Wednesday in the Word

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I would love to hear about your quiet time each morning, so when you're finished reading, will you let me know what you do each day to spend time with Jesus? I think that accountability is such a great thing and it really does motivate and inspire others to be diligent in walking closely with Jesus.

I'll share what I do each day, but you already know it all because I share all the time. 

First, I love getting up really early everyday. Currently I am waking up in the five o'clock hour each day, though it varies from day to day. On Tuesday I woke up at five forty. I always come downstairs and let my dogs outside while my coffee makes, then when they're in and my coffee is ready, I settle in my chair while I turn on either worship music or a cooking show on Hulu and I read all the blogs I love, then I quickly get on social media for about ten minutes. By the time my coffee is finished, I make a second cup and settle in for time with Jesus.

I know many of you who do this right off each day and if you're good with that routine, that is awesome! For me personally, I need to wake up with one full cup of coffee before I can comprehend anything serious that requires my devoted concentration. 

This was me about to read in my Everyday with Jesus Bible around seven a.m. yesterday morning. Notice coffee number two of the morning is hot and steaming right beside me. I switch this up each day, but I either start with reading in this Bible (my plan for all of 2021) or I start with Scripture writing.

I've been participating in doing Scripture writing for years now, and many of you have joined in with me. If you'd like a printable version, there are lots to choose from Shannon Long's blog: swtblessings.com. I do this in my journal everyday, but you can use anything, that's not the point of this. The poing is writing out the Word of God so that it is hidden in your heart. Writing things out is how most people learn and it's what is proven to make someone remember something important.

Every single day (unless I'm sick and then have to catch up) I read the Bible and I write out Scripture. I've learned that it's important to have a plan in reading the Bible everyday, because you're more likely to keep up with it from day to day. I try to be faithful to the Lord in everything I do, whether in word or in deed, because He has been faithful to me.

Needless to say, I have tons of journals from all my years of using them for my quiet times and to just pour my heart out onto paper by writing out prayers and petitions that I take to the Lord. And that leads me to the next thing I want to talk about.

Prayer. I always begin and end with prayer. Before I come downstairs and usually when I open my eyes, I talk to Jesus. I tell Him good morning, that I love Him and I thank Him for a new day. He is also the last One I speak to every night, when I tell Him once again that I love Him and then I thank Him for the day I've just had and for His hand upon our lives. That may seem trite to some of you, but I had a dear friend teach me about the importance of doing this and I've never forgotten her words.

And these are the ways that I pray each day. I have this written on the insides of my Bible. I always do that, so that it's always near to me and because I share this so often with people I'm meeting with or that I'm discipling. 

And when I've done all of that, I commit my day to the Lord and I ask Him to use me wherever I am and in whatever I am doing, whether having lunch with a friend or in the line at Kroger. He does use me each day whether I'm out in public or here at home, because it brings Him glory to do that and it's in His will that He ordains my steps. (Proverbs 16:9 is where I got that from and if it in the Word of God, then it IS the will of God. My pastor taught me that years ago.)

Here are some things I'd love to remind you, lest you think I've always been like this: first, remember to have GRACE for yourself. All of our seasons of life look different, so when my kids were young, this looked different every single day. Some of those days I was doing good to get in five good minutes with Jesus each day. He knows your heart and He will honor that, so be gentle with yourself. Secondly, there is no right or wrong way to spend time with Jesus! Just give Him some time and I promise you, you will be changed from the inside out. Lastly, and this is an exhortation, we ALL have time to spend with Jesus every single day. If you have time to be on social media, you have time to spend with Him. Same goes if you have time to shop or clean your house or watch tv or a movie—if you can do those things, you can give Him some time. Pray and ask for the Lord to give you the "want to" to do this each day. Ask Him to let you long for Him, as a deer pants for water (Psalm 42:1). I don't judge you when I exhort you, I am just a fellow sister in Christ who wants all God's best for your life. Romans 12:2 says that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds and that takes place when we read the Word of God. It is literally life changing.

Here is where you come in now and for me and anyone else reading this, how do you "do" your own quiet time each day? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all.