How do you do your Christian "weekly/daily" disciplines?

My daily routine is this:

I am currently going through Beth Moore's personal reflection series. It's a 90 devotional study of one person of the Bible. I am doing the one on Paul and also the one on David. Love it.

I also read the daily devotional "Daily Light" by Samuel Bagster.

I read at least one chapter of scripture each day from one book until I finish the book.

I read the proverb of the day (today is Proverbs 16).

I do whatever study is required for Sunday School lessons. (Usually done on Saturday)

I use the Lord's Prayer (or model prayer) as my basis for prayer. I go line by line and add my personal thoughts, petitions,thanksgiving, and praise. I figure Jesus said pray in this manner for a reason.

There are days I fail and don't get it all done, but this is my pattern and when I do accomplish it all that's when my blessings from the Lord are sweet.

 

...Bob

 

Every morning I wake up and go to my chair or my couch and read the Bible. I read it systematically and my goal is two-fold. One, is to understand the text and two is to find something to later meditate upon later. I find that the Bible is meant to be 1. studied and 2. meditated upon. I should finish up Revelation this week, if not tomorrow.

Then I read various books, usually 3-6 at a time. One book is usually a commentary on a book of the Bible (currently, I am reading through a commentary on Genesis). This is not an in-depth commentary that I may use when studying a book for preaching or researching, but pastoral and expository (I love Kent Hughes, but I use other authors as well including the New American Commentary Series put out by the SBC and Reformed Expository Commentary). I am convinced that faithful exposition of Scripture does more to grow a Christian than almost any other type of book. I try to have a book on some theological topic. I just finished "Covenant Theology" by Horton. I am looking for my next book (I have a Kindle and will just download a book). I try to find something on the Spiritual Disciplines/Formations. I just finished a book by Don Whitney. My hope is to be encouraged into deeper prayer and worship of God. Also, I try to read a Biography, I am reading "Praying Hyde" right now, but I am finding this book is not to my liking so I will try to finish it early and get another book. Normally, I finish reading atleast 2 books a week... sometimes as much as four. These are often a source of great meditation and worship to the Lord.

For Bible memory, my family is trying to memorize Philippians. We began at the beginning of the year and are up to verse 10. We recite our verses everyday at dinner time and, if I am off, the other meals. This has been a real joy for the entire family.

My prayer life has been wonderful and been less than stellar. This is probably the hardest part of my devotional life. I have tried Luther's advise and letting prayer be the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night. As well, usually during meditation I end up praying. I try to spend time in prayer after my devotions too. My goal would be to take Brother Lawrence's advise and "Practice the Presence of God" (don't like the phrase, but the concept of continual prayer is worthwhile). I fail constantly.

I have failed to fast in quite some time, but I hope to change that in the near future.

I also need more growth in the church disciplines. Yes, I am faithful in attending church and participating with the Church. However, my heart has failed to grasp the full gravity and weight of these spiritual acts.

 

How wrong you are! If you took the time the learn about these images, you will see that they have everything to do with the topic being discussed.

Here is a hint about the images: all have to do with Christian disciplines. However, they may not be in the reformed card catalog. And there is quite a lot of myself behind these images.

You are a smart person. Instead of jumping to a snappy conclusion, why don't you study what you see and seek to learn something new?

Here are four more hints (if you need them).



Image 1: Thomas Merton--500 years from now, he may leapfrog both Calvin and Arminius as a Christian spiritual innovator.


Image 2: Shaker furniture--religion in wood--think of your work or your home or your family--where do you leave physical marks of your religion?



Image 3: Verna Mae Slone--read about her life.



Image 4: I always see people doing prayer and Bible study at Starbucks. And sometimes I join them. Many people do not have the ability to be at home throughout the day. Some people wake up still running from yesterday. Right--probably not. Smart--definitely not. But, they do what they can where they are with what they have. They do not have family support--again, not the way it is supposed to be. At least, the Bible study groups at Starbucks are edging closer and helping each other. The dark hours of the early morning or late at night makes Starbucks their church. Their only church. Where they practice Christian disciplines.



Do the following images help?















...Bob

 

How do you do your Christian "weekly/daily" disciplines?


(pssst, Zack, we're Baptists here, not Methodists....)

 

I would say my quiet time studying the Bible. This is when I learn the most. Also when I'm driving I listen to Christian music and it is awesome to praise the Lord during this time.

When I stay focused in my studies and time with God, I have peace, I am able to make better decisions, I'm kinder and more patient with others, and I have joy. It doesn't mean that all my problems go away, but I am equipped to deal with them and through it all I'm thankful always to God for loving me. I also feel a closeness to Him.

 

Bump.

Wouldn't someone else like to share how they do their daily study?

 

My bible study for the most part is topical. I also read a chapter in the Old Testiment and one in the new most days. My quiet prayer time is in the morning before anyone else is up and driving to and from work.

If a special occasion is coming up like an ordination I always study I Timothy and Titus.

I also like reading Baptist history. I was given a copy of the Philidelphia Association minutes 1707-1807 for Christmas and I am up to 1752 in it.

 

Personally, I have absolutly no spritual "disciplines" at all. None. Not one.

Years ago I tried to do some, because others said I should. I ended up getting nothing out of it at all. It quickly turned into "OK, I'm gonna study the scriptures now because this is "bible study time"

The study become completly dry, and unprofitable.

Same thing with "Prayer Time". It got dry and unprofitable very quickly.

As soon as I quit the "disciplines" I started feeding on the scriptures voluminously(and joyfully) and praying almost constantly during the day. I just study when I feel like it, and pray when I feel inclined to.

I decided to stick with what works for me. Been that way for about 30 years now.

Of course, if someone ASKS for prayer I will definetly pray.

In this post I'm talking about my personal prayer and study preferances.

AiC

 

It changes montly. Right now I'm reading the power of a praying husband. I pray before I start, then I start reading where I left off, usually a new chapter. I have my bible and read the verses from my bible that are referenced and the surrounding verses, I take notes on whatever I feel I need to. I do this usually after dinner before I go work out.

 

I'll give you an example from my own life. Last summer my husband & I went through a terrible time. We lost our business, had to sell our home and my husband went through a horrible depression. I tried my best to read my bible everyday, but just could not concentrate on it. Nothing was sinking in.
Then one day I thought "I'll read the Psalms". I know now that it was the Lord that led me to do that. For weeks I read nothing but the Psalms and they were full of God's promises to His children. They told of the enemy that wanted to destroy David, but God did not allow it and instead increased his faith and saved him from his enemies. I was so strengthened by it! Reading all those promises got me through all those tough times and I truly believe with all my heart that God rewarded my faithfulness to Him. Although I really would have no faith at all were it not for Him! He is all in all!

 

ZRS....

No. If I dont feel like praying, I dont pray. If I dont feel like digging into the scriptures, I dont do it.

But I'm very confident that I spend as much, if not more, time doing both of those things than anyone on this site. I pray almost constantly, and I feed on the scriptures like a starving man.

By all means. Disciplining yourself to pray or feed on the scriptures works for many people. We are all different.

I agree completely.

I think that we are all different. We are not robots down here. I am the only "Me" that God has ever created, or will ever create. And you are the only YOU that God has created, or will ever create.

What works for you might not work for me...and what works for me might not work for you.

Whats important is that you and I are both people of PRAYER, and we are both people you love the scriptures and feed on them regularly.

Praise the Lord.

AiC

 

The greatest prayer warrior I know often said, "When you don't feel like praying is when you need to pray the most." I would concur and say, "When you don't feel like studying is when you should study the most."

 

But when you do that...you are sort of "making" yourself do it, out of "duty" or "obligation. I'm not sure that God is really all that pleased with that.

If someones little son or daughter came up and gave them a hug sort of dryly, saying...there you go dad(or mom), I hugged you because I'm supposed to", I dont think they would be terribly pleased.

But if the child came running up excitedly, and jumped into their lap just hugging them so joyfully and exitedly...why, that parent would just about melt out of the sheer joy of it.

God is our Father, and we are His kids.

Thats just my meandering thoughts on it. Basically, though..I pray and study the way I do because its what works for me.

I end up praying more, and feeding on the scriptures more, when I do it when I feel like it...rather than making myself do it routinely, out of duty. I dont see prayer or feeding on the scriptures as being something we do out of "duty", but rather they should be things we do "joyfully".

God bless

AiC