I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. -Psalm 119:11
Each new year I have been in the habit of sharing with you what my daily disciplines are in Scripture. I do this not to impress you, particularly since it is not all that impressive (Martin Luther, who preached on average 300 sermons per year, wrote books and tracts almost continuously, and was a father and husband, started each day with two hours of prayer and time in God’s word — that’s impressive!). I share with you my Christian disciplines to encourage you to establish disciplines of your own if you have not already done so. Surely we all know, friends, that many of the things we stress over in this life and spend fretful hours upon will count for very little in eternity. However, every second in God’s word has value not only for this lifetime, but for our future lives as well. His word is eternal. “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens!” (Psalm 119:89).
Generally speaking, my pattern for devotions is to wake up early, shower and get ready for the day, then spend 45 minutes to an hour in God’s word and in prayer. I then go on with my day, pausing most evenings to read Scripture and/or a devotional prayer out loud to Dedra before we pray and put an end to our day. I do my reading for sermon preparation and enjoyment in the evenings when at home. This year, I intend to spend most of my devotional time in the New Testament, since the bulk of my reading for sermon preparation will be related to the Old Testament (at least until we finish our Genesis series). For the first half of the year, I have determined to read the shorter letters of the New Testament one time in full each day, over and over, until I have a good “feel” for the letter. I will then move on to another letter. I may read some of them every day for an entire month, as I have done with 1 John each day in January. Later this year, I intend to do an in-depth study of John’s Gospel, partly because it has been some time since I have done so, and partly because I am feeling like it might be the topic of our next sermon series.
I would also like to reprint again this year some suggested prayer requests for our church family that I am praying regularly in my devotions. Would you consider adding these to your own prayers in 2021?
- That the Lord will bring people under the influence of the church’s ministry who need to hear the gospel (Acts 18:9-10).
- That we will teach and preach “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). That we will not fear for our reputation nor our advantage in the community, but that we will proclaim “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).
- That we will be a unified body of believers. That gossip and slander will be rejected by those who hear it, and that we will love and offer grace to one another in truly biblical proportions (John 13:34-35).
- That we will be a sending church, with a heart for gospel missions that is unquenchable (Matt. 28:19-20).
- That we will love and care for our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:39).
Because it is worth repeating, I will also reprint my prayer for our church family that the apostle Paul prayed for his friends in Philippi. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you will be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God (Phil. 1:9-11).
I pray that God will uniquely meet each of you who put forth the effort to know him better through the reading of his word and prayer, and that you will indeed grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jym