Posts Tagged ‘devotion’

What’s Free?

July 31st, 2008

Yesterday I wrote about Feeding Your Soul: A Quiet Time Handbook by Jean Fleming. In her book, she lays out a simple format for daily personal devotions. Of course, this is not the only format for daily devotions. But it is one that I have found to be effective in my life. I’m still interested in hearing what you do for daily devotions.

Today I’d like to run through how I apply Jean’s format of Read, Report, Reflect, and Respond. What is below is simply my time in the word for today. While I was hoping that I’d have some amazing insight to Scripture as I worked through this, that is not the point. Rather, I’d like for you to see this simple format in action.

Before I began, I prayed and tried to quiet myself so that I could focus on God and what he had to say to me. This time wasn’t long and protracted. I simply tried to move my mind away from “the daily grind” so that I could focus on what is eternal – to create a “mini-sabbath” in the middle of my day.

Read:

Report:

  • The Samaritan woman was surprised that Jesus asked for a drink since she was a woman and because Jews didn’t associate with Samaritans
  • Jesus responded by telling her that if she knew who he was and understood the free gift of God, she would be asked and he would have given her living water.

Reflect:

  • How often does God ask if we can help him when, if we really understood him and his free gift, we would be making requests of him?
  • What is the free gift of God?
  • Jesus doesn’t allow himself to be held captive by the logic or traditions of men. Do I? If so, what do I miss?
  • Do we see Christ in the faces and requests of the “least of these“?
  • Do we believe that God really wants to associate with us?

Respond:

  • Lord God, thank you that you defy the logic and traditions of men. Help me to receive from you so that I can be your ambassador on the earth.

And, as I go through my day, I look for opportunities to live what God has shown me in the word. I look for him to give me answers to my questions – answers from the Word, through the community of saints, and through creation.

May God bless you with understand, wisdom, and the grace of obedience. And may he do the same with me!

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Feeding Your Soul

July 30th, 2008

Yesterday I wrote about finding our way back when we’ve found ourselves further from where we want to be. Or further from where God wants us to be. Today we look at what I’m planning to do because I’m not where I want to be and I’m hungry for more of God.

Are you hungry for more?

Several years ago, as I was teaching a Sunday School class for Young Adults, we went through Feeding Your Soul: A Quiet Time Handbook by Jean Fleming. As you study church history, you will find many different “disciplines” of private devotions. From Christian mediatation to Lectio Divina there are common themes:

  • Quieting yourself
  • Listening to God
  • Talking to God
  • Living the word

In her book, Jean laid out a very simple process for personal devotional time, including both prayer and time in the Bible. And when I’ve followed her format, God has spoken to me and drawn me towards himself.

Recently, I have found myself stretched and my personal time with God has decreased. I remember the way things used to be. I am repenting by both confessing that I am not where God would have me be and also by attempting to change my direction. And I am returning to the things I used to do.

Jean’s “framework” for private devotions in Feeding Your Soul: A Quiet Time Handbook included four simple steps. I’d like to lay them out for you here.

  • Read – Choose a section of scripture, note it in a journal, and read it. I usually choose a very small section (one to ten verses). And I usually use this process to work through an entire book.
  • Report – In your journal (or notebook), summarize what you’ve read. This can be bullet points or simply rewording what you’ve read. The point is to work through the text in such a way that you can understand it and explain what you’ve read.
  • Reflect – Meditate on what you’ve read. Record anything that God reveals to you in your journal. Or write down any questions that arise as you contemplate the text.
  • Respond – Write out a prayer response to God. Ask him the questions you don’t know how to answer. Thank him for what he’s revealed to you. Ask him to show you opportunities to act on what he’s shown you.

If you’re looking for a way to go deeper in your private time with God, I can wholeheartedly recommend Feeding Your Soul: A Quiet Time Handbook. I’m starting to do it again because I need to go deeper with my relationship with God.

How do you spend time with God daily? (no…really…I want to know) How do you spend time with God daily?

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