We know that God's Word should be a daily part of our lives. But how can we really make that happen?
Establish a quiet time each morning.
Friend, I know you are tired. I know you struggle to sleep well at night. I know the baby doesn't sleep through the night. I know your mornings are chaotic. I get it. I promise I do. But when we make time for God each morning, we are aligning our heart and mind to Him. This is the best start to the day we could ever have. Crazy things will still happen in your day. The mailman will still bring bills, the dog will still run away, the baby will still cry, your circumstances may not change at all. But when we start our day aligning with the Father, we are more prepared to deal with everything that comes are way. For me personally, I absolutely have to drag myself out of bed to brush my teeth and shower. I cannot even see clearly until these things are done. Some people need coffee, I need a shower. As soon as I am ready, I go straight to my chair for time with God. Maybe for you, once you are out of the bed the day begins in full force. Place your Bible right next to your alarm clock. Before your feet even hit the floor, reach for the Word and spend a few minutes reading and praying. Do what works for you!
Go to the Word through out the day.
Write out Scriptures you'd like to memorize on index cards. Place them in areas where you will see them often, like the refrigerator, the dash of your car, the baby's changing table, or the bathroom mirror. Even put a Scripture as your phone lock screen. Every time you see these verses, say them out loud. Use Scripture as art in your home. Whether you hand letter it yourself and frame it, create it on the computer or go to my favorite store, Hobby Lobby, and purchase art, place Scriptures throughout your home. As your eyes catch the verse throughout the day, say it out loud. After you read your Bible in the morning, don't place it away on a shelf or in a bag, leave it out and open. If you are worried about the kiddos spilling something on your Bible, get an older Bible you've long placed on the shelf or purchase a Bible for this purpose. You can get gift Bibles, nothing fancy at all just the Word, for as little as $5. As you walk past the open Bible, read a verse or chapter. If you do these things all day long, you are getting so much of God's Word in your heart!
Utilize the Bible app.
We all wait. Whether it's waiting in lines at the grocery store, waiting in the doctor's office or waiting in the school pick up line, we all wait. During that time of waiting, what do we all do? We turn to our phones. We use our phones and social media to entertain us while we wait. What if instead of tapping on Facebook or Instagram, we tap on the Bible app? What if instead of laughing at memes or making funny faces at Snapchat, we get in a few verses of the Lord's Words to us? Whenever you are waiting, use the Bible app. It's a great, convenient way to get into the Word.
End your day with God.
My favorite way to end the day is reading. I always have a fiction book on my nightstand. Something for fun. No books I have to review, nothing that is going to get my mind working before sleeping. Just easy, fun books. But I have found when I end the day with the Word of God, my heart and mind both relax making it easier to sleep. And for this insomniac, that is a blessing! I still read my fun books before bed, but after closing the cover, I reach to the nightstand where I keep a devotional. Something that has a couple of Scriptures then a short encouragement. It's only 5 minutes of reading, sometimes not even that, but gets that last dose of God's Word in me before bed.
What are other ways you get the Word in throughout the day? Share in the comments so that we can all be encouraged and inspired!
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Great tips, Jenifer! I used to carry a spare Bible in my car so I always had one if I was waiting or needed to look up a Scripture. The Bible app has freed me up a bit, but if you're ever in a dead zone, it's still nice to have a hard copy on hand.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit, while the Bible app is convenient for sure, I much rather have an actual Bible in my hand. And it definitely is better for those dead zones. Thanks for stopping by Heather.
DeleteGreat tips! Once when my children were small, at the end of the day I lamented to the Lord that I couldn't find a time that day to read the Word and began asking Him to help me find and recognize that time every day. That made such a difference. My best time is first thing in the morning, but that just wasn't working then. Sometimes that meant putting aside something else I had picked up to read when I remembered I hadn't been in the Word that day, and I confess I didn't always have the best attitude about that, until I got started. It also helps me to remember that I'm nurturing a relationship which needs communication. I wouldn't treat my husband the way I treat the Lord some days, hardly saying anything except "Pass the potatoes." Once we make spending time with Him our highest priority, and ask for His help, He'll open the way. I've used these tips at various times. Another I've heard people recommend is listening to the Bible. We have it on CD, but there are probably apps for it. I get more from it reading it than listening to it, personally, but in a pinch it would be better than nothing.
ReplyDelete"Once we make spending time with Him our highest priority, and ask for His help, He'll open the way." YES! Thanks for stopping in and sharing, Barbara.
DeleteYes, I just read Crystal Storms' post where she summarized it this way: "Word In; Word Out"
ReplyDeleteIf we bookend our day with truth , it does amazing things in our hearts and minds.
Michele, I love that way of saying it, Word in; Word out. Thank you for stopping in.
DeleteWonderful and practical suggestions. And I so love the idea of both starting and ending my day with Scripture.
ReplyDeleteThank you Joanne for stopping in. <3
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