A few months ago, a lady asked if I will be willing to share on my bible study/prayer time routine and I said yes. I didn’t go ahead to share because ‘’a routine’’ is something you do consistently that becomes a habit, this might not be the dictionary definition, but it is simply what I believe it to mean.
I didn’t share because I didn’t have a routine to speak of, I just talked to God all day long in my heart and read a verse of the bible here or there and I wasn’t satisfied with this.
I missed when I will pick a book of the Bible and study to understand the heart of God on different subjects, a time when I will wake up in the early hours of the morning and just worship and pray.
When the post went up on the lady’s blog I felt like I not only let myself down but also let her down and I started taking steps first to recover what I had before but I quickly came to the understanding that each season of our lives are different and what I need to know is how to approach my quiet time, worship and prayer in each season.
It is a long road and it don’t think we open up enough about our struggle and challenges with this, I will attempt to document the things I have learnt and share openly about where I am with studying the word, worship and prayer.
1. Discipline
The first is discipline, I know we say it over and over again, but discipline is a major tool to achieving anything we want to in and out of life.
It is denying yourself of things you want to do in the moment that don’t contribute to achieving your overall goals or target.
For me it is saying no to YouTube videos first thing in the morning, it is not staying up late into in the night reading a novel, so I can get up early in the morning and spend a few minutes with the word before I run into the day ahead of me.
For you, it might be setting a specific time for your devotion and not winging it, leaving it to chance. It might be getting off the bed and using your work desk, or picking up the phone to call your prayer partner.
If we take a minute to think, we will realize there is something we need to denying in the moment that brings immediate pleasure and focus on what is more important ahead of us.
Discipline is denying yourself of things you want to do in the moment that don’t contribute to achieving your desired goal. If we take a minute to think, we will realize there is something we need to denying in the moment that… Click To Tweet2. Learning to say no.
Second is learning to say no, the older we get it feels like 24 hours in a day isn’t sufficient for life and living. It is important we carefully articulate all the things we hope to achieve and plan out every block of time of your day. Stay honest with yourself with what is achievable everyday.
I used to make these ambiguous lists with of three things and in reality there were thirty things and I will be beat by the end of the day and beat myself up for not achieving those things. My lists are simple now, just five clear things that are achievable and don’t forget to leave room for spontaneity – it is the spice of life.
The older we get it feels like 24 hours in a day isn’t sufficient for life and living. When planning out your day, stay honest with yourself with what is achievable everyday. Click To Tweet3. Openness in prayer about my struggle.
Third is openness in prayer about my struggle of finding time to connect and evening connecting when I found the time. I think it is over coming the initial stumbling block of shame and going just as we are into God’s presence.
There is a peace and boldness to approach God even after you’ve missed on many of your previous appointments knowing that He is always waiting and never tired of waiting. His longsuffering has no limit. And unlike human, He won’t react to us based on what we deserve. His loving kindness are always new every morning, never keeping records of our wrongs or failings.
There is a peace to approaching God even after you've missed on many of your previous appointments. Unlike we humans, He won't react to us based on what we deserve, never keeping records of our wrongs or failings. He is always… Click To Tweet4. Talk to people in your life.
Lastly talk to people in your life, you will find you are not alone and there is nothing like community to propel you in the right direction. Association is one of God’s strategy to staying ablaze in the faith. Staying isolated has never been God’s design, look at the early church.
There is nothing like community to propel you in the right direction. Association is one of God's strategy to staying ablaze in the faith. Click To TweetMy bible study routine is taken a new form from this season, it started by me gifting myself for my birthday a study bible from She Reads Truth along with two of there study plans.
I blocked out two time slots everyday to read to study my bible, first in the morning once I am ready for the day and second that the end of the day before I go to sleep.
The first time slot in the morning I haven’t kept up with everyday but my evening slot I have and I am doing everyday coupled with prayer, worship and then study of the word. I want to get to a place where I don’t miss any of the time blocks and I know I will get there.
My biggest take way is to keep going, to keep creating and making steps to building out things I want to see in my life and I challenge everyone to do that same.
Keep going, keep creating and making steps to building out things I want to see in my life and I challenge everyone to do that same. Click To TweetPlease feel free to share your own study approach in the comments below and what you are learning in this season of your life.
Written by Oreoluwa Abidoye (Author at https://www.oreoluwaabidoye.com/)
These articles will also help greatly – How to Rekindle a Dying Devotional LifeStyle
Thank you OreOluwa for this awesome piece. To maintain consistency in prayer and study , i set reminders on my phone. It really helps because different days with different activities so it gets overwhelming sometimes and there is a possibility of forgetting. I ensure I’m deliberate as well, i guess that’s were discipline comes in.i remind myself of the importance of prayer and study. That way i always keep in mins that it’s something i have to do everyday. We keep getting better.
Thanks for sharing, this blessed me
Wow.. I understand how you feel. The amazing thing is that the more we keep up, the more we stay and the more we grow . I pray that as we approach GOD, HIS Love will draw us in and help us stay in HIS PRESENCE in JESUS NAME.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I also try to just include God in my day by talking to him at every time of the day. Its usually hard sometimes to be disciplined to wake up early enough to meet with God. But I would start including that too as a part of my day. This post truly blessed me.
Thank you so much for your honesty.
I have recently had to deal with this issue as well, and I’ve felt so inexperienced. But I’m grateful to know I’m not alone in it.
I truly relate with your conclusion to keep going and taking steps to create what you want to see in your life.
Thank you for the encouragement.
God bless you, and lead and strengthen all who are passing through this phase of their journey in Jesus name. Amen.
Thank you Oreoluwa.