Tag: Quiet Time

Do Not Be Anxious – How?

Philippians 4:6-8

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

While this is a familiar passage, when I read it for understanding I ask some questions. Maybe my questions will give you a fresh perspective on a familiar passage to most Christians. My thoughts go like this:

What’s the command? Do not be anxious.

What’s the alternative to anxiety? I can present my requests to God.

How do I present my requests to God? By prayer – petitioning God, but also thanking God for all He’s done and will do.

What is the assurance or promise stated to happen when I do this? The peace of God will come into my heart and my mind.

How big is this peace? It transcends all my understanding and has the ability to guard my heart and my mind.

What does this peace which transcends all understanding do? It guards my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. We are “in Christ” when we know God through Jesus. We are hidden. We are safe. We are in His protection.

©Valerie Rumfelt

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The Practice of Prayer

If you are a Christ follower, then you know that spending time with the Father through Bible reading and prayer is not a legalistic exercise, but you cherish this practice; it is life to you.

As carelessly as some followers approach reading His Word, there can often be little attention given to prayer unless in a crisis. A Christ-follower can engage with God through the power of His Holy Spirit in prayer. If you only go to God when something immediate is wrong in your life, then you are no better than the characters on a soap opera. I used to watch them, and characters prayed only in a crisis to a god they didn’t know. So, how do we keep from being or becoming people who only pray in crisis?

  1. Expect results. Prayer is a discipline. I know that sounds like “eat your vegetables,” but to get out of “crisis mode only” with prayer, you will need to practice. Now that is not to say you can’t pray at other times. You can pray all day long, anytime. But praying as a choice is necessary to learn how to pray effectively.
  2. Expect to hear from God. We all fear that God might speak to us in our prayer, and we aren’t sure we want to hear what He has to say. But once you pray intentionally, you become fearless. Your faith strengthens and you are willing to accept any instruction, comfort, or guidance He gives. Even if something is hard to hear, you can pray about it.
  3. Expect better relationships. Prayer keeps you honest before God. It stands to reason that if you are honest before God, your relationships will get more honest, and more peace will be produced in your life. Every relationship problem may not be solved, but you will have more peace.
  4. Expect to use the Bible in your prayer time. Use the scripture you read earlier in devotions. Or find a passage particular to your situation. Praying scripture is a submissive choice to agree with God that His Word is true and true for you.
  5. Expect answers to your prayers. God honors those who honor Him and He is waiting to hear from you. The more you pray, the more answers you will get. He will answer prayers that are for your good and His glory which is directly connected to His will for your life.

None of this means that you’ll be spared suffering. God is not a genie. But a fervent prayer life will sustain you in suffering. True followers of Christ will suffer in this life. That is theologically based right out of God’s Holy Word, but your prayer life will give you strength and wisdom for each trial.

Do you need to get on your knees?

I choose to get on my knees because something supernatural happens there. It’s a humble posture; once again, I have no trouble thanking God for who He is. Praise comes out of my mouth easily. I confess my sins. Isn’t this what you’d expect to do in prayer? It goes from being a stiff “have to” step in my quiet time to a desire to know Him and enjoy His presence.

I hope these tips will encourage you to enter into God’s presence with expectation and gladness.

“True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency. Make it a habit, and when the need arises you will be in practice.”

Billy Graham

©Valerie Rumfelt

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5 Promises for Peace and Transformation

Covid19 is still here. It’s impacted our lives, and I don’t need to tell you how. It’s quite hard to believe all the changes. We are wondering will things go back to normal. Here are some questions to ponder.

Am I still the same?

Am I changed?

Am I closer to Jesus now?

Do I love His Word more?

Do I hear God speaking to me?

Is there sin in my life that I need to confess and take action to flee?

Of course, we can always choose to be alone with God. A pandemic doesn’t have to be the reason. Do you have gaps in your days because of Covid? These are opportunities. And Jesus is better than any lottery ticket. He is dependable.

When all around you changes, He is not and will not. He can’t. Hebrews has a verse full of stability and promise, which says, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” A world to our expectations is not part of the deal. Actually, in John 16: Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The other morning as I was in my quiet time, I came across all of these gems. Maybe reading these will inspire you to fellowship with God through His Word. There are many more scriptures like these that give testimony to the benefits of reading God’s Word. Ponder these few.

  1. Who knew memorizing it could help you not to sin.

2. This verse clearly explains the usefulness of reading and applying Scripture.3. Wow, let’s pray we love reading God’s Word more than food. 4. Jeremiah expresses a desire to read the Scripture and expresses the benefit. If you don’t have this desire, then pray for it. That is a prayer God will answer.5. Scripture comes straight from the Lord. Living by it is wise—every word.

Today is the day to invest your time in reading God’s wonderful word. I have several blogs on this website on writing scripture which guarantees to slow down the brain and bring peace. Here’s one. FREE PRINTABLES are at the top of this site for you to work and enjoy. Suppose you don’t have the desire to get more of God’s Word in your life, pray for it. If you live in sin, you can’t hear from God, even if you are a believer. Confess that sin, get out of the sin, and start again living a life that brings glory to Him.

The Bible was not given for our information, but for our transformation. D. L. Moody

©Valerie Rumfelt

 

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Improve Your Quiet Time

If you are a follower of Jesus, then having a quiet time is something you do. It’s part of who you are as His follower. It’s a time for Him to talk to you through His Word and time for you to speak to Him in prayer. This is the relationship we all learn about, and yes, it’s that simple, and yet it is profound.

I’m an advocate of a morning quiet time. It gets the day started right by filling your soul with His powerful Word, leaving your burdens with Him, and humbling yourself and letting Him lead the way.

God’s Word is not dull, but sometimes this discipline could use some variety. One thing I started a few years ago is scripture writing. Writing scripture affects my spirit, much like a good night’s rest feels. A sense of well being emerges and the truth of scripture seems to magnify before me.

You can add this practice to your quiet time, simply choosing passages in the Bible to write. But, there are some great minds out there who have made it super easy by compiling lists of scripture by the month. Just google “scripture writing,” and you will find the options. Choose one, make a copy of the plan, gather a notebook and pen, and you’ll be ready to start this new adventure with scripture.

So let me tell you how I use scripture writing:

  • I find the passage in the Bible, and I read it, sometimes out loud.
  • I write the scripture passage in the notebook. As I write, I try to absorb the words and meanings.
  • Often, I place my name, where there are personal pronouns. This technique personalizes it for me.
  • I look for keywords such as repeated words, words that describe the human heart, words that describe God’s heart, a command, a list, action words, consequences, or a promise and more.
  • I circle, underline, make squiggly markings around these elements. Out beside the scriptures, I write any question the scripture prompts, a praise, a statement the Holy Spirit is pressing on me. I call all this diagramming Scripture.
  • After “diagramming” the passage, I may write out a prayer based on the scripture.

This entire process takes only a few minutes. By the time this is done, God’s spoken through the passage, and the activity of prayer follows. Sometimes I make the scripture passage the start of my prayer time. The scripture writing I’ve used most recently is https://theplanningwoman.com/scripture-writing-plans-2020/

Having a morning quiet time is a daily spiritual discipline that involves you interacting with our holy God. Time spent with God brings assurance of His Presence all day and guides you in His way. Beyond transforming your mind, your life will bring more honor and glory to Him because you met with Him. Embrace your time with God each morning.

The secret to a happy life is giving God the first part of your day, the priority to every decision, and the first place in your heart.

 
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©Valerie Rumfelt
 
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