If you’re really trying to live your day for Christ’s sake — that is, to serve Him — how do you start it? Betty recently bubbled up an item from Crosswalk.com that gave somewhat of a formulaic start to a day. We’ve always wondered about these formulaic procedures. But maybe when we throw out formulas, we are indeed “throwing out some of the baby with the bathwater,” so to speak. In other words, is there some good to having a daily “habit” like the Crosswalk Editorial Staff suggests:
www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/prayers/10-morning-prayers-to-use-daily.html
So we’re wondering — what’s YOUR day like? When you start the day, how do you make sure you keep your eyes focused on the God of the nations? How do you make sure you’re living for Him and the Great Commission in a “never say die” approach that never waivers, never falters, never quits? Because if we could all discover that formula (if one exists), we need to bottle it, then distribute it to the masses throughout the entire Christian world. Right? Your thoughts?
Being a morning person vs. my wife being a night person—enough said! Before getting out of bed, I recite a Scripture honoring God, then pray, by name, for the 69 persons in my family! Then, my morning Scripture reading is either (depending on the alternate months) from the Psalms or Proverbs. This morning was Proverbs 4! What Wisdom King David gave to his son, and to us! ~~~NEAL
I am too addicted not to look at my phone first thing, but I don’t allow myself to sit down while looking at my phone until I have met with God…
(1) Spend some time preaching the Gospel to myself. Perhaps spontaneously, perhaps from “A Gospel Primer” by Milton Vincent, perhaps from focused Scriptures – basically reminding myself of who I am and who HE is
(2) Prayer
(3) Reading from OT, Gospels, and Epistles combined with writing down at least one thought or application that I can take into my day and think about during exercise, standing in line, shorter times with God interspersed later in the day
Step #1 is the one that is relatively new to me and I am finding to be far more important (if possible?!) than #2 or #3… The writing down and meditating in step #3 is again something new for 2019 and I’m still struggling a bit with that discipline, but have found it very helpful when I’ve followed it. If I don’t write it down and come back to it intentionally (phone alarm) then busy-ness tends to take over and suddenly it’s night and those extra times I might have enjoyed with my best Friend have passed yet again…
When no children priorities…
Read the word praying Ps 119:18 Lord what do you want to teach me today? Some times journal some times research a subject, have outlined most.
Then time of prayer, petitioning, thanking, interceding – I have a typed list to aid concentration. Ending Lord what do YOU want to do through me today?
I use to save confession till end of day, but now keep my heart clean with immediate confession.
Fasting is important too
I also fast from Chocolate, once a favorite food still could be (eat if offered by those not yet discipled), but say to people it is for the persecuted church.
And high sugar sweets because our bodies are God’s temple.