Today I have no stories to share. But what I do have is sure to be a blessing. RuthAnn and I attended a Prayer Conference last weekend. It was a time of regeneration. Over the year it seems, at least for me, that my prayer battery runs down. I become less of a prayer warrior and more of a praying wounded! Maybe I just lose some of my first love for Jesus. Any way I look at it, I was in need of an attitude adjustment.
Our speaker was a Godly young man by the Name of Michael Smith. He is a pastor and prayer minister. Sharing his prayer life was so enlightening. He truly believes and does what the apostle Paul speaks boldly of, “Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.…” (1 Thessalonians 5: 17-18) Throughout his day he finds ways to pray without ceasing and in every circumstance. He might see a car that reminds him of someone on his prayer list, he sends up a brief prayer. I am sure you get the idea. I had never thought about it before, but I am now opening my prayer life to it.
Another thing he emphasis was praying God’s Word. That in every one of our prayer we should be applying Bible scripture. But to do this we need to have the Word implanted in our minds. So today I wanted to share a way for us to do just that. It is called “The Word Hand” and I am copying the following directly from their website.
The Word Hand
As a “lamp unto [our] feet and a light unto [our] path (Psalm 119:105), the Word of God is more than simply a set of guidelines or recommendations. It gives us the foundation for how we live, move, and shape every aspect of our lives (see 2 Timothy 3:15-17). The Word Hand Illustration is a simple way to break down five methods of taking in God’s Word.
Hearing
Romans 10:17
Hearing the Word taught by godly pastors and teachers provides fresh insight into the Scriptures to challenge and expand your own understanding, as well as stimulating your own appetite for its truth.
Reading
Revelation 1:3
Reading the Bible is often the way that God most directly speaks to us. Many people find it helpful to use a daily reading program or other method that takes a systematic approach to drawing lessons from the Bible.
Studying
Acts 17:11
Earnestly studying the Scriptures allows God’s Word to speak directly to our hearts—to correct, encourage, and edify us. Writing down your discoveries will help you organize and remember them.
Memorizing
Psalm 119:9, 11
Memorizing God’s Word trains us to use of the Sword of the Spirit when we are faced with temptations and opposition by Satan. By holding passages from the Bible in our minds we are also able to have them readily available for witnessing or in encouraging others with a “word in season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
Meditating
Psalm 1:2, 3
Meditation is the thumb of the Word Hand, because when used in conjunction with each of the other methods, the Spirit begins to deeply move in our hearts and speak to our souls. Only as we meditate on God’s Word—thinking of its meaning and application in our lives—will we discover its transforming power at work within us.’
The Word Hand illustration is shown at the top of this blog. If you are reading this in an email, you can jump over to my website www.my-lostandfound.net or just type in ‘The Word Hand’ into any browser.
Any tool that can imprint God’s Word in our minds is worth sharing. I pray you will find this useful in your walk.
Blessings and Happy Sabbath,
John
2/22/19
