After I got the kids off to school this morning, I sat down here at ye olde computer with my fresh, steaming hot cuppa coffee, all ready to dive into design work and blog posts. But after the holidays and a trip out of town and a blogging break, I was kinda missing my mojo. So as I often do when I don’t know where to begin, I decided to visit the fine folks in the Twitterverse.
It seemed that almost everyone was talking about the new year, the new DECADE (as if it’s not pressure enough that we have a new year to face), goals, resolutions, settling back into the routine, and the like. Me? I was planning to take it easy with a newsy post about our recent trip to Virginia. No resolutions for me! No ma’am! I’m pretty sure that one of Murphy’s Laws states that the surest way to guarantee that you will not meet a goal is to make it into a New Years Resolution. So I scrolled through the updates, generally uninterested until I saw this one from Brooke:
#FreshYearFreshStart begins today with “Cultivating a Consistent Quiet Time” Have you ever struggled? Felt the guilt? http://bit.ly/7eKJoQ
What Christian hasn’t struggled with cultivating a consistent quiet time? I certainly have. For a woman who has claimed Christ as her Savior and Lord for the past 31 years of her life, I have been dreadfully INconsistent in this discipline. I want a deeper relationship with Him and I know the only way to know someone better is to spend quality time with them, but it’s so easy to find 110 other things I think I should do first, and before I know it, that quiet time has been pushed to the back burner.
I’ll do it tomorrow, I always reassure myself. But you know how that goes. Tomorrow never comes. Hey, that could be a country-western song. Heh.
Curious to see what Brooke had to say on the topic, I clicked over to her post. It didn’t take me long to decide to join Brooke and her comrades in their quest to grow closer to the heart of God this year. I am in a stage of life where I can easily set the alarm 30 minutes earlier and start my day with morning devotions. I have no excuses. I’m hoping that this accountability is exactly the kick in the hiney that I need to make morning devotions a priority, and I plan to put to good use Kristi’s practical tips from her first post in this series. I think this one is key for me:
*I don’t do anything else – cleaning up leftover dishes, brushing my teeth, changing clothes… I just put on a robe and slippers, wrap a blanket around myself, and sit in the silence with the King. If I do something else first I tend to get sidetracked.
The other obstacle I often face is that when I do sit down to have personal devotions, I’m often at a loss as to where to start. In fact, at times I don’t open my Bible at all, and instead I just pray. Which is great, of course. Prayer is essential to personal devotions, but since the Bible is God’s way of speaking to us, it seems like I ought to, you know, read it.
So I think I’ll embark on one of those “read the Bible in a year” plans, but I need one that is NOT chronological. I’ve tried reading through the Bible chronologically, and invariably I get bogged down in Leviticus or Habakkuk and never finish. Do you have a schedule you can recommend?
The Fresh Year, Fresh Start series isn’t just about cultivating a consistent quiet time. There are three weeks, each with a different focus, and you can find out all about it in this post. Who’s gonna join me?
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Love this post. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement.
Here is the Bible plan I just started this new year.
http://www.esv.org/assets/pdfs/rp.esv.study.bible.pdf
I love the way that it is broken up into 4 categories and not just chronological. I tend to get stuck with the chronological plan too. You more about this plan and my Bible reading goals here (http://clayinhishands-sarah.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-years-resolutions.html), if you want to.
Blessings!
I think I will investigate the links later. Husband and I were in a couples group that started a 9 month spiritual retreat (stretched out to cater to meeting times) and the most essential part was 30 minutes of daily prayer. We found that we were just not making it happen and so are taking a break from the group. I do need to find time for prayer, but at least right now, it will not be in the morning.
Oh, there is a Bible that is called the One Year Bible and it breaks the reading up into daily doses. I guess it goes in order, but you read a little OT, NT, Psalms and Proverbs every day, so you don’t necessarily get bogged down.
Sarah, that one looks good, thanks! So you read from all four categories every day?
Nicole, there were YEARS when I could not commit to it in the morning (or at all, really.) My youngest is 4, and I feel like I’m finally coming up for air. ((hug)) Hang in there!
I can totally relate. If I don’t have a plan, I’m all over the place – sometimes even with a plan…but that’s another story!) Of all the times that I set out to read the entire Bible in a year, I only did it once! Now, I focus on a few character things and study them out. This year, I’ll be studying out humility, faithfulness and servitude for 4 months each. I’m starting with humility…and it is SO humbling!
So glad that this series has already been a blessing to you!
Teri Lynne is going to share tomorrow about how/where to start, so that might give you some ideas!
Sometimes when I’ve been stuck I like to go back to a Proverb and 5 Psalms a day – you can finish both books in a month.
Looking forward to challenging ourselves to take a “fresh start” together!
Awesome. I’ll have to go check out her post now. I’ve been inconsistent with my quiet time, but I’ve found writing in a journal to God helps keep my focus. I’m praying but actually writing it out helps me complete thoughts and not get caught up in the “oh let me go check email first.” Though I still do that
Happy New Year!
I’m in. Pray every day is one of my most important resolutions this year. Reading the Bible is easiest for me if I focus on particular books, instead of the whole dang thing. You could try focusing on each of the four Gospels for a month. Then maybe spending some time with the ladies – Ruth & Esther! I’ve read Paul’s letters a million times, but could be great to dedicate a week to each as well.
Hrmmmm. You know… I think I’m going to create a Bible reading calendar for myself.
Thanks for this post! Really got my wheels spinning, and now I’ve got a Bible Reading calendar planned for all of 2010! I just sort of chose books I’ve been wanting to study or felt drawn to right now. Starting with the Gospels!!
I bought a One Year Bible at church – I don’t think it’s chronological. But I’m not sure. Because CLEARLY I haven’t started reading yet.
(I’m starting tonight!) I’ve said “I should do that” for the past three years, and I’m excited to finally be DOING it.
I think you can find it on Amazon, if you decide to go that route.
Jo-Lynne,
Yes! For example, just read whatever is beside “Jan 1″ in each column. It will be four readings. And then you follow “Jan 2″ across in each column.
Inspiring and challenging me – heading off to check out those links. I NEED to do this!
Here’s one I like:
http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.html
I get bogged down too, and this one kinda spreads out the more difficult to one day a week and keeps you moving on the other days.
I really like the devotional, Morning and Evening. Also, reading 1 Corinthians 13 each day for a month really helps to keep it more on my mind. Mixing in the Amplified Bible is helpful as well.
We started a one year Bible and it jumps around from the OT to the NT and adds in a little Psalms in between. My 9 y/o is asking lots of questions, and I am having to do some research:) He is making me think! I have been wondering what we are going to do once school starts back (tomorrow), and now I’m thinking I may set the clock 30 min early and do the reading before school not at the end of the day when we are all exhausted from school and (blech) homework!
I’m with you on this. What’s been working for me is I found a bible study that I LOVE. I’m going through Genesis with Community Bible Study and it’s a study that I really look forward to doing. I wake up at 5:30 AM, get my coffee and sit in my reading chair with my bible and Genesis spiral and dive in. I need the structure of a study- I have a hard time just reading the bible on it’s own. I really liked Beth Moore’s studies on Jesus and David. They were both 90 day studies so they last a while.
The best advice I read and didn’t take was never to blog before doing devotions. I am trying to take that one to heart this year.
I’m realizing now that my quiet times are different every day…and that’s okay. And I think having a “quiet” time is simply that…sitting quietly before God and listening…not necessarily even reading your bible. I actually like to do my bible reading in front of my kids because they’ll usually ask what I’m reading and it gets a good discussion going.
Missy at Is It Naptime Yet is doing a read the Bible in 90 days thing for pretty much the same reason. That might be something you would be interested in.
Fresh Year. Fresh Start. Fresh Blogheader. I like it, alot!!! I may just have to investigate that site. Thanks for the head’s up!!
Count me in! Not sure which plan I’m going to follow, but it will definitely be in the evening. I struggle to come to life in the morning without trying to think!
We have a “read through the bible” bible. My hubby used it a few years ago and I think I’m going to jump on board and join you all to see if I can actually do it this year! I have tried so many times….
I can get up 30 minutes early so I’m going to give it a try. It may work best if I just take my bible up to my room. I can stay in bed and read….
Thanks for sharing. This is great!! I love the advice for starting with a Psalm and a Proverb each day. That’s something I think I can do until I establish better quiet time habits. I have yet to find a Bible “plan” that works for me. I tried a “One Year Bible” and couldn’t make it through. I got stuck in Numbers. I started a devotional with my husband and got through 2 Kings. What worked better for me with that devotional is that my husband and I spent several hours one night each week reviewing what I had read and I made detailed notes (with any questions I had) while reading. It was really helpful to go through it with someone who had completed that format before.
Great post. I’m moving my Bible / notebook and Bible study up to my bedroom and committing to doing that before anything else for the remainder of the week.
This is one of my biggest challanges this year that I plan on correcting and over coming. I’ll will definitley have to check out the links later.
Oh and on a side note, you were thought of today in Joplin , MO’s WalMart as I purchased coconut oil for the first time!!!
Wow! Great timing. I am away at a missions conference (near Sydney, Australia, where we live) at the moment. The speaker today preached on “Mary and Martha” from Luke 10:38-42. He talked about how God wants us to spend time with him MORE than he wants anything else from us (including doing “great ministry” for God, raising godly children, serving others etc). I am such a Martha, with my focus always on “doing”. This year I want to develop my relationship with God and focus on listening to Him and reflecting on His words. Great reminder.
What great tips. I struggle with being still and quiet too. I was thinking of ordering a Beth Moore workbook to put some time into studying this year. I was thinking this would fit better for me than doing a year in the Bible study.
Loved this post!!
I have the same problem! A pastor friend sent me this and I thought I might give it a try this year.
http://www.mygodsightings.com
Just purchased a 1yr Bible from local LifeWay store. Version is HCSB. It’s an easy read English version. Name is Everyday with Jesus Bible. Little OT, Psalm, Proverbs and NT. I like having the variety of not having to read so much of those OT books at one time that can bog us down. Missed the first couple of days because of holidays but now I’m within one day of being current. That’s what I’m doing in the morning. In the evening I’m doing a Study from Anne Graham Lotz called Into the Word. It’s a 52 week study but not bound by daily study only weekly (do a little each day to make it manageable but not required). I’m about to pick it up for the first time tonight but I like that I’ll have the same book for a year. I ordered it from her website. I’ll let you know what I think when I get into it.