Peaceful & Purposeful LIFE (Live Intentionally For Eternity)
Quiet Time. Alone Time. Prayer Time. All terms I grew up hearing that referred to one-on-one time with God. But what does that mean? What does that look like?
As a kid, I remember being given a small workbook-like journal at summer camp. Each morning, after breakfast and before the first camp activity, was scheduled Quiet Time. We would sit on our cots with our Bibles and workbooks and complete the day’s assignment. There was a reading, prompting us to look up verses or passages in our own Bibles. Then there were questions to answer about what we read and what we thought.
In middle school, I remember having Sunday School workbooks and worksheets. This was also the time I began doing group Bible studies. Several of us would meet at a young married couple’s home, who also were our Sunday School teachers, and we would sit around their living room and talk about passages of the Bible. They had a way of asking questions that were thought provoking and discussion initiating. It was the first time I remember actual open discussion and not question and direct answer like in school.
Already being a huge fan of the workbook stye learning format and now adding a group discussion component, I couldn’t get enough. I’m still this way. When I get a new Bible study workbook, I light up. And have to run out and get all my favorite things: highlighters, pens, post-it notes, and notebooks. But what I am especially excited about is diving into each day’s assignments and then meeting with my group weekly to talk about it all.
The daily assignments are essentially homework. But in a good way. Each day I sit down and work on the readings and write down my answers. It’s time where it is just God and me. I pray that He helps me to learn what He desires and that I see more of Him. And every time He answers that prayer. I can tell you after several years of studies, my faith and relationship with God has grown in ways I never would have imagined.
There is a magic that happens when you start to study the Bible. ‘For the word of God is living and active.’ (Hebrews 4:12) The moment you begin, the connection to Him is evident. It is a craving you didn’t know you had and can never quench. The more I learn, the more I want to learn. I want to learn more about the God who loves me so much and wants a relationship with me so much that He made a way through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, to unite me to Him forever.
Last week I shared how I learned that to thoroughly experience a full, peaceful, and purposeful life, I have to choose Him daily. And to do this means that I need to connect with Him daily, spend one-on-one time with Him daily, through Healthy Spiritual Habits.
What are Healthy Spiritual Habits to which I am referring? And what does this look like practically?
Every Day- Pray, Read, and Reflect
Prayer-
Prayer doesn’t need to be complicated or calculated. It is simply talking to God. Building a relationship with Him by opening up to Him. Bring all your questions, concerns, and feelings to Him. Tell Him all that is on your heart. We have a loving God who empathizes with us. Jesus, God the Son, knows how we feel because He experienced the same emotions, temptations, and sufferings. (Hebrews 2:18)
Acknowledge who He is. My Father, Creator, Savior. He is omniscient/all-knowing, omnipotent/all-powerful, good, merciful, full of grace, faithful… He is Love and the giver of all love. When I acknowledge who He is, I am humbled and grateful in response. It prompts me to give thanks for all He has done and continues to do. (1Thessalonians 5:16-18)
One of the greatest gifts we have been given as believers is the presence of the Holy Spirit. There have been numerous times where my heart has been too heavy and my mind too saturated to put together coherent words to speak to the Lord. These are the times I need to talk to my Father the most, and yet I am unable. But in my weakness, the Spirit helps me. ‘…We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.’ (Romans 8:26-27) So when you don’t know what to pray, ask the Spirit to speak for you.
Read the Bible-
This sounds simple enough and yet completely overwhelming at the same time. Do I start at the beginning and read it through? Or is there a specific book of the Bible? The good thing is there is something to learn about God in every book of the Bible, so anywhere is a great place to start.
It is important to look at entire passages and ask important questions: Who is writing this? Why are they writing it? What can I learn about God? A good practice someone told me about years ago is prayerfully ask the Spirit to guide me through reading so that I better understand and hear what He wants me to through His Living, Breathing Word.
Reflect-
It can be as simple as just sitting in thought. Maybe you prefer to talk out what you’ve read or learned with someone else. Or you can jot down your thoughts.
Journaling- If you like journaling, this can be so beneficial for the now as well as later, looking back to see where you’ve been and how far you’ve come. You can write down what is on your heart, things you are thankful for, and list prayer requests. Write down key points and things that sparked your interest.
There are several journaling resources out there that prompt topics and note taking. Most of the time I use a plain ol’ notebook.
Don’t get caught up in feeling like you have to write something every day. My favorite technique is weekly journaling. Each week, I start a page where I write down thoughts, thanks, and prayers. Then I add to it or just review it throughout the week.
Daily is Key-
When we go to God consistently, every day, we will begin to see a change in ourselves. As we learn more about His character, we will be drawn more and more to our loving Father. We will want to seek Him more and trust Him more. And as we trust Him more, giving Him all the areas of our lives, we experience His gift of peace. The peace of God ‘which transcends all understanding.’ (Philippians 4:7)
Don’t Give Up!
Life gets busy sometimes. So, if you miss a day here and there, go easy on yourself. In fact, the more your heart is set on drawing closer to God through prayer and reading the Bible, the more things are going to try to pull you away from it. (More on this in a later post.) But perseverance is a virtue worth pursuing. And, much like eating healthily and exercising, once you start to see the effect on your life from Healthy Spiritual Habits, you’ll want to keep it going.
Because, after all, who wouldn’t want a
Peaceful & Purposeful LIFE (Live Intentionally For Eternity)
‘So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’ -2 Corinthians 4:19
‘Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.’ -John 17:3