We have a ladies' fellowship at church once a month and I want to give the ladies tips on how to study their Bibles, spend time in prayer, memorize scrpiture, and what to memorize. This could be anything from how to get in the habit, how to make time, how to know where to read, a prayer journal, etc. So, how do you do these things? Any great tips you would like to share? One of mine is, have one index card for each person you want to pray for. Have your request writen on those cards and then pray through them. It helps keep my mine on praying and off of what I need to do for the day. TIA
I keep a scripture list. When a scripture speaks to me, I add it to my list and categorize it. So if the scripture has to do with anger, I would place it under anger. The list is in alphabetical order.
Verses I want to memorize or think on I will write on an index card and put by the sink so I can learn them while doing dishes.
For Scripture Memorization I use these to write scripture on my windows, mirrors and stainless steel refrigerator. They work better than dry erase markers on these surfaces. I still have Proverbs 3:24 on my bedroom mirror from when my stalkers were still living next door. For prayer lists- cut a small strip of paper and write a person's name on it and keep it in my pocket-then all day when I'd feel that slip of paper, I'd pray for that person. When I had an active facebook account I would pick one person from my friend list each day, I'd email or msg them the day before and tell them that I was going to be covering them in prayer the next day and ask if they had any specific areas they wished me to pray about. This can also be a great way to gently witness. I explain I'm not picking on them LOL that I do this often and this just happens to be their day. You'd be surprised how many non-Christians will give you a prayer request, and it can be very powerful (for both parties) just to randomly offer prayer to someone who, not being a Christian, probably doesn't have that offered to them very often. I also try to find ways to link "when you do this activity-use it as prayer time" Things like when I wash the dishes alone, waiting in lines at grocery stores, etc. I just joined the gym again for the first time in 3 years-I so enjoyed my 30 minutes of uninterrupted focused prayer time today! Such a blessing! (also-with the prayer while waiting in line, it's great because you don't get angry about the wait because you're using the time in a productive manner and I also try to pick one person around me and pray for them-you don't know their story, but you may be the only person to pray specifically for that person in days, months or even years...I know my parents and husband and kids and prayer partner pray for me daily, but some people have no one at all that take their needs before the throne!) I also like to keep a journal that becomes much like a prayer journal...I hope my kids will find them and go through them when I'm long gone and be able to feel like they can glean some of my motherly wisdom from them It usually starts with an emotional rant or something totally unChristiany LOL but then when I finish or the next day I'll hunt down Scripture maybe write a prayer out-It's kinda like counseling myself.... Something I struggle with is more focused prayer. So I designed a prayer journal in Word that fit my needs. (you can see it here) though your thread reminds me I haven't used it in quite a while :/ One thing about prayer that I think is hard for many people to grasp (myself included!!!!) is this isn't a wishlist you're handing Santa-this is prayer, and it is powerful but there are guidelines to prayer and you can't pray that God will let you win the $400Million lottery jackpot so you can buy a fancy house and tell your boss off and wear designer clothing or your girlfriend who you're sleeping with won't leave you and expect God to give you the answer you want and say that prayer doesn't work because He didn't grant your wish. So (for me) I designed a page that asks me... How is this prayer God focused? Based on this Scripture… God’s Answer…Yes, no, or wait Sometimes I find it isn't that God isn't answering my prayer...it's that *I* am praying for the wrong thing... Also for more focused prayer for my boys I LOVE Warrior Prayers. This book is worth EVERY PENNY! Since praying Scripture over my boys in these areas I've seen a change in them-and when I slack off, I notice a difference! I had never prayed Scripture over people before, this book was a huge stepping stone in my prayer life that helped me learn to base my prayers on Scripture... Have you ever heard of The Skit Guys? I believe their focus is youth but they make some great videos we can ALL learn from. Just a couple of days ago I watched this one about prayer. Funny, entertaining and to the point. Could def be used for a conversation starter (I REALLY Love the one where the guy prays for his mom LOL) And prayer partners. You may want to assign them, do groups of 2 or 4 or assign a new prayer partner each month, because it may take a while for everyone to find a partner they click with. I have a prayer partner who I can text and say "OH no freaking out here..please pray for...." and it's nice sometimes when I'm down to just be able to text her and say "How can I pray for YOU today?" to take the focus off myself. (Sorry-long winded I know, but this is an area that God has really laid on my heart and been working on in me over the past year or so-I've been a Christian for over 10 years but until the past year or so my prayer life was not at all what it should have been-I was the "Santa wish list" prayer girl...but the simple changes in my prayer life have made my growth as a Christian in the past year amazing! I've really seen the true power of prayer)
I second Brooke. I have spent the majority of my special time with my Lord in the early morning since I was a teenager. I would add one discipline that is even less popular, more difficult, yet far more rewarding and enriching of all those you have mentioned: fasting. There is nothing that helps one prepare for--actually desire--the spiritual spiritual disciplines you have described like fasting and yet it is so rarely taught as a discipline.
This is the best tip you can give them.. cause once the littles get up.. it is hard to spend time reading and studying. Also to begin, I would suggest that they just spend 10 to 15 mins.. a day reading and praying then they can work up the time to how ever long the fill once the habit has been formed.
Or do it during your "Mommy Time", when your kids are spending a half-hour each day mid-day in their rooms! (The secret, imo, is to have a CONSISTENT time...before breakfast, after lunch, etc....built into your schedule.)
Many websites have a Daily Bible Reading schedule that you can use. BibleGateway has one, for example. Then you can read your Bible and pray what you read -- even if sometimes the prayer is "God, please help me understand why this is in Your Word" (like the genealogies of the OT or other things most people find tedious).
ooo apps! yes! YouVersion is great-they have a website and apps for every device ever made LOL They have lots of plans-many for Bible in a year and several smaller ones for various topics and such. As far as the getting up before everyone else, I would love to do that, but the truth is I am a night owl through and through. My mind doesn't work well until I've been up for at least an hour or two. LOL We start our school day with Bible and devotionals but to give God my best, I do my personal Bible and prayer time after the kids go to bed-my mind is much more alert at this time, I'm calmer, more focused, etc. I do start my day with prayer and a short devotional but true study isn't going to happen in my brain until I'm good and awake LOL
