I do read the Bible everyday, but it I read full passages of Scripture.
Waiting
- Thread starter Juk
- Start date
No, but I am going to start.
I never understood the concept
It's not that it's too much to bear. I can handle it. It's just that there are multiple verses at a time, and I just can't meditate on multiple verses at a time. And I meant that I never understood what meditating even meant
Here is what my leaders advise those who are wanting to get into the habit of meditating on the word (btw, that was the subject of the pastor's message today in his series entitled "Rock Solid: A Foundation built to Last":
7 Minutes with God
Remember the word, ACTS! This is based on the “format” that Jesus really used in His prayer, what we call the “The Lord’s Prayer”.
A – Adoration…first, praise and worship God. Call out to Him his many names. He dwells in the praises of His people!
C – Confession…We need to be contrite with God. Receive His forgiveness for our sins. We also need to choose to forgive others at this point.
T – Thanksgiving…Thank God for everything (provisions, salvation, etc.).
S – Supplication…Ask God for our needs to be met and also the needs of others.
Spend about a minute on each section, and then spend 3 minutes in reading of the Word. Before reading, ask God to speak to you through His Word. Start with 1 John. (I started in 1 John and moved from there to Romans and then the epistles, and returned to 1 John. From there, read wherever you feel led.) Discover what He is trying to say to you. Ask God: "What are you saying to me, Lord?”
Another easy way to get started in daily reading is to read one chapter of Proverbs each day, as there are 31 chapters—one for each day of the month! For example, on Feb. 7, read Proverbs 7...or even Psalms 7.
This is a good way to get started in the discipline of daily meeting God! Not hard at all! You may continue at this for quite a while before you feel that God is blessing you with your time, which will result in you spending more and more time with Him! That is your goal!
God Bless You!
If you're going 70mph on the freeway, do you see the sign on the side of the road that says "Jesus Loves You"? No. When you focus on getting through 5 chapters of the word of God in a day, you can't see the life changing information. Do this: read, memorize, Psa 1:1-3 and meditate on verse 3. Save it in your head. Say it with your mouth, one word at a time. Pause after each word and think about the meaning of that word. Think about that single word until you have peace to move to the next. Like this:
"And" - and what? "And" is a connector word between two things. What came before "and"? He who meditates day and night. Ok, that's "me". So what comes after the "and"?
"he" - who? Me? Yes, the one that meditates day and night. Next.
"shall" - shall isn't used much these days so I look it up. "Shall" is a order, or promise. Ok, "he shall" what?
"be" - to be something is to exist. God exists - "I AM" is His name.
"He shall be" - ok, so the meditator is promised to be something... to become something... shall become something...
"like" - a comparison. The meditator will be compared to something...
"a tree" - a tree. Lots of trees, what kind? So you study trees. Tall fast growing trees don't last long and have weak root systems like a palm tree. But when a storm comes, it's the first to fall over. Not good. A slow growing tree has a strong root system and weathers the storms really well, like an oak tree. An oak tree can live a really long time. Cool!
"planted" - oh wow! If it's a planted tree, there must be a Gardener who takes care of that tree giving it all it needs to grow strong and healthy.
Jumping ahead...
"by the rivers of water" - water is needed for the roots to grow, but sometimes it doesn't rain, yet being next to more than one river, the water will always exceed what the tree needs.
So one that meditates on the word of God, day and night, ...
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
How many times have you run through that chapter and have you ever read it like this? Did you get anything out of this more than just speed reading it?
Quality vs. quantity.
Which is better?
10 life changing words vs. 10,000 unretained ineffective words
I don't speed through Scripture, and I do take notes on it. I would have gotten most of what you posted on there by just reading it and going over it again. But your method got very very deep into that and I like that. It's an adventure
also, I am on a reading plan, and I am reading the New Testament, trying to finish it by the end of this year. The plan takes me to the first half of the NT (the gospels) and the second half (the letter section). It could give me from 5 verses each half to 20 or 30. But when it does that, it is usually a narrative about something that Jesus did, usually miracles or walking somewhere.I think God gave you this message to give to me, so I will follow the advice, as well as Abdicate's. Thank you!
Also,I am on a reading plan already.
This is very nice.. I also try to structure my prayer in this way.. It came as an inspiration while reading a booklet about Lord's prayer. I think this is a great way to pray and something that would be very useful for new believers.. Actually, when I pray longer, the structure of the prayer for me still remains the same.. It's just that I spend more time in each area.. I believe this is the perfect structure for any personal prayer irrespective of duration..
You know how if your mom calls and as soon as you hear the phone you know its her? Why? You not only know the sound of her voice, but you know by what she says it is her because you know what she believes and what she speaks when addressing certain things. So it is with God! When you here the word of God through another or through a song how can you know it is Him? are you desiring an audible voice? The word says "God, in time past, at various times and in diverse manners spoke unto the fathers by the prophets, But has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son..."! There is nothing in the scriptures or the teaching of the Apostles that promises you will hear His voice in that sense...but you can and do hear His voice through the Son (who has spoken in the words He gave the Apostles - John 17)....listen to Him, His sheep will hear His voice.
The Lord bless...
Paul
Where is God's direction in this plan? Some guy wrote it so you could say "I read the bible in a year." A well known preacher only reads one chapter a month. That's it. The same chapter everyday, all day, for a month. He's a great teacher and if I named him you'd know who he is. Don't do man's work. When you're reading you have to invite the Holy Spirit Who will teach you want to need to absorb.I don't speed through Scripture, and I do take notes on it. I would have gotten most of what you posted on there by just reading it and going over it again. But your method got very very deep into that and I like that. It's an adventure
God told me a couple of weeks ago through an unrelated song that an intimate relationship with Him is not something that I can handle right now, but do not give up. I am still praying and reading His Word, but I have stopped worrying some. I just wanted to let you guys know. God bless
Juk is this the same song you were talking about a few weeks or days back ? If so it was about hearing God's voice was it not ? So how did you get it to now be an intament relationship?
You said before it was God saying you could not handle hearing His voice out loud...
Explain this to me please lil Brother
Thank You Bro
Jim
I thought the song was relating to the issues I was having at that time (which I am still having), which are: being in a close relationship with God and talking to Him in a normal conversation like I am having with you guys now.
That is indeed some great advice. I am also starting to question the quality of the notes I took because I was using the NLT, which perverts some of the Bible verses, completely changing the original meaning. I might scrap up my work and start focusing on meditating on a verse a day, which I did yesterday, and it was great! I might make a forum post about it. Thanks
I concluded that it was good because I was not even paying attention to the song and then it just grabbed my attention with the words that spoke to my situation, and it wasn't being used in the context of the song either.
I suspect this has already been addressed, but maybe just for reassurance or so, I'll respond too.
God would never push you away from a close, intimate relationship, not even temporarily. Your focal function as a creature of God is immediately connected to having an intimate relationship. That is the point to life.
Your entire being has been created with the purpose to surround God because He surrounds us with His love. That's not whimsical talk -- that's a fact.
If the lyrics are speaking to you, why couldn't they mean that each of us are faced with difficulties all the time? Some problems larger than life and can even mean death, but that if we pick up our crosses and follow Him (Matthew 16:24), then we will have succeeded in His name. The idea that God only gives us what we can handle is a fallacy. So people are given more than what could ever fit on their plate, and despite the desperation and difficulty they may face with it, if they respond to it in devotion to God, then they have won.
God will never push you away. He will never take one ounce of your life to be separate, no matter how meaningless it can even seem at times. A monk named Br. Lawrence, who does strictly kitchen duty at his monastery, said "It is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelet in the pan for the love of God."