Thoughts for Thursday

SIT

By guest blogger Emily Farmer

A friend and I were in deep conversation about how to pray and spend quiet time in the word. This brought up the question from my friend to me "What do you do in your quiet time with God? I mean what do you do?" I had several things to share with my friend that day. I hope she is using some of the suggestions we talked about. I thought it was worth sharing again so today I am sharing them with you.

Here is what I have learned over the years of studying God's word. Prayer is different for everyone. Some can have the TV on or background noise. Others have to have peace and quiet. Some need books upon books for studying, others just their Bible and a maybe a pen. I personally can do all the above. I guess it really depends on my mood or spirit for the day. If I'm in a hurry I say a popcorn prayer that might go like this "God help me and my family to show your love today." If I have a length of time to spend in his word I will sometimes gather different translations of the Bible, pen, journal and sit for a while in deep study of a certain verse or passage.

One thing I love to pray is the Psalms. I think there is a Psalms for every feeling, emotion or situation we will face in life. A few of my favorite Psalms are Psalms 25, 103 & 121. I often read these and pray them back to God inserting my name as well as my families names in where I can to pray these prayers for us all. I encourage you to take a look at these and see what you discover. Try praying them back to God and insert your name or your families names.

So here is a short version of my method for having a quiet time and prayer time. S.I.T. Yep you heard me right. Sit at the feet of Jesus read his word and listen for his voice. It's not a audible voice you will hear but, if you belong to HIM as HIS child you will eventually figure out how and when He speaks to you. So, as you sit as in sit down next, you S.I.T. as in Seek, Investigate & Take. Seek by discovering what HIS word is saying to you. Then Investigate by looking at key words, places and people. Also look for repeated words and phrases. These are the things that will tell you what the passage or verse is about and what it means. What is the passage saying to you? Now Take. Take it personal and apply it to your life. Takeaway what you get from it and make a change in your life. Keeping a journal might be a handy way to start. That way you have something to look back at and a place to put notes. It's also a place to record prayers and the answered to the prayers. I personally like to write in my bible by making notes, dates, highlighting with color pencils and underlining. I know some of you are holding your breath at this point to believe I write in my Bible. How could you, you might ask? Well I had a pastor teach me that a long while back and I have done it ever since. It's a nice reminder of what I have learned,prayed for and it often helps me to find verses I am looking for. My Bible looks like a coloring book and to me I believe God loves it because I am in HIS word and learning HIS word and that's what He wants most for us. To know HIS word because when we know HIS word we know HIM on a personal level.

Press On Challenge:

Start a journal and write down what God is teaching you.

Press On Verses:

Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Ps. 86:11 (NLT)

How lovely is your dwelling place. O Lord of Heaven's Armies. Ps. 84:1 (NLT)

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35 (NLT)

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:16 (NLT)