I'm so glad you're visiting me today! If you came from the Encouragement for Today devotion, it was an excerpt from the chapter that I wrote for Marybeth Whalen's new book The Reason We Speak.
It was a delight to get to write for Marybeth, and it was bitter sweet to look at my own daily time with God. I wish I could tell you that I bounce out of bed every morning at the crack of dawn to spend a completely consistant time with Jesus. Most mornings it is a joy, but sometimes it starts as discipline. Scripture tells us, though, that God rewards those who seek Him. He is faithful! He rewards my discipline with His presence, the thrill of having scripture come to life and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to indwell me in this tough world.
The post below is also part of the chapter from Marybeth's book:
Daily time enjoying God is essential, but I am envious of one of my pastors. He takes a week each year for a spiritual retreat to a monastery. He goes where it’s quiet and simple and spends a week with Jesus. Maybe someday when my children are older and I’m caught up on laundry I’ll be able to do that, but recently God led me to do something equally wonderful on a smaller scale. I took a spiritual retreat during the school day in a room at my church.
As I walked up the stairs to the empty room, I felt nervous. I had spent hours in prayer with others, but I had never spent this long alone with God before. Would I have enough to say to Him? Would He speak to me in the silence? Would the minutes drag by? Would I walk out unchanged or disappointed?
At the end of the day, my questions were answered. God met me there. We filled our time together with prayer, Bible reading and worship. God spoke words of direction to me in the silence. I came in knowing that I was hungry, and He was faithful to fill me. Having mini-vacations with Jesus is something that I plan to do now at least twice a year. In the midst of ministry, it’s necessary to intentionally set extended time aside to seek His face and worship Him. I’ll still look forward to a week in an abbey, but in the meantime I’ll bask in a school day retreat as I renew my relationship with God and feast on His goodness!
I encourage you to examine the time that you spend with God. Are you like I was? Has your time become regimented and joyless? I hope that the devotion today was encouraging to you. Would you write out a prayer for help? Would some of you share with us ways that God has reignited your quiet time?
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16 comments:
Amy, that's exactly the lesson I learned (well, one of the many) at the first She Speaks conference last year. My prep time doesn't count! The P31 devos don't count, as much as I love them :-) Time with God in His Word for Him to speak *directly to me* is what counts.
Our pastor recently gave the congregation a page of guidelines for spending at least a half-day with God based on this passage:
“23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Ps 139:23,24.
Thanks so much for your words today!
as a mom and grandma, and have a 2 yr old, busy praying for our family, and for others. But to take some time out to just sit with God, I need to do that for me. I have found that I can do for others, but for myself, the joy has not been there.
Thank you so much
Amy thank you for today devotion. I was raised in a Christian home and accepted Jesus as my Savior in my early teens.
When I married my husband was not a Christian but, about 8 years ago my brother talked and prayed with him and he was Saved.
He was "on fire" for Christ and was sharing God with many others.
I was perplexed as to when I let go of My excitement for Christ.
After much prayer and a wonderful Bible Study (that I attended) I realized that my devotion time was dull and all one sided, my side.
I now know that our gifts are different but also, that my devotional time, has to have more listening, instead of just reading and praying.
thank you for your comments today.
They are another "nudge" for me to keep renewing my relationship with Christ
shirley
I am praying and having devotions that are joyless, yet I keep on doing them out of duty. I want to be passionate and on fire for Jesus.
I have just started having quiet time with God in the morning. Sometimes it is so hard to get out of bed. I want to (and I have) give in to my flesh and sleep. However I find that He meets me. He meets me in my bleariness and sluggishness. He takes me as He finds me and He renews and refreshes me.
Thank you for this morning's devotional. I now long to take a mini vacation with God.
Loved your "He Speaks - Part I" I got in my P31 email newsletter today. It really sort of jabbed me in the heart with a long pointy finger.
Beautiful words penned by a beautiful godly woman. Thanks for always giving your BEST.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You challenge me and comfort me all at the same time. as a lifelong believer I have been struggling recently with asking God for yet another fresh start.
thank you for showing me that I am not the only one who wonders where the joy went. and thank you again for pointing me in the direction of Jesus, so he can restore the joy of my salvation.
I just dropped off my middle child for his first ever mother's day out. my oldest is in school; the baby is sleeping. I was wondering what to do with the next few hours; thanks for the big arrow you just drew toward my Bible and journal.
I read your devotion at Proverbs 31 site. Usually that's as far as I get with it each day. We've done so many lessons on Mary sitting at Jesus feet in the past several months in women's Sunday School class, I'll have to admit when I saw the Scripture I almost didn't read the post. This is certainly a concept that many of us face on a daily basis. Basing your perspective on Mary's story was so refreshing and really gave me a renewed commitment to find some time for those mini retreats. Thanks for being transparent!
Thank you Amy for reminding all of us today where to truly go to be refilled if we are feeling loy on joy!
This speaks to my heart very personally today...as just last night I told my husband..."I feel drained, like I have given my all and I don't have anything left"...time for a refill!
I just came across your blog and I love it. I look forward to reading it and learning more about God.
I really enjoyed the devotional this morning. It made me see how I was lacking in one on one time with My Father. And the funny things is its been so heavy on my heart to do so. Thank-you for confirming it for me.
Hey Amy,
I picked up your CD in the P31 office from Barb (just to borrow :)
I have so enjoyed it! You are a terrific story teller.
Loved your post today.
Lynn
Hello Amy!
I am here via the P31 devo. I am really impressed with you sharing that you wondered about being real with your friend at first because you didn't want to discourage her but you went for it anyway!
Awesome!
A goal of mine is to be transparent. I believe that this is what we need more of in our Christian walk because too many people who are not Christians think that we live perfect lives and sometimes that is the discouraging thing!
Thanks a bunch again!
smooches,
Larie
Amy,
I loved your devotion today. I have been crying out to God so much lately about "restoring the joy of my salvation" as in Psalm 51! I experienced such an intimate time-out with God that being in the busy day to day now... my soul hungers for that time when I was just beaming with excitement and couldn't wait to get alone with Him in prayer or in His word! I know He hasn't moved, and I know that it's not possible for me to spend every waking moment with Him as before... but I crave it.
(You know my story from being in your speakers group) You are an inspiration to us all!
My prayer is for each of us is that God would restore the joy of our salvation and for us to have a consuming desire for His word and His presence today! In Jesus Name, Amen!
Blessings Amy!
Kristi Kelly-Carnes
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for your honesty in writing your blog, I have just now started reading it, and you have been so encouraging :) thank you!!
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