This year, for 2022, this column will include some “womanly wisdom” from various ladies from our home church. Though these dear ladies are of different ages and at different seasons of their life, they all are actively loving and serving the Lord in their individual lives. I hope you will be blessed, as I have been blessed, by gleaning this wisdom from their lives.
“God who created that hole in our hearts is also the only One who can fill it…In the Scriptures we encounter a God who moves toward us, who seeks to draw us to Himself, who knows us intimately and passionately, and who invites us to know Him in the same way.”A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
This month I asked 10 of our ladies the following question. This was their answers.
How do you personally cultivate a daily time with the Lord in your life? What does it look like in your life on a day to day basis?
"Three of the most important things I need for my personal time with the Lord are quiet, solitude and a clear mind. In this world it is hard to find these three things together at one time! Life's seasons: child, teen, single, married all give us different challenges. For me, personal work shifts, caring for children, homeschooling, caring for family members, and personal health issues have all played a part in changing the time, place and frequency of my personal time with the Lord. My quiet time with God involves variety. I will be honest and share that Bible reading doesn't happen every day. Prayer occurs every day. Sometimes it is spontaneous and sometimes it is longer sessions with lists. I take my time with reading. I prefer not to keep a schedule because I will get frustrated when I get behind. Sometimes I spend a week in a chapter; reading, pondering, underlining in my Bible. Sometimes I write notes in a journal. I may record verses that speak or write down questions I have. I take my questions to commentaries, my husband, our Pastors and seasoned saints. I also find Strong's concordance and Unger's Bible Dictionary helpful with understanding. I keep my notes that I learn from my Bible reading and have used them in Bible Institute Classes or Ladies challenges. Sometimes I also will write out memorized verses and verbally say them to keep them fresh in my mind."
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“When I understood that the God of the universe wants to meet with me, that He has something to speak to my heart that day, it changed how I saw this "golden hour" with Him. I like to use the Blue Letter Bible online and to play calm background instrumental music to help me focus on my reading. I like Dan Gibson Solitudes: Woodland Harp, Country Retreat, Whispering Woods plus other instrumental Christian hymns. (Note: Not all of Dan Gibsons albums are calming and some I have not heard so I cannot recommend his work in its entirety.) I arise between 5:30 -6:00 in deep winter months. It is closer to 5am in the other months. I need 1 to 1 ½ hours to feel I've spent enough time. What do I do during this time? I have my coffee while reading my Bible as I try to find the specific lesson God has for me in the passages read. I read 1-3 chapters, plus now that I have more time, a Psalm or Proverb is added which matches the date of the day. I then read some of whatever current book I'm reading for Christian growth or study for a current writing project. I spend time meditating on what I've read, put down thoughts in my journal, and spend time praying for others. This whole time feels like a continual conversation with God because I really believe He is right here with me guiding and teaching, listening and loving.”
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“I usually do the One Year Bible for reading. I also have incorporated little topical devotional booklets from time to time. I just finished one of the names of God. I also use a daily prayer list where I pray for specific missionaries, church members, family, and teens on that given day. I try to ask the Lord ‘who do you want me to pray for’ so as not to be bound to a list but to be praying in the spirit. I also journal something, usually just my thoughts for the day or what God is teaching me. I also like to sometimes do scripture writing with a friend...we take a topic and write out a passage each day for a month.”
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“O God, thou art My God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee In a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” Psalm 63:1-2
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“I’m still very much in a high-pressure season of life with six children at home and little ones still needing my attention and homeschooling hours. And big ones with even bigger needs! I spend some time reading the Bible (this year chronologically) or I spend time studying through a particular passage. I try to write something down in my journal: a verse and an application thought. Sometimes I listen through the prophets or another long passage while I go for my walk. Someone gifted me the book: Studying to Be Quiet, and some days I read a verse or thought from that book after I read the Bible. I try to pray right away, but this is my greatest struggle. Normally if I get through Bible and study time, I’ve been interrupted and had the door knocked on repetitively and so prayer time seems to be pretty scattered on some days. Sometimes I am able to incorporate one of the younger children in my prayer time. I also use any ‘down’ time…for prayer: when I’m blow drying my hair, if I happen to be alone in the car, when I’m walking. I also have a reminder on my phone for prayer, as well. One thing I try to do, is mention the verse I read or apply it right away. With so many people in our house and issues popping up constantly, I usually have ample opportunity! It helps reinforce and prevents me from forgetting it if I speak about it right away. I still also use the occasional 3x5 card above the sink and I often email to myself my verse for the day.”
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“I don’t usually have a set time in the morning that I do my devotions, I just try to always do it first thing before the day gets going. Usually I have my cup of coffee with me in my rocking chair in the living room. I follow a Bible Plan on YouVersion and switch it up from year to year. This year the plan is called Blended. (It blends an OT passage with events in the NT). I use my IPad to read my Bible and highlight certain verses. I usually pick one verse to meditate on, sometimes two if they correlate. I use my Notes on my iPad to copy and paste the verse and then take time to think about what is being said. Sometimes I’ll break it down by defining particular words using Webster’s online dictionary. I then like to re-type what the verse is teaching using the definitions I found. This sometimes opens up for greater understanding. Sometimes other verses come to mind that go right along with the thought so I copy and paste them to the note to save as well. I then take time for prayer afterwards using a weekly prayer list I organized at the beginning of the year. The last couple years I had been using a Psalm, or many verses of a Psalm, to pray for worship, but this year decided to switch it up and use an exhausted list of the Names of God, worshipping God with one of His Names each day. I also pray for certain requests in between, ending with thankfulness.”
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“On my work days, I do my devotions in the morning. I have learned if I don’t do it before work, it doesn’t get done. It could be because I am too tired afterwards or just because there is much to do after work: dinner, ministry etc. I get up at 4:45am-5am. I have to take a shower to wake up. I then pray first for about 25-30 minutes & then follow with my Bible reading. It’s important for me to get my prayer time in because it’s easier to get Bible reading done later if for whatever reason I couldn’t finish all ‘assigned’ reading for the day. I have been trying to read the Bible through the year. I like to use Pastor Gable’s prayer list, it helps me to stay structured in my prayer as well.”
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“God is always thinking of us, always desiring our company and our fellowship. He longs to hear our voice and see our face. Not until we make pursuing Him our highest priority and goal in life will we begin to fulfill the purpose for which He created us. Nothing-absolutely nothing-is more important. And that relationship for which we were created cannot be cultivated or substained apart from spending consistent time alone with him.” A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
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“I start my morning devotions by reading Morning by Morning by Charles Spurgeon. Then I read the daily scripture portion from The One Year Bible (there is a portion from the Old and New Testaments, Psalms, and Proverbs every day). I then read from either a biography or a topical book (ex. Elizabeth George, Elizabeth Elliot, etc.), and when available, I read an article from the printed Grace and Honor. This generally takes from a 1/2 hour to 45 minutes and then I spend a 1/2 hour praying. I write out my prayer list starting with thanksgiving, then confession, then family, Pastor & staff, our missionaries, then other intercession which includes health needs, teens, prayer bulletin, other missionaries we support, and laborers for all countries of the world (all divided up by the days of the week).”
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"I have my time with the Lord in the afternoon or the evening. I usually choose 1 hour whenever it is most convenient. I start my time with the Lord by thanking Him, Praising Him and confessing any sin in my life. I also ask him to 'Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law' -Psalm 119:18. I pray and ask Him to calm my thoughts and then I read through my Bible using the current Bible Plan schedule. As I read, I look for any attributes, promises or truths. Sometimes I will also journal what I find and I also will look up words if I need to. I then end with prayer and thanksgiving to God. When I take this time with the Lord, I am looking to not only get to know God in a more personal way, but I also want to see Him and how He is working in the lives of others around me. I seek to apply whatever lesson He shows me to my daily life. I want to read with a purpose. "
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"When I wake up in the morning, I set my mind on the right path by listening to a preaching message. I get the coffee going and then I will go to my exercise room for about 20 minutes. In nicer weather, I may walk my driveway. I then read my Bible on my phone, following a specific reading plan. I usually will record a verse on an index card and carry it with me or post it in my kitchen so I can see it often. I use my Christmas Picture Card to pray for my children and their families. I also like to use the prayer sheet Pastor Gable shared to pray for our church family and I also like to divide up our congregation over 30 days to pray for them. I also will take time to read different devotional books on different subjects. My husband and I also take time to pray with our children each night."
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“Whom have I in heaven, but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”Psalm 73:25-26
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“Currently we have a newborn in the house and so I usually get up several times in the night. This being said, I usually don’t get up before 7:30am for my quiet time with the Lord. I used to be up by 6/6:30 before the baby came and I would get my quiet time in before my other children woke up. I have learned to lower my expectations at this time and to accept that this is just not realistic for me right now. Currently we have quiet time after breakfast, before our family Bible time. At this time my husband and I will read our Bible and our kids will be in their individual rooms having their own quiet time. At their age this usually means looking at their Bible books since they can’t read yet. I also recently starting playing audio Bible stories for them during this time too. For my personal time, I begin with prayer. I usually pray through the names of God or the characteristics of God. I also pray for any special needs and over my day. I also ask him to speak to me through his word. I then read my Bible. I am currently doing a verse by verse study of a chapter in Proverbs. I like to use Strong’s concordance or Webster’s dictionary on my iPad to look up any words. I then take time to think on what I read before I write in my journal some thoughts. Sometimes I will read the same passage later on when I am nursing or pull out that verse during the day. I like variety in my quiet time and to change it up from time to time. One of my favorite resources is Women of the Word by Amy Edwards. There are 3 in this series and I like it because the author has you read the passage first from the Bible before reading her thoughts about it.”
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Want to Dig a Little Deeper?
Check out the following resources at our church bookstore at (https://baptist-books.com/)
*A Place Of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
*Women of the Word by Amy Edwards
*Your Daily Walk by Bruce H. Wilkonson
Suzanne has been married to Dean, her high school sweetheart, for 24 years. She is a former Elementary Teacher and homeschooling mom with two now adult children. Jeremiah is 22 and Ruth is 19. Suzanne was saved in 1998 and has been a faithful member of Lehigh Valley Baptist Church since that time. She enjoys reading, snuggling with her new puppies, encouraging others and using her “Happy Planner.” Suzanne is a first-generation Christian and knows all about the struggles of striving to be a Godly wife, mother and servant of Christ. She hopes to encourage you with the wisdom that she has learned through the years and is still learning.
Comments 2
When my children were 1-7, I struggled to find time “quiet time” for Bible reading. Then I realized that I could sit in the middle of the living room floor, with all the children running around, and read the Bible out loud to myself! Most often, I found the little ones would sit and listen to me. I read the Old Testament out loud this way, and was amazed at the many questions they asked.
This is a great idea! Everyone’s time spent with the Lord is unique. I love how you creatively got the Word of God into you and your children’s hearts too.