BEST PRACTICE # 2 ESTABLISH A ROUTINE

It has been said that it takes 21-30 days to obtain a habit.  Think of the habits that you have. It took about 30 days to make those habits a routine.  If we are dedicated to our upcoming study and it’s activities, by the time we finish you will have a habit to prayer. There is NOT a better habit to have to me!!

Yesterday I posted about you finding a place and dedicate it to your prayer time. Today will be talking about the routine. At a minimum, this routine will help you create consistence and build your ability to focus.  I know I need help sometimes focusing when I pray.

SETTING THE STAGE

1.   LIGHT A CANDLE.

  This helps trigger your attention toward God, Because He is the Light of the World. It also gets your mind transitioned to a prayerful mindset. What thoughts go through your mind when your light a candle? It was invented to be able to see in the darkness. As you pray, this candle can represent the darkness of your prayer needs and the light is God. Even scented candles is nice. Incense has been used in Christian worship throughout history to represent the prayers of the faithful rising to heaven.

2.   PRAY FOR UNDERSTANDING before you read your devotion. Pray for God’s help to understand His word.

3.   READ THE BIBLE. Devotional readings not for study. Study involves lots of critical thinking.

4.   JOURNAL- Write down your thoughts, prayers or Bible verse that “spoke” to you.

5.   IDENTIFY A TAKE-AWAY. Always look and listen for actions steps that God is calling you to do.

6.   MEDITATE and LISTEN. Pause in silence to listen what God has to say. Just be very quiet.

7.   THANKS GOD. For insight and the time together.

I know you are problem thinking I thought we were going to talk about HOW to pray. We will get to that in our study, but the point I am making here is that we should spend time with God daily not just when we need Him.

For example, when you are trying to have a relationship with someone, do you only talk to them when YOU WANT something? As nurses, do you have so-called friends call you ONLY when they need medical advice? Or money? How does that make you feel? How do you think God feels when that is the only time we talk to him?

This prayer time/ devotional time doesn’t have to be 30mins. It can be as short as 5 mins. There are so many short devotional books, emails and apps that you can uses, for this “getting to know you more” time and make your relationship with God more intimate.

This time is, among other things, a training ground for life. It’s where GOD shapes you to perform better in the “mission field of life”

TOMORROW…..INCLUDE SCRIPTURE…….