It has been a year, hasn’t it? We did hard things. And we are still doing hard things.
One of the most challenging things I have done in the last 365 days was to step into a pretty big promise that God spoke over my life. And with that promise, came warfare.
My warfare season lasted over three months. It felt as if I were paralyzed emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The only thing I could gather the strength to do was hug my children, nourish my body, and shower. This meant that everything else that brought me courage and strength was moved to the back burner, including my intentional time with God.
Isn’t it ironic that we know that our time spent with God helps us to forge through our days, but when we are in the dark days of our soul, we can’t and don’t do it?
Psalms 115:109, NKJV says, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
I know that some days are darker than others, so here are some tangible ways that I was able to invite His Light to my path during the hard days.
Set an Alarm
If you are in a season where you have margin in your early morning to get up and start your day with Scripture, do it. If early morning isn’t an option, you can set an alarm at any time of the day. I currently have three alarms set on my phone – one for mid-morning, one for lunchtime, and one for around the time that I cook dinner. I use this time to pray a quick prayer – anything that the Lord puts on my heart, and I open my Bible app and review the verse of the day. Being that this verse is smaller than a chapter, I can meditate and commit it to memory in the short amount of time I have.
Be Intentional With Your Day
I’ve lost count of how many times my day has been stolen by endless scrolling on social media or binge-watching yet another show on Netflix. Not only am I left feeling disappointed, but all of the things that I had intentions of doing were still pending for the next available day.
When I become aware of this, I simply grab my planner, a Post-it, or open up the reminders/to-do app on my phone. Before bed, I make a list of three to five things that I want to accomplish the next day and I do them! By making sure that reading my Bible is on that list, I set up my day, my heart and my mind to be filled with His Word. And bonus points, not only will you feel accomplished, but you are feeding your spirit with nourishing Truth.
Study the Bible by Topic or Book
When opening your Bible, knowing what to read can be overwhelming. When I find myself in that space, I simply ask the Holy Spirit where to start. He will often highlight a particular book or topic to me. From there, I grab a notebook and a pen, and I take it one section and one chapter at a time. Blue Letter Bible is a great resource for digging deeper with concordance and commentary about a certain section of scripture. YouVersion (the app) is another great resource for topical devotionals.
Get Creative
One of my favorite ways to ponder on scripture is through Bible journaling. You can grab markers, watercolors, pastels, or even a pencil and eraser for this method. I simply create a picture of whatever the Holy Spirit is speaking to me. It can be through script and rewriting the verse or painting a certain picture that comes to mind. Lifeway has a variety of journaling Bibles in many translations!
Listen and Move
Sometimes setting aside space to sit still and read may not be an option. There are many apps where you can listen to the Bible. The YouVersion app offers an audible option. When I am in a season where I can’t seem to settle, I will listen to Scripture as I take a quick walk break, or even on my commute in my car or on the subway.
Friend, let me encourage you that there is no right or wrong way to read your Bible. Just be intentional, find a method that works for you in the season you are in, and take it a word at a time. When we choose to sit with the Father, He will meet us right where we are, and illuminate the path ahead of us.
