that you can experience the Divine smack dab in the middle of the daily busy blur.

(Google image and my emphasis added)

Today’s special link:

3 Ways to Prevent Quiet Times From Becoming Routine

cathybaker.org

"So how can we guard against allowing our quiet times with God to become routine?

Embrace the fact that discipline is required. It just is—like it or not. The enemy, unlike many believers, recognizes the liberating power of time spent in God's Word and prayer..."

Our thought today: We reach out to others to build our relationships. We put ourselves out there and wonder where it will go. Some are bad experiences, but most, hopefully, will be good.

We'll One day Split the Sky!

14th- Sunday evening’s post by Lee Forbes

#17 A Sin of Disobedience
16th- Tuesday's post by Wesley L. Duewel

#18 A Sin Against Your Own Spiritual Life
18th- Thursday's post by Wesley L. Duewel

Hang In There
20th Saturday's post by Max Lucado

A popular post: Why Wait? Jean Oathout: "Ever wonder why the Lord asks us to wait for something?

Do you suppose it may have something to do with His timing of what we're asking for, and whether or not it's best for us?

Maybe we need to examine His thoughts..."