Comments on: 3 Great Bible Reading Plans http://thepracticaldisciple.com/2009/05/3-great-bible-reading-plans.html The discipleship guide to christian spiritual growth Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:13:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Making your Bible Reading Plan Work | The Practical Disciple http://thepracticaldisciple.com/2009/05/3-great-bible-reading-plans.html/comment-page-1#comment-1602 Making your Bible Reading Plan Work | The Practical Disciple Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:33:50 +0000 http://thepracticaldisciple.com/?p=320#comment-1602 [...] to a Practical Disciple reader who had downloaded one of the reading plans from my last post, 3 Great Bible Reading Plans. He told me that he and his wife were trying it. He rightly recognized quickly that you need a set [...] [...] to a Practical Disciple reader who had downloaded one of the reading plans from my last post, 3 Great Bible Reading Plans. He told me that he and his wife were trying it. He rightly recognized quickly that you need a set [...]

]]> By: Laurie http://thepracticaldisciple.com/2009/05/3-great-bible-reading-plans.html/comment-page-1#comment-535 Laurie Thu, 07 May 2009 20:29:39 +0000 http://thepracticaldisciple.com/?p=320#comment-535 My two big struggles are time and fatigue. I am self employed and many of my mornings start at 5am. I am not a morning person so to get up before then for "quiet time" is just not going to happen. So I try to have it right before bed, reflecting on the day and diving into the Bible. The fatigue temps me to put it off because I am so tired. I may read anywhere from one chapter to 10 just depending on what all is going on. What has helped me keep at it? A couple of things. First I am a big reader. I read mostly nonfiction spiritual or relational type books. Right now I'm reading "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn. I was listening to the radio one day and the man said, why are you reading so many books about the Bible when you can be reading the Bible instead. I thought "hum, makes sense". SO I became more intentional. Also I pray to hear God's voice speaking to me. When I prayed that, I thought, "Laurie, if you want to hear my voice, how about reading my Book? My voice is all over that!" Well alrighty then... As I have eluded to before, I have gone through some really tough times. During that point in my life, I had concerns that my son might kill himself or one of us. One day I was sitting on my bed reading my Bible. My book was open sitting flat on my bed as I sat next to it. I had been praying for guidance with my family. I was desperate. There must have been some sort of breeze in the room because the page turned back a page. I looked on that page and I saw a highlighted verse, "and his son lived and all in the house believed." I can't remember ever highlighting that verse before but I obviously did. I knew God was telling me it would all work out in a Romans 8:28 kind of way. I hung on to that promise (I took it as a promise) during a trip to hell and back. When I started to doubt, I would say that verse over in my head as an anchor. Now, 4 years later, I can tell you that God was true to his promise to me. We are all in a much better place. My son did live and all in the house do believe. God is so good. I want to work my way all the way through. How can I be the best Christian I can be and ignore the book that records the foundations of my faith? That doesn't make sense to me. Also, I have been on this journey to really grow deeper with my relationship with God. I know that God speaks through his word and verses he brings to my mind when I am living through various situations. If I really want that deep relationship, I need to do my part and cultivate a mind that can hear God's voice through scripture. Knowing more scripture also has made my prayer life more intimate. I am able to reference scripture during my discussions with God. I find the more I know about the Bible the more I want to know. I am really intrigued with how it really does all fit together. For example, When Christ was speaking to the woman at the well, he was offering he living water. Later on the cross, as Jesus took on our sins and was really weighted down with them, he was thirsty. Sin makes us thirsty. Wow, how intriguing! I am a creative person and I find that reading the Bible also inspires my creativity. Basically, I find the closer I am with God, the closer I want to be. If my purpose in life is to know and glorify God, then I need to get off my duff, turn off the TV and invest my time in that relationship. I have found it is so worth it. I am getting to the place when I can feel when a message is from God. It is a feeling in my heart I get when the thought I am having is not my own. I believe that reading my Bible has helped to get me to that place. I'll stop rambling and let you speak now John. :o) I'd like to know what you think. My two big struggles are time and fatigue. I am self employed and many of my mornings start at 5am. I am not a morning person so to get up before then for “quiet time” is just not going to happen. So I try to have it right before bed, reflecting on the day and diving into the Bible. The fatigue temps me to put it off because I am so tired. I may read anywhere from one chapter to 10 just depending on what all is going on.

What has helped me keep at it? A couple of things. First I am a big reader. I read mostly nonfiction spiritual or relational type books. Right now I’m reading “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. I was listening to the radio one day and the man said, why are you reading so many books about the Bible when you can be reading the Bible instead. I thought “hum, makes sense”. SO I became more intentional.

Also I pray to hear God’s voice speaking to me. When I prayed that, I thought, “Laurie, if you want to hear my voice, how about reading my Book? My voice is all over that!” Well alrighty then…

As I have eluded to before, I have gone through some really tough times. During that point in my life, I had concerns that my son might kill himself or one of us. One day I was sitting on my bed reading my Bible. My book was open sitting flat on my bed as I sat next to it. I had been praying for guidance with my family. I was desperate. There must have been some sort of breeze in the room because the page turned back a page. I looked on that page and I saw a highlighted verse, “and his son lived and all in the house believed.” I can’t remember ever highlighting that verse before but I obviously did. I knew God was telling me it would all work out in a Romans 8:28 kind of way. I hung on to that promise (I took it as a promise) during a trip to hell and back. When I started to doubt, I would say that verse over in my head as an anchor. Now, 4 years later, I can tell you that God was true to his promise to me. We are all in a much better place. My son did live and all in the house do believe. God is so good.

I want to work my way all the way through. How can I be the best Christian I can be and ignore the book that records the foundations of my faith? That doesn’t make sense to me. Also, I have been on this journey to really grow deeper with my relationship with God. I know that God speaks through his word and verses he brings to my mind when I am living through various situations. If I really want that deep relationship, I need to do my part and cultivate a mind that can hear God’s voice through scripture. Knowing more scripture also has made my prayer life more intimate. I am able to reference scripture during my discussions with God. I find the more I know about the Bible the more I want to know. I am really intrigued with how it really does all fit together. For example, When Christ was speaking to the woman at the well, he was offering he living water. Later on the cross, as Jesus took on our sins and was really weighted down with them, he was thirsty. Sin makes us thirsty. Wow, how intriguing!

I am a creative person and I find that reading the Bible also inspires my creativity.

Basically, I find the closer I am with God, the closer I want to be. If my purpose in life is to know and glorify God, then I need to get off my duff, turn off the TV and invest my time in that relationship. I have found it is so worth it. I am getting to the place when I can feel when a message is from God. It is a feeling in my heart I get when the thought I am having is not my own. I believe that reading my Bible has helped to get me to that place.

I’ll stop rambling and let you speak now John. :o ) I’d like to know what you think.

]]> By: admin http://thepracticaldisciple.com/2009/05/3-great-bible-reading-plans.html/comment-page-1#comment-534 admin Thu, 07 May 2009 14:53:07 +0000 http://thepracticaldisciple.com/?p=320#comment-534 Go Laurie! That's awesome. I am curious what has been your biggest struggle in being consistent and what has help you keep at it. If you don't mind sharing that via a comment it may help other people. Thanks. Go Laurie! That’s awesome. I am curious what has been your biggest struggle in being consistent and what has help you keep at it. If you don’t mind sharing that via a comment it may help other people. Thanks.

]]> By: Laurie http://thepracticaldisciple.com/2009/05/3-great-bible-reading-plans.html/comment-page-1#comment-531 Laurie Thu, 07 May 2009 03:34:58 +0000 http://thepracticaldisciple.com/?p=320#comment-531 I'm about to go finish Job tonight. I have read all of the New Testament and now I'm working through the Old. I've read the Old, hit and miss but never from start to finish. I have now started with Genesis and have worked my way through Job. I think I'll read a Psalm and Proverb a day and keep going past those to the next book. My goal is to be finished by the end of the summer. We'll see.... I’m about to go finish Job tonight. I have read all of the New Testament and now I’m working through the Old. I’ve read the Old, hit and miss but never from start to finish. I have now started with Genesis and have worked my way through Job. I think I’ll read a Psalm and Proverb a day and keep going past those to the next book. My goal is to be finished by the end of the summer. We’ll see….

]]>