spiritual discipline | considering the word

Pr. 23:12: “Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.”

I was told that my blog from yesterday was really sad. It is sad that I chose not to take my thoughts captive, mostly because that was the start of a downward spiral in my life that lasted about a year. I struggled more than I ever needed to and even had thoughts of suicide.

So, how do we take our thoughts captive? It starts with the Word. We have to know it. We have to know Him. Instruction and knowledge are available to us all, and we need to apply ourselves to them.

Let’s look back at Eve in the garden. The Lord told Adam that they were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When satan came to tempt Eve to eat it, she told him that the Lord said they could not eat it nor touch it. (That’s not what He said) Then satan subtly convinced her that the tree was good for food. We must know the truth of God’s Word, and we must trust it.

Satan even used God’s word when tempting Jesus after His 40-day wilderness experience.

He does the same with us…subtle shifts in God’s word. Nothing that seems too alarming, except that instead of growing us closer to the Lord, it pulls us away from Him. Nothing grossly misrepresented, just enough word play to cause us to begin focusing more on ourselves than we do on the Lord. After all, just as satan wanted to be like God, he tempted Eve with being like God, he tempted Jesus with power and pride; he tries to distract us away from the One true God.

We have access to the Word of God today like no other time in history. Before we accept anything as truth, we need to consult the Word and find out what it says…word for word.

Jesus took His thoughts captive when tempted by satan, when He accurately quoted God’s Word to satan. Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Mt. 4:11

I believe that when we follow Jesus’ example, and do the same, that God show will Himself strong for us, and help us through those tough moments, as well. We don’t have to struggle and head for the downward spirals, but can be lifted up in His Spirit to draw ever closer to Him.

Taking our thoughts captive, we can regain control in our lives, declaring who the Lord of our lives truly is, and trusting that He will do what He said He will do.

He spoke the light, sun, stars, plants, and animals into existence. Whatever He speaks comes to pass. The promises in His Word cannot be lies. What He says has to be. Do you believe it? Claim it!

Believing on His Word,

jamie

I had someone ask me about prayer journals a while back and thought I would write about how they can be effective. I am also going to be sharing some of my own personal styles and pages with you along the way.

Why do it?

Have you ever wondered if God hears your prayers? Look up the scriptures that tell you that God hears your prayers. Write them in your prayer journal and then write down your praise to Him for the fact that He hears you.

Have you ever thought God doesn’t answer any of your prayers? When you write down a prayer, you can go back later and record when that prayer was answered. A lot of times, when we speak our prayers, we forget what we have even prayed, and can’t see all the wonderful things God has done in our lives. We fail to give Him praise for things He has done! Writing down our prayers gives us something to go back to so we can see the things that can be crossed off the list. God is working in our lives every day. He is faithful.

Do you get distracted when you pray or study? Writing out your prayers can keep your mind focused on what you are saying. You can add the scriptures that have spoken to you, as well. (I will share more about this in a coming blog)

Do you want to leave footprints so you can look back and see how far God has brought you? When times get hard, you will be able to look back at God’s love and faithfulness. You will see what He has done in your life and know that if He’s done it before, He can do it again. These footprints can also be left there for your family to see, as well. What a testimony to leave!

Are you seeking more from your relationship with God? Writing out your prayers, and spending uninterrupted, undistracted, intimate time with God is a great place to start. You may find yourself saying things you wouldn’t normally say. Personally, I’m much more eloquent with writing than speaking. I don’t even enunciate words properly when I speak. (ha!) You might find yourself writing Him a psalm, before you know it, or an intimate letter where the only appropriate closing is, “I love you.”

Bottom line: a prayer journal may be just what you’re needing. I will share some personal examples in my next blog to help get you started. In the meantime, just know that the material you use isn’t important. It can be a beautiful journal, a $.25 spiral notebook, an art canvas, or even a blog. Over the years, I have used many different things.

Get your journal ready,

jamie

Next blogs: Traditional Prayer Journal, Scripture/Prayer Journal, Art Prayer Journals