Read something in one of the christian books and find that God actually speaks to me. He's telling me that i haven't been giving him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted time listening for his voice.. i didn't make a deliberate effort to spend time with God. The last time i had quiet time with God is many many months back.. when i was attending the Discipleship training (Part2). I should spent a regular time with God, praying and listening to His words. Then, i decided to start having a quiet time from today onwards.. and i thought in my mind "How long should my quiet time be? Should i stick to a schedule of half an hour just like what i have done before or an hour?" At this juncture, God speaks to me once again. He let me read these paragraphs..
A regular time and place. Select a slot on your schedule and a corner of your world, and claim it for God. How much time should you take? As much as you need. Value quality over length. Your time with God should last long enough for you to say what you want and for God to say what he wants. Which leads us to a second tool that you need - an open Bible.
God speaks to us through his Word. The first step in reading the Bible is to ask God to help you understand it. "But the Helper will teach you everything and will cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name" (John 14:26).
Before reading the Bible, pray. Don't go to Scripture looking for your own idea; go searching for God's. Read the Bible prayerfully. Also, read the Bible carefully. Jesus told us, "Search, and you will find" (Matt. 7:7).
Here is a practical point. Study the Bible a little at a time. God seems to send messengers as he did his manna: one day's portion at a time. He provides "a command here, a command there. A rule here, a rule there" (Isa. 28:10). Choose depth over quantity. Read until a verse "hits" you, then stop and meditate on it. Copy the verse onto a sheet of paper, or write it in your journal, and reflect on it several times.
There is a third tool for having a productive time with God. Not only do we need a regular time and an open Bible, we also need a listening heart. Don't forget the admonition from James: "The man who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who hears and forgets. He puts the law into practice and he wins true happiness" (James 1:25).
We know we are listening to God when what we read in the Bible is what others see in our lives. Paul urged his readers to put into practice when they had learned from him. "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do" (Phil. 4:9).
If you want to have a heart like Jesus, let God have you. Spend time listening for him until you receive your lesson for the day - then apply it.
aGnES talking more trash @
10:25 PM
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