Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘devotions’
Some Advice For Your Bible Reading This Year
We are one week into the new year. How are you doing with your devotional Bible reading so far? Many believers begin at the first of the year with some goal. Perhaps you have already started. For many of us the first weeks of the year are fairly easy…then comes the daily grind. The routines of life have a way of distracting us from what truly matters. Remember that our time in God’s Word is a marathon – not a sprint. The goal is not to be in the Word for a short period of time but to live in the Word for the rest of your life. Take a new challenge. I have heard of several friends who are…
Read MoreGuest Post: “Something To Nibble On Later”
Dr. Charles Keen has been a faithful pastor and missionary statesman for many years. At this stage in his life and ministry he is giving his energy to helping get the Scriptures into every language. I am always challenged by his passion. Each time I hear him preach or teach the Lord uses him to give me fresh perspective. I love to hear men who make me think! Dr. Keen is such a man. I am happy to share this brief article from his pen… In Mark 6:43 we read, “And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments…” We all are familiar with the phrase, “Would you like a to-go box?” This is another way of saying, “More…
Read More7 Ways The Bible Helps Your Prayer Life
We all know we ought to pray more. We all want to pray more effectively. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God wrote a manual on prayer? Indeed, He has! God’s Word is the most thorough, powerful prayer book in the world. If you want to be a person of prayer then you must be a person of the Scriptures. George Mueller’s life illustrated this connection. He prayed in provisions for hundreds of orphans and saw miraculous answers to prayer all of his life. The secret? He began every morning on his knees with an open Bible getting His own heart happy in Jesus and finding a promise He could claim that day. The more attention I give to reading and…
Read MoreAre You “Having Devotions”?
I don’t know when the word devotions started to mean the daily meeting with God in prayer and the Word. The only two times the word is used in our English Bible is in the negative. The Apostle Paul beheld the devotions of the idolatrous people in Athens. In his own words, “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23). The same word that Paul uses in Athens he uses to describe the anti-christ in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. The word means “the object of worship or admiration.” Just because you “have devotions” doesn’t mean that God is…
Read MoreFamily Worship
Did you know that the first time the word “worship” is used in the Bible is in the context of the home? On top of Mount Moriah Abraham taught Isaac what it truly meant to worship God (Genesis 22:1-18). I promise you this was not a lesson that young man forgot! The first “worship leaders” should be parents. The first demonstrations of worship should be as dad and mom lead their children to pray, read God’s Word, and praise the Lord. Such an emphasis would plant the seed of revival in hearts and homes of this generation. Many years ago Thomas Boston was burdened over the cold spiritual state of his church. It was not only cold, but practically empty.…
Read MoreThis Month’s Free Downloadable Resource!
Just this week someone asked me where they should begin in their Bible reading. So many people are looking for a plan or devotional help. Some are looking for a place to get started. Others are looking for a place to start again. It is easy to allow your devotional life to grow stale. Remember that your soul may grow dry but the Word of God never does – it is perennially fresh! Go back to the Scriptures and you will find that the river still flows! My suggestion to others in recent days connects to this month’s free resource: REDISCOVER THE PSALMS. The book of Psalms is God’s devotional book for His chosen people. It is both the Hebrew…
Read More12 Minutes A Day
A Christian’s relationship with the Word of God does not end with Bible reading, but it does start there. The simple discipline of reading the Scriptures is a powerful resource in the daily walk of a believer. As I grow older my conviction in the power and sufficiency of God’s Word grows! This is indeed a miracle Book! Last week someone related to me the testimony of a very nonreligious man who began reading the Bible every day out of curiosity. In a short time the Holy Spirit had softened his heart, convicted him of his sin, and he was gloriously saved. The Koran cannot do this. The Book of Mormon has no such power. The writings of Confucius never…
Read MoreWhat to Do When Your Devotional Life Grows Stale
Has your devotional life become dry? As far as you know there is no unconfessed sin. You are reading the Bible and going through the mechanics of prayer, but it seems like mere motion. We have all been there! People often think that preachers must jump out of bed in the morning, always excited about their quiet time with God. Nothing could be further from the truth! We all battle with flesh. Even on our best days there is a struggle to keep the devotional life fresh. Permit me to share a few practical suggestions that have been of help to me… Sometimes it is good to “switch things up.” All of us can get in a rut – our souls…
Read More2015 – The Year of the Bible
Last January the American Bible Society released a study of the most “Bible-minded” cities in the United States. Our city was ranked number one. Knoxville, Tennessee was listed first in residents with the highest levels of regular Bible reading and belief in the accuracy of Scripture. While I am happy that our town led this list I am puzzled at the lack of “Bible living” that is seen on a daily basis. Belief affects behavior. One year later I can tell you that the greatest need in our city and in my own life is for more attention to be given to the Word of God. Not lip service or academic discussion. Diligent, personal, obedient study of God’s revelation to…
Read MoreOur Daily Bread
This week a fine young man sent me a message asking how to keep his mind fixed on Christ while surrounded by so many distractions. It is not an easy question to answer because it is not an easy task to fulfill. It is the battle that all of us fight every day! My response to him was brief. I am more convinced every day that God intended His children to meet Him in the morning. The devotional time is not limited to a few minutes alone. We enter the presence of God so that we may live in His presence all day. The great goal of prayer and meditation in the Word of God is to know God in a…
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