My highlight every new year, is to put a week aside to finish off the previous year, but then to focus on then next, especially in the light of what Jesus has to say about it to me personally.
I usually wait for new year's day but this time it was different. I felt the Lord say to me to put the last week of 2015 aside. My housemate Penny and I decided not to talk to each other for 2 days, but to intently focus on Prayer, Bible reading whilst leaning into Holy Spirit's voice to us.
It was glorious. I stayed in my room with a kettle and tea. I decided to fast, so I had no reason to go downstairs. (I even put a grid at the stairs for the dogs!) I only went down to water my beautiful garden with all the blooming roses we have. I also saw that a dove made a nest hight up in the tree, right in front of my room's sliding door and 1 little baby was inside. When my brain needed a rest I stood on my balkany with my camera and zoom lens.
I was on my knees praying when I heard Him say:
"Could you not TARRY WITH ME for one hour?"
It stuck in my spirit: TARRY WITH ME.
I immediately recognised it as a scripture verse but I was not sure about the one hour. I got up and looked it up. There is was! Jesus actually said "one hour" to his disciples.
I prayed into it, and felt the Lord ask me to spend a whole lot more time with Him. I blamed my lazy reading on getting Dengue Fever and felt convicted that I was blameshifting like Eve!
In His love, he told me that I was like a potplant that did not get water often enough. If you skip a few days the soil starts to get hard. If you pour water on it in such a condition, you lose water, because it just run off the sides. One also don't get water to the deeper, and stronger roots. It takes a lot of watering and a few days to fix this. (By water I mean, reading the Word until Logos becomes Rhema - the personal impact the Word have on our heart, mind and spirit as we meditate on it - chewing it over) In Joshua we see God commanded him - READ IT DAY AND NIGHT.
The Lord said to me "Set your timer"
I knew what this meant. At our one tap, we have an actual timer that is set for watering the garden two periods in the day. Early morning and early evening. Holy Spirit started to remind me that he told me to do this. I took my phone, and switched on all the alarm clocks like I had it last year. I took off the noon reading time because of the amount of work I have before I see South Africa.
So this was no "new revelation" to me... but the walking out of it, was a bit more challenging. Oh, the flesh, the lazy lazy flesh that I need to bring under subjection! No, not subjection under a religious ritual but under the specific word of God that wants to operate in my life so that fruit can be produced.
Fruit & anointing on our lives come when
1] we read the word and act out of Rhema - Rhema is when you cannot live by bread alone but by every word (Rhema not Logos) that comes from the mouth of God. This is WHY it is so important to read AND meditate (Scriptural meditation is not emptying the mind but FILLING it! - we are not like Bhuddist ok)
2] we pray in the Spirit.
3] we worship Him constantly while our minds are focused on Him. This is during worktime too, not only in quiet times.
In October last year, I read through the bible in 28 days. I started to make it a discipline to read 30 unbroken minutes at 7am, at noon while I was eating and listening to the audio reading, and at 5pm before dinner each day. I loved it. It reminded me of Daniel that opened his windows 3 times a day to pray. and remember, Daniel was a very busy man!
Perhaps you have observed during October 2015, on my website www.workbookspioneer.com, I added a new series of books which helps me personally to write NEXT to scripture what I think and observe. Have you also had that frustration of reading your Bible and you want to write some great thoughts that come to you but there is no space - or if you underline it, it shows on the other side. NO MORE!!
Here is a picture for you of the book of Matthew to visually show you how I am studying the Word.
I hope this INSPIRES YOU to dig deeper into His word.
I am very slowly and deliberalty going through the N.T. In the evenings I do fast audio readings of the O.T. I will start to work slowly throught the O.T. when the printers have opened again to print the O.T. books I compiled. :-)
TARRY WITH ME, Jesus said to me. Even in prayer... when it feels dry, I just stay on my carpet saying: "Father, you are worthy of worship. I worship you" I keep adoring Him and you know what - HE SHOWS UP. He sees I tarry with Him... He shows up.
People come to my mind that I pray for. I see pictures I pray into. I am convicted of sin and can make things right!
I personally think this is one of the greatest gifts we have in Christ.
You might say: I do not have enough time to read and pray. Make a plan. Put the Audio bible on your phone. As you drive to work, listen to the Bible. As you drive back from work, put worship music on. Pray for your enemies and bless them! I am quite sure, you will soon even see a difference in the TV programs and movies you watch! Your desires will start to change over time as Holy Spirit becomes more real to you. Your relationships will go deeper with those around you.
My prayer for you this year is that you will like me, fight for time with Him! He is worth it because He is Worthy of it. Bless you!!
If you would like to pray for me, CLICK HERE: "pray for Sarah" prayer list
My brother Zarias is fighting for his feet - please pray for him. Read HERE about it.
For very short snippets of my readings you can CLICK on "Bible with Sarah" on my website or click here