When we think we can change ourselves or our families in our own strength, we deceive ourselves! Only God can work a miraculous change in our hearts.
How well do you know God? Do you have a relationship with Him at all? If you’re uncertain where you stand in God’s eyes, I urge you to read my article,
If you do know God, it is extremely important to have a growing relationship with Him. Just like any relationship, this will only happen as you spend time with Him. He wants to spend time with you, too!
- As I said in Step Two, you need to schedule time with God if you want it to happen consistently.
For me, I spend time with God each day after I’ve taken my shower and gotten dressed.
Mornings, early — while it’s still quiet — are often the only consistent time I have. I’ve tried reading at night before bed, but after a couple verses, I start the fall asleep… the words all swim on the page… and next thing I know, my husband is leaning over me and turning off the light.
George Mueller was famous for saying, “No Bible, no breakfast,” and that’s a good rule of thumb. Read it before the urgent comes up in your day to crowd out the important.
But I also have a small New Testament in my bathroom, so if a day comes up when I just can’t fit a full “quiet time” into my noisy life, I can always read a few verses while sitting in the bathroom. (I also have a small Bible in my purse, for sneaking verses while I’m in the car.)
- You should also prepare a special space in your home for daily time with God..
In one home, I had a large counter next to my bathroom sink, so I had a pretty basket sitting there with all my “God Time” supplies in it. These supplies include my Bible, my notebook (like the one you bought at the store), a highlighter so I could mark verses in my Bible that meant a lot to me, some Bible study books, and a pen.
This home has a smaller bathroom (and more people wanting to use it!), so now I have a special bag out in my dining room, with all my supplies in it. If I wake before everyone else or with the baby, I can sit at the dining room table and enjoy my Bible. On mornings, though, that are more chaotic, I sneak away to my own bedroom (and lock the door for some privacy!).
Prepare your supplies, such as:
- A Bible
- Your notebook
- A highlighter
- A pen
- Any other Bible study books
Each day, after I’m looking pretty relatively awake and my bed is made, I sit and read my Bible and study. I also spend some time in prayer, keeping track of my requests and God’s answers in my notebook.
As I observe women I know, I am concerned. Most of them feel that they have a good relationship with God. They attend church and do good things for God. Yet very few of them are solidly grounded in what God’s Word says. In other words, they claim to know God, but they don’t have any idea what God’s opinion is on their lives, their marriages, their children, and even their role in life! They continue to meander aimlessly through life, never stopping to get directions from God.
If you want to have God’s best for your life, you absolutely must know God’s Word! Have you ever read all the way through your Bible? If not, you need to!
Print a Bible-reading plan that works for you, and put it inside your notebook. Several are available at:
- https://anneelliott.com/blog/2008/10/simchat-torah/ (where you can download the schedule I use, near the bottom)
- http://centenarylex.com/bible/
- http://www.reviveourhearts.com/downloads/index.php?id=10111
You also need to systematically study the Bible. Here are some do-it-yourself courses you can take online. As you’ll learn in Step Nine, however, it is best to study these with other believers.
- 30 Days of free e-mail studies by Skip Moen
- Harbor Church’s discipleship materials online
- The Discipleship Ministry
- Free discipleship Bible study lessons
I’ve also written some resources just for women, such as Blessed to Be a Blessing (a study of the book of Ephesians) or Juggling Life’s Responsibilities (with Bible studies for married women).
You can also study with your children, which is a great use of time and is excellent for them, too. Try our Foundations lesson plans or Torah School‘s website.
For your prayer time, make a prayer list to keep in your notebook:
- The simplest thing to do is to just start writing prayer requests in your notebook, putting the date next to each one, then another date when you see God’s answer.
- If you’re always on the computer, try Echo Prayer Manager, a free service that sends you prayer reminders throughout the day. (I’ve been using it to remind me to pray for you).
- We pray with our children at breakfast each day. We have requests on index cards, and we’ve put the pack of cards in a wooden box that also holds salt & pepper and napkins. It lives right next to our dining-room table.
- I’m not faithful at this, but I like keeping a pack of blank notes cards and envelopes in my bag, so I can jot a note to someone after I’ve prayed for her. (E-mail works, too… Just say, “Hey, wanted you to know I prayed for you this morning!”) This is so encouraging to others, and you’d be surprised how much more you’ll remember to keep praying for that person.
- Read more about the importance of prayer here.
Okay, so let’s review your assignments for today:
- Be sure you have time for Bible reading, study and prayer on your schedule.
- Make a spot for Bible reading.
- Have all your supplies ready.
- Have a plan for reading all the way through your Bible.
- Have a daily plan for studying short passages of Scripture.
- Make a plan for daily prayer time.
One more thing, then I’ll leave you alone. 🙂
Click here for a copy of Psalm 1, a great section of Scripture to print and hang (maybe in your bathroom?), where you can look at it a lot over the next three days.
