Game On

WELCOME TO THE 30 DAY BIBLE CHALLENGE!

Every day I will post some tools and encouragement, so keep checking back every day!  One of the days we will have a drawing for one of my favorite devotionals, so don’t miss out!

Are you ready to dig in?!

If you are not accustomed to spending time in God’s Word every day, make it happen.  The Creator of the Universe wants to speak to YOU, and whether you know it yet or not, you desperately long to hear His Voice.  It may be that you have searched the self-help section at Barnes & Nobles or sought ways to fill that longing through relationships, work, or even serving.  You may also feel you don’t have the time, but spending time with the Lord will free your time in other ways.  I have noticed when I have not spent time in the Word, I am more distracted and more likely to spend time doing things that are mindless and not beneficial, such as spending time on social media.  Everything else can wait, even your children and your housework.  You will recognize you will be better equipped to be a good mama, colleague, wife, whatever your role, after you’ve been filled with the goodness God has for you.

GET READY FOR BATTLE

Find a Bible translation that speaks to your heart, and get ready for it to get a little beat up from battle scars because this is going to be your greatest weapon in this fight.  I do not take this lightly – you are going to need to fight hard to stay in the Word daily.  One of the greatest ways Satan keeps us from even being able to enter this fight is to keep you from hearing the promises of comfort and strength God provides for you as well as His will for you.  Why else do you think it is so hard to consistently read this Book and make it a priority?  He is going to do all he can to keep you weak and without purpose.  Always be reminded that Jesus has already won the war against Satan, however, when we are still on this earth, we are on his turf and susceptible to his lies and deception.

SUIT UP

The Word of God is the only part of the Armor of God that is both offensive and defensive.  Familiarize yourself with  Ephesians 6:10-18 which describes the Armor of God.  Verses 11-12 advise to “Put on ALL of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil.  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.”  Perhaps you haven’t recognized this as a spiritual battle before, which Satan has been totally thrilled about.  Maybe you feel you don’t have the strength to battle anything, especially “mighty powers of darkness.”  When you hand this battle to God, He will give you strength you never knew you had to fight, whether or not you feel fighting is possible for you.  It’s time to recognize it and start concentrating our efforts on fighting the real enemy here, which is not our spouses, family, friends, or church, however much it may feel like it at the time.  

Although any and all times are good to read your Bible, I recommend starting your day in the Word.  You wouldn’t run on the field or on the court without knowing the game plan.  Hearing from our Creator in the morning focuses our mind and heart and helps to view the day and our circumstances from His perspective.  This also guides the way we set our agenda for the day and affects how we react to situations.  Protect your time if at all possible, but ensure you get up early enough so you will not be distracted by other people, sounds, and demands.  If something gets in the way of it first thing, commit to a time later you know may work to try again, such as after lunch.  Sometimes if you get away from it, it is more difficult to get back in routine, so fight to make it a priority.  But if you happen to get away from it, just dive back in as soon as you can.

Here are some guidelines for getting into the Word that I use.  I treasure my time in the Word because I have seen the results.  He WILL change you and that just may be what changes your circumstances.  As you get comfortable, make your quiet time your own.  If you have things you do that have helped you, please comment and let us know so we can grow too!

I’ll go through these guidelines in more detail day by day, but here they are to start with:

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE OF THE GUIDELINES:

Quiet Time Guidelines

Guidelines for Daily Quiet Time

• Gather your Bible, a notebook or journal, devotional if you have one, and a pen.
• Pray for forgiveness and a clean heart and for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, wisdom, and clarity
• Expect Him to speak to you through His Word
• Reflect & Record Scripture and how the Spirit is speaking to you, even if it doesn’t make sense at the time and how these truths encourage action and/or change
• Write out a prayer based on these truths
• Review past truths to remind yourself how God is speaking to you and hold yourself accountable

Tomorrow we start going through each of these in more detail.  Today I am praying for God to prepare your hearts and minds and give you NEW eyes to see!

This song is a little crazy for some of you, but it just feels like something you should play before a game to get you pumped up, and I can’t help but share it.  It’s by Andy Mineo, a Christian rapper.

IT’S GAME TIME!  DO YOU HAVE YOUR GAME-FACE ON?