A book I’m reading included a quote from John Piper. In it, he says the reason most believers do not have a deeper relationship with God and a more enriching study, worship and prayer time with Him is not because they don’t want to, but because they don’t plan to.
The lack of planning does not normally lead to miraculous, spontaneous experiences. Instead, it normally leads to the ruts. If we don’t make plans to do something else, we sit around staring at screens and not getting anything accomplished.
A Christian life is not one to be lived in a rut! God calls us for more. He reaches down to pull us out of our ruts, but He also gives us the freedom of choice and not making a plan is, by default, a plan to live in the ruts.
There are three components that each of us should be planning and scheduling time for each and every day: intake of the Word of God, Meditation, Prayer. The first is our food; taking in the nutrients of the holy scriptures. The second is digestion and includes thinking about and pondering what we have read, journaling, doing homiletics, thinking about and writing down how these words should become alive in our lives both in what we need to add as well as what we need to stop, thinking about and writing down how we are being called to support and care for others. Finally, we take all of that, all of our thoughts and notes and bring them in strength of the word and confidence in the promises to God.
One of our kids had a violin teacher who said, “you don’t have to practice every day, just on the days that you eat.” What if we had the same approach to intake, meditation and prayer? What if every day that we chose to feed and strengthen our bodies we also intentionally chose to feed and strengthen our walk with God? How can you make this a habit in your life?
My Answers:
6.
correct: faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Incorrect: leap of faith, faith in yourself, just have faith (not in something but as its own entity), blind faith
7.
a.
It is a “whole hearted” faith, one that comes from fully trusting in God for life (both here and eternally). It is not a blind faith, it is one rooted in the knowledge of God either through direct exposure to God’s word or indirect such as through prophets, the law and the scriptures. It culminates in Jesus Christ.
b.
Study and put in to practice spiritual disciplines including scheduled time for intake, meditation, prayer and fasting. Also to schedule time to connect with others.
The Notes are Good 