Meeting with Jesus-My Story
I like to meet with Jesus in my sun porch. I invite Him to be present with me. I begin by worshiping Him through singing a hymn or a praise chorus. Sometimes I sing along with a recording, making use of You Tube videos of the song.
I then ask God to speak to me through His Word. In 2020 I am using the journaling One Year Bible–Creative Expressions published by Tyndale. There are 4 selections of scripture each day (Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs).
When the Lord impresses a verse on me, I then Bible Journal it by writing it in the journaling columns on the sides of this Bible in nice script.
I use different colors to represent different types of words: God (Purple for royalty), Me (Blue for humanity), Verb (Green for action), Noun (Red for importance), Adjectives/Adverbs (Pink for characteristics), and Prepositions (Orange for small).
I often include my own drawings or color black line masters already in my journaling Bible or ones I find on the internet to artistically represent the verse.
I will then read the verses before and after the one that I wrote out in script and ask questions to further understand and apply the verse to my circumstances. I write these observations in a spiral journal and choose a word that represents the verse I Bible journaled. I then recall that word throughout the day to remind me of what I have learned.
I also record God’s blessings, as well as what I am asking Him for in a written prayer.
As I begin the new year, I am looking for other ways to further enhance my time with God.
Courtnaye Richard in her article “Devotional Time Layout for 2020” points out:
Jesus talked to God wherever He felt led. What a great example! There wasn’t any one place. We see that Jesus spent time with the Father when He was on the mountaintop. Before He went into His ministry, He spent dedicated alone time with the Father in the wilderness (that was a time when He needed the strength of the One who sent Him to see Him through).
You and I will need the Lord when we go through our wilderness and preparation seasons as well (especially when we’re fasting and praying). Another point here for us to grasp is that He spent time with the Father when doing His will was going to be difficult (i.e. Garden of Gethsemane).
So in your devotional time layout for 2020, be sure to carve out time to seek God when things are good and normal, but also when you need strength for the dry times, preparation, and when He’s calling you to say “yes” to something that may be difficult.
She goes on to say:
Next, by all means layout a time to spend with God daily, yet don’t box yourself in. Schedule it when it’s best for you and be open to divine appointments. Remember, God is supernatural and Spirit, so as He leads, simply follow.
He may lead you to stop what you’re doing and just pray. He may lead you to pick up a particular book and read a direct passage that He knows you need for the moment or season you’re in. He may intervene and deposit a word of knowledge or wisdom just at the right moment (that you were never expecting). So be open to His interjections, interruptions, or schedule changes. Trust me, it will be all good!
Read further about planning out your time alone with God:
https://www.ibelieve.com/blogs/courtnaye-richard/devotional-time-layout-for-2020.html
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