The Best Part of My Day

As a writer, I receive a lot of emails from other writers and coaches about ways to succeed in the writing business. Lately, I have been following some posts on how we can makeover our mornings to be more productive.

In her posts, the coach advises that writers make a “game plan” of what they want their morning to look like. That way, she suggests, we will be able to set the tone for a productive day. I agree with everything she says. Whenever I oversleep, my morning routine – prayer, Bible reading and morning walk - gets messed up and I feel lost.  I hate when that happens.

The Bible tells us that Jesus had a morning routine too. He knew the benefit of rising early to commune with His Father and get His leading for the day. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1 : 35). Seems like even his followers knew He rose early because Luke tells us, “and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple” (Luke 21: 38).

Even the psalmists spoke of rising early. "Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early" (Psalm 57: 8).

:O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;" (Psalm 63: 1)

What is so special about the early hours of the day? In the early morning when there is little or no activity going on around you, your mind is fresh and uncluttered and you can focus better. However, it goes deeper than that. God commanded the people of Israel to honor Him with the firstfruits - the first - of their substance, i.e.. anything they had – produce, livestock, everything.  The firstfruits were “holy unto the LORD,” (Ezekiel 48: 14) and were to “cause the blessing to rest in thine house” (44: 30).  Later, in the New Testament, the apostles Paul and James referred to the early Christians as the firstfruits of Christ, and Christ Himself is referred to as the firstfruits of the dead.

We honor God with the firstfruits of our increase in the form of tithes and offering. In the same way, we can honor Him with the firstfruits of our day. The very first thing we ought to do before we do anything else is to commune with our Heavenly Father. When we do that, we “set the tone “ for our day. We come away feeling refreshed, energized and ready to face the challenges of the day. Try it.

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Finish What You Start

Have you ever found yourself taking on a number of projects, at home or at work and becoming so overwhelmed you don't really complete all of them? As a writer, it has happened to me, and I feel very guilty about it. There's just not enough time, I tell myself. So for this year, I'm going to make every effort to finish what I start.

A new year has just begun, and you may be thinking it's not yet time to talk about finishing anything. Isn't a new year about new beginnings? Maybe for some people, but for most of us, the new year is just another date on the calendar. Last year I wrote this post:  Just Do It  I hope some of you followed my advice and took that bold step to give your life to Christ. If you did, I'm happy for you, and the angels are rejoicing. If you didn't, don't put it off too long.

For those of you who gave your heart to Christ, I would like to encourage you to develop a habit of daily prayer and Bible reading. Yes, daily. It doesn't have to be an hour every day. You don't need a lot of time to connect with your Lord and Savior. He is always with you, and a few minutes a day may be all you need to acknowledge His presence and thank Him for it. Reading the Word helps you to hear from Him and get His direction for your life. Just as my morning walk energizes me for the day, so my Bible reading lifts my spirits and helps to set the tone for my day.

The other step is becoming a church member. Going to church doesn't save you, but saved people go to church. More about this in another post. Once you become a member, try to get involved in some of the various ministries. Many churches have activities for different ages, so it should be no difficulty fitting in. You don't have to be in everything. Church activity should never be a chore or a duty, but something you do because you want to give of your time to the Lord and fellowship with other believers.

If you do these things, you will grow in the Christian faith and enjoy being part of the family of God.

To help you get started on reading and understanding the Bible, I would like to recommend Know Your Bible by Paul Kent. If you are a woman, you may also enjoy Women For All Seasons written by me. These books do not replace the Bible; they are only companion literature to give you a deeper understanding of the Bible. If you do get any or both of these resources, I receive a small commission.

If you enjoyed this post, I would like to invite you to sign up for my monthly newsletter where you can get news and views about the Christian life, as well as giveaways.

What Are You Thinking?

Thinking (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn)

Even when we are unaware of them, many thoughts are competing with each other for our attention. For example, while we are driving, preparing a meal or typing a document at work, our thoughts may be on something completely different. Sometimes while we are praying, our thoughts may stray and we have to bring them back. It is believed that the average person has about 50,000 thoughts a day and 80 percent of them are negative.

There are some forms of New Age religion and occult practices that speak about mind control. They try to teach people how to control their minds. These practices are not only deceptive, but dangerous. They can take you places you don't want to go. STAY AWAY FROM THEM.

Because God knows how destructive our thoughts can be, He teaches us in His Word how to avoid unwanted thoughts. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4: 8,
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things."

 In 2 Corinthians 10: 5 he writes, "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

It may be difficult to always keep your mind on things that are pure, lovely and of good report all of the time. What so-and-so said to you or about you, what the doctor told you yesterday, what your bank statement says may be nothing praiseworthy, but if you begin to focus on your thoughts and "bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ" you will soon find that they conform to what Paul wrote above. 

You don't have to attend some seminar or read books on positive thinking. God has given us everything we need to keep our minds on the right track. The answer lies in prayer and daily Bible reading. When you wake up each morning, pray this prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for bringing me to the beginning of another new day. Lord, I know that my thoughts can lead me to do and say things that are not pleasing to you, and as this day begins, I ask you to take control of my thoughts. Help me to focus only on those things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely and good report so that my words and actions will honor and glorify You, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

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Why I Love The Bible

There was a time when reading the Bible was a very difficult thing for me. In those days the King James version seemed as foreign as Greek to me. My mother had taught me to read the Bible from an early age and to learn some popular verses of scripture such as John 3: 16. I also knew Psalms 23 and, of course, the Lord's prayer. I attended a Catholic school and there I was also made to memorize some verses of scripture and I became familiar with many passages. But I never saw the Bible as a necessary part of my life until I was saved and began studying the Bible in earnest. Now I can think of so many reasons why I love the Word of God.

1. The Word is Life
When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, He quoted from the Bible saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Again Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you , He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5: 24). There is life in God's word and as you read further you will see why.

2. The Word is a healer

In many places in the Bible we see that Jesus healed people simply by speaking His word over them. In some cases, He wasn't physically present when the healing took place. The centurion said to Jesus, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (Matthew 8:8).  Jesus said, "Go thy way ; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee" (v 13) . The man returned home to find his servant healed. Psalm 107 : 20 says, "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."

3. The Word is a protector

"Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word" (Psalm 119: 14). In the New Testament the word of God is compared to a sword, which is a weapon of warfare. "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: "( Ephesians 6: 17). In Hebrews 4:12, the writer says, "For the word of God is quick , and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

4. The Word cleanses us from sin

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word" Psalm 119: 9 .  And in verse 11 it says, "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me" ( v 133).

5. The Word gives us comfort

Paul says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4). And again in 1 Thessalonians 4: 18, he says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." Who can read God's promises and not feel comforted?

6. The Word educates us

There is no topic known to man today that the word of God does not address. The Bible deals with relationships, business, money, health, marriage, government, history and the future, to name just a few. Deuteronomy 11: 19 says, " And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up . "

So, let me encourage you to make Bible reading a part of your daily routine. Even if you're very busy during the day you can take a few minutes during your lunch hour to read maybe just one verse. And these days you can access the Bible from your cell phone so you don't have to carry around the Bible with you. If you begin to read the Bible daily it will soon become a habit you'll not want to give up. It will be "a lamp to your feet and a light to your path" (Psalms 119 : 105).

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