A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD: Day 12: Part 3 of 3

Now, we will continue our topical study of Praying the Word, which is meditating on the Bible.

Please grab your Bibles and journals at this time. 

GENESIS 24:63

The verse we will study is Genesis 24:63. However, we need to get the context of what is happening here. Let's read all of Genesis 24 and see if we can figure out what Genesis 24:63 means. 

~*~ However, let's first read the verse, Genesis 24:63 and write a summary of the verse. 

~*~ Now, let's see if we can answer who, what, where, when, why, and how regarding Genesis 24:63 when we get the context of Genesis 24. Read Genesis 24 now.

~*~ Why was Issac meditating? 

I hate it when the author of a book asks a question and then answers it, but I need to right now in order to make a point. Isaac was about to marry. He was waiting for her to walk into his life. What a time to meditate! It was absolutely necessary. How could he be the best mate he could be for her unless he was with the Lord in every way possible? 

~*~ What can we, and do we, learn from this? 

Any time we are dealing with a struggle, a question, doubt, grief... and I mean anything... Praying the Word is the answer. Getting in the Bible is the answer. After all, HE is the ANSWER. 

~*~ So, why will you Pray the Word in the future?

When you Pray the Word regarding something you, or someone close to you, is dealing with, look up verses in a concordance regarding that issue/struggle/question. Then, Pray the Word. Pray those verses. Journal what God says to you, what you say to God, and what you are going to do, think, or say in return. 

24-HOUR HOMEWORK

What are you dealing with right now? Struggling with? Have questions about? 

~*~ Journal what they are.

~*~ Look up at least 5 verses about that--preferably as many as you can find. Write them in your journal. Start to pray them back to God over the next 24 hours. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD: Day 12: Part 2 of 3

READ THE WORD BECAUSE YOU WANT TO AND NOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO SO

I cannot stress that enough. Read the Bible because you have a desire to know God, to hear what he has to say, to develop an intimate relationship with him, and to receive his counsel. We read the Word of God to talk to him and to hear him. We read the Word to draw forever nearer to him and be close with him. We read the Word because we desire him. 

Never, ever, ever pick up the Bible because you want to check off today's reading in your little To Do List. That is sacrilegious and misses the entire point. We are to read the Word because we desire him and not because we want to be recognized for our good deeds.

I hope that wasn't too harsh or pointed. But, sometimes truth hurts. It's not always pretty or kind. Sometimes, it's in your face. And I hope you know the only reason why I can say all of these things is because I've struggled with this. It's the same about what I am about to say as well. So, here's some truth. Do you know why I write what I write? Because I have experience with these things. I never write what I do not know. I do not want to lead anyone astray. I write because this is what I need and struggle with. So know if any of this hits you square between the eyes, it's done the same for me--repeatedly. 

FEELING LIKE IT

Now, that's not to say only to read the Bible when we 'feel like it.' Feelings are fickle and will lead you astray most of the time. Feelings lie and are not based in truth. Feelings are not fact. Feelings make us act out of passion, or dispassion for that matter, and then we do things we regret. 

I never feel like getting on the treadmill. I never feel like getting sweaty and stinky from it. I never feel like eating vegetables over cheesecake. I never feel like doing laundry or dishes. 

I do not know about you, but there are times I really do not want to read the Word, go to Bible study, or go to church. Nope. Not at all. I can think of a million things, if not a trillion, I would rather feel like doing. However, that is when I know I need to do it the most. If I force myself to do it, then I realize how desperately I really needed it. Those are the times I get the most out of the lessons. Those are the times I ended up knowing God more and drawing closer to him. Those are the times I hear him more clearly than usual. So, when I do not feel like it, I make note. I realize that is when I must. My spirit and intimacy with God is at stake. 

If I fail to do it this one time, the next will be easier to justify not doing. Then, it becomes a slippery slope. But, more to the point, if I allow my feelings to dictate where I go and what I do, they will most likely lead me to do the wrong thing and consequently I will sin. The feelings lead me to temptation. My actions follow through and then I sin. 

Read the Bible becuase it helps you to Pray the Word because you will know the Word and the Lord. 

So, ignore your feelings if they are telling you you don't feel like it or not to do it. Do it anyway. But, make sure your heart and mind are in the right place. Make sure you desire God--to know him and draw close to him. But, don't do it because you have to check it off the list. 

Does this make sense?

OBSTACLES
There will also be obstacles and life challenges which will try to get in the way of you Praying the word, reading the bible, doing Bible study, going to church, etc. (Never mind that feelings are obstacles as well.) This is inevitable.

Do you know the four sources of these obstacles?
A Self/pride
B The enemy
C Fellow man
D Circumstances
E God will test you.

Three of those will tempt you and have the potential lead you to sin. One of those (E) will allow the other four.

One of those can be caused by the other three or the last one (D).

So... Pray against the obstacles. Be watchful and aware of these pitfalls. Do not allow yourself to fall prey to them. 

Our next lesson will be Part 3 for today and will be on the next verse of our study of Praying the Word.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal FaithFind my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD: Day 12: Part 1

BIBLE READING COMMITMENT

So, what did you and God decide you would commit to as far as daily Bible reading? 

HOW MANY CHAPTERS TO READ IN A DAY?

Check out this resource:

http://aloyalfaith.blogspot.com/2011/11/bible-in-year-2-years-6-months-or-91.html 

But, here's a hint. There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible. Now, you can do the math--or check out the resource I just listed before this paragraph. 

NOW, WHAT PLAN SHOULD YOU USE?

There are several Bible reading plans you can use. 

You can read the Bible cover to cover--Genesis to Revelation. 

You can also read Old Testament and New Testament readings.

You also can read Old Testament, New Testament, and a Psalm.

But, wait! There's a million more. Check out the resources below.

A COUPLE OF BIBLE READING PLAN RESOURCES:

http://70030.netministry.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=31606&columnid=3801 

Also: http://thetransformedman.net/BibleReadingPlans.aspx

OR, KEEP IT SIMPLE

Go to a Christian Bookstore and buy a Bible in a Year. They are in the bIble section and there are mroe choices than you could imagine. This year, I'm doing this one: 

http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/readthebible/

I am starting it tonight. 

YOUR TURN

Please journal your responses:

~*~ A How fast are you going to read the Bible through cover to cover?

~*~ Which plan or which Yearly Bible?

~*~ What do you hope to get out of your reading?

~*~ What do you think it will do for your Praying the Word?

Whew! Enough of that! There will be a Part 2 for today.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD: Day 11: Part 3

PRAYING THE WORD EFFECTIVELY

In Part 2 today, I stressed that reading the Bible daily gives you yet another opportunity to Pray the Word. It helps you to get to the point that you pray without ceasing and to meditate on the Word of God morning, noon, and night. However, with Bible reading comes a couple of issues...

Let's be real. None of us read the Bible or know it like we could or should. Yes. even Bible scholars would agree with what I just said. The Bible is the Living Word. Every single time we read it, we go to the text with a new and different perspective. Therefore, every time we read it, we see it differently and learn new things about the Word of God. (Yes. Every time--even if you read the bible every 90 days.) 

Now, I hope you see why it is even more critical for you to be in the Word of God. Not only does that give you the opportunity to pray as you read it, but it will help you know the story of each verse, its context, and how to pray more effectively because of that knowledge. If you read a verse, but haven't read the Bible recently (if at all) from cover to cover, you could take it out of context and you could be disobeying God in the process. Let me drive this point home. 

WARNING! DANGER! DO NOT PULL FORWARD! HALT!

Read Matthew 5:30 at this time. 

Matthew 5:30 says to cut off your right hand and throw it away if it causes you to stumble. 

If you never read anything else from the Bible, you might take that literally! When it isn't literal. It's a figure of speech being used to make a point. You might think that this is an extreme example. But, it really isn't. If you haven't been in the Bible from cover to cover recently, you could be taking each and every verse you read out of context. Do you here the danger here? I wish I could flash neon signs in front of you and scream, "WARNING! WARNING! You are about to get hurt!" But, alas, I cannot. So, you need to do the same for yourself... as I am being with myself as I type this. 

BIBLE IN A YEAR 

So, this is where reading the Bible in a year comes in to the equation. 

Will you commit with me to read the Bible through this year? Please pray on it. See where God leads you with this endeavor. Keep in mind, you will NOT get as much out of Praying the Word unless you do--sometime. 

Commit to something at least. Whether it's the Bible in 90 days, 6 months, a year, 2 years, or 3 years... Commit. That will help your prayer life in ways I cannot even begin to express. 

PRAYING THE WORD

~*~ Read Psalm 119:9-32. Linger on 5 verses from there which speak to you the most. Pray these verses the next 24 hours. Make sure to journal everything you think, pray, and talk with God about. Also, journal what he says to you.

As you do that, make sure to ask God what HE wants you to commit to. Do not choose what you want. Also, do not commit to what you feel comfortable with. Make it a challenge, but a doable one. Go a little beyond your comfort zone. But, again  Commit. It will help you continue praying the Word and will bless your socks off! I promise. 

~*~ Journal what happens as you pray about what Bible reading plan you want to commit to and what happens between you and God the next 24 hours as you pray about that and pray the 5 verses from Psalm 119:9-32. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

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A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD: DAY 11 PART 2: Other tips for Praying the Word

SERIOUSLY?

At this point, you might wonder how to pray without stopping and how exactly to meditate on the Bible morning, noon, and night--while you carry on with life as normal. You have demands in your life. You either are going to school, have a job, raising children, fill in the blank, or doing a variety of all of the above. So, how is this really feasible? Is it? Seriously.

IT'S POSSIBLE

It is realistic. It's actually quite realistic. God would not give us those commands in Psalm 1:2,1 Thessalonians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 2:5, and Ephesians 4:6-8 if it wasn't possible. That's not how God works. 

SO, HOW EXACTLY? (TIPS):

So, how else can you get to the point of praying and being in the word 24/7/365 (16+ hours a day)?

Here are a few tips:

A Be in Adult Sunday School.

B Be in a small group Bible study.

C Do individual Bible study.

D Go to church Sundays and Wednesday nights (even if it's two different churches).

E But most importantly, read the Bible EVERY day. As a matter of fact, I recommend ideally reading the Bible cover to cover (in whatever order you choose) every year. Every two years might be more feasible for you. Or, worst case scenario, every three years. After all, our minds are easily distracted and our memories are not what they could be or should be. Therefore, we will forget the in's and out's of everything we read. Journaling as we read helps diminish this, but we still forget. Therefore, in order to be able to keep the bible in context, and not pray the Word incorrectly because we do, it's important to have the Bible fresh in and on your mind. Reading the Bible all the way through helps with that endeavor. There will be more to follow in Part 3 of Day 11.

JOURNAL:

~*~ Lord, reveal to me new ways, even with the things I do already, to help me to pray 24/7/365. Journal what he tells you. 

~*~ How else can you steal time for God?

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD: Day 11

Today, we are going to start to do a daily topical study about meditating on the Word of God... which is Praying the Word. That reminds me. I want to give you all sorts of synonyms of 'Praying the Word' so you can find other resources if you ever want them. Other words for Praying the Word are:

A Meditating on the Word

B Pondering the Word

C Contemplative Prayer (or the Prayer of Contemplation)

D The Prayer of the Heart

E Praying the Word back to God (is a phrase you might here)

F Lectio Divina

TOPICAL STUDY

There are 18 verses with 'meditate' in them and I have this additional verse for today. So, that's 19 verses and we have 19 days left in this study. That's perfect. It's also God's plan. I added a lesson to this book (Day 10) I hadn't anticipated--without even realizing I had 19 verses for us to study. I love how God works. 

PSALM 63:6

Look up this verse in your favorite translation of the Bible and read it. 

~*~ Journal your summary of Psalm 63:6 at this time.

Here is my paraphrased, personalized prayer of this verse: 

When on my couch or in my bed and think of or remember you, Lord, I will meditate on you throughout the night.

This verse describes the importance of nighttime prayer. However, we also know we are to do this morning, noon, and night. 

You have got to love the Psalms and David. The Book of Psalms is one big book o use for Praying the Word--and so is Proverbs. But, Psalms is David's prayer book. We learn how he rpayed through the Psalms. What a special book.

Did you know your journal is your Book of Psalms? It's your prayer book you are writing. 

So, here are a couple of questions for your journal:

~*~ How can you write more of your own Psalms? 

~*~ What are you doing to remember and think of God and his Word? 

~*~ What do you need to do in order to increase your time of Praying the Word to 16+ hours a day (continually)?

~*~ What is working for you already?

~*~ What verses have spoken to you most since day 1 of this study?

~*~ What verses do you want to repeat?

~*~ What has God said to you?

~*~ What have you said to God?

~*~ How has your life been changed through Praying the Word?

THE NEXT 24-HOURS

As usual, your Praying the Word goal is a 3-fold choice for the next 24-hours:

A Pick your own verses.

B Use Appendix A.

C Use 365 Days book. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

A MONTH OF PRAYING IN THE WORD: Day 10 and being hit with obstacles and distractions

We are moving right along. It's Day 10 already. Where does the time go? I am excited, nonetheless, to keep going and see where God takes us. (Trust me. I am on this ride just as much as you. I do my best to allow God to reveal to me what to write, after all. I want my words to be HIS words.)

BEING HIT

I do not know about you, but I've always noticed that the more I get into God's Word, and the more loyal my faith becomes, the more I am hit with obstacles, distractions, and life challenges. Or, the people around me start to go through them more. 

I also think that my awareness increases as God reveals things for me to take to him. 

My heart is breaking for a friend right now who has been hit with some of those challenges. I just found out and I wish I could give her a hug, but there's physical distance there. Sigh. (I know what I am going to be praying today--and beyond.)

~*~ But, how about you? Have you been hit with any of these things? Or has your awareness increased because God's softening your heart so you can find more opportunities to pray? How about both? Please write your response in your journal. Whatever God puts on your heart to take to him... Do so at this time. Then, we will move forward. 

PLAN CHANGE

I had this lesson set for tomorrow. But, I have the impression it's needed more today. So, here we go. I cannot help but wonder if you need the lesson today just as badly as I do. 

A CHRISTMAS VERSE

It's now the Christmas season and I cannot help but think of one of my all-time favorite verses. After all, we learn a great deal about the character of our Lord in the verse. Of course, I turn to it all year long. But, it's associated with Christmas and with the birth of Jesus Christ, nonetheless. 

Please turn in your Bibles to Isaiah 9:6 at this time and read it. Then journal the following:

~*~ What did you learn about Jesus from these verses?

~*~ Why do you think this is included here by me in verses about the importance of praying the Word?

~*~ Which name and characteristic jumps out at you today and why?

~*~ Go through the rest of the characteristics and names of Jesus and describe how they can be useful to you today (this week, month, etc.)

ISAIAH 9:6

Here is my paraphrased, personalized, prayer version of the verse:

Jesus is: Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, and Mighty God. 

He will always be a Father to me.

He is a counselor to turn to for wisdom and advice. 

He offers me peace when my spirit knows none.

He has great strength to offer me when needed and will protect me and those I love. 

WHY WAS ISAIAH 9:6 INCLUDED HERE?

Just those four qualities of Jesus can be pondered daily for the rest of our lives. That's why. 

He is the Word made flesh (John 1:1), and given that, the Word offers us those qualities as well. Do you want the Father? Turn to the Word. Do you want a counselor of wisdom? Turn to the Word. Do you need a sense of peace? Turn to the Word. Do you need strength and protection--or those you love? Turn to the Word. 

The Word... Jesus Christ... really is the answer to every problem and every want and need. 

JOURNAL

~*~ What has God said to you today?

~*~ What have you said to God?

~*~ Make a plan to meditate on this verse once a month to every couple of months. 

ISAIAH 9:6 FOR TODAY

Meditate and pray this verse for the next 24 hours. Spend lots of time journaling and talking and listening to the Lord about this verse and his names. 

JUST IN CASE: THREE PRAYING THE WORD OPTIONS

If Isaiah 9:6 isn't speaking to you today, you have three choices. This is true for the rest of this book as well. You have three options:

A You can do the next day in the month of verses provided in Appendix A. 

B You can look at five verses of your own... 

C You can take a look at the 365 DAYS OF PRAYING THE WORD: SCRIPTURE LIST #1 book and start to work on those.

Again, 5 verses a day is just a suggestion. Sometimes, I meditate and pray continually one verse for a couple of weeks. Other times, I have to go through 15 verses. It all depends. The point is to be flexible and see where God leads you. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

A MONTH OF PRAYER: Day 9 Review

PRAYING THE WORD REVIEW TEMPLATE:

RECAP, REVIEW, AND ANALYZING

Every week, I recommend going back through your journal and reviewing what you and God have experienced this week in your life together. 

We are a couple of days late in doing this. However, that's okay. It's appropriate that we waited. We needed to go through what we've gone through so that we can build on what we walked into this study already knowing (or thinking we knew). 

I cannot recommend enough doing this template often. The more you do it, the more you will get out of it. You can do it daily, weekly, every 2-weeks, every month, every 3 months, every year, every 5 years, every decade. I recommend doing this at least monthly. Ideally, weekly. Do the daily whenever you felt lead to do so.

HOW TO USE THE TEMPLATE

A Remember: Praying the Word is a lifelong practice. Even after you finish with this study and book, you will continue to Pray the Word for the rest of your life. Hence, this template is part of that journey. 

B Journals: Make sure to grab your journals and this book. When appropriate, you'll grab all of the books associated with Praying the Word and A Loyal Faith Series (i.e. 365 Days of Praying the Word: Scripture List #1) as well. 

C When you do a template, start from the period of time from your last template. This time, we haven't done one before, so we will start from Day 1 of our journals and A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD. 

D Every 6 months, do this template of just the templates from the last 6 months--as well as from your journaling. So, that would be two separate templates. In other words, one would be of the journaling from your last template to now. The other template would be done using the last 6 months of templates. 

~*~ PRAYING THE WORD TEMPLATE

Re-read all book material since your last template. 

Read your journaling since your last template. 

Journal your answers to the following:

1 What verses jumped out to you the most? List them and explain how and why they jumped out to you. Also, make note if you want to pray them more over the next week. 

2 Have you increased your SPT and OPT time?

3 How much time did you spend SPT and OPT on average over the last week? Month? Quarter (3-months)?

4 Has your faith grown? Have you become more loyal in faith to the Lord and his Word? 

5 What has God said to you?

6 What have you said to God?

7 What are you applying to your life that God has said to you and that you have said to God? 

8 Write a summary since your last template. 

9 Pray 5 of these verses for the next 24 hours. List which ones. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

It's rough, and rather non-existent at this point but...: 365 DAYS OF PRAYING THE WORD: SCRIPTURE LIST #1 Blog Version

I just downloaded the first of many of:

365 Days of Praying the Word: Scripture List #1 on Smashwords. 

I only have one verse mentioned so far. But, I have the name reserved and it is now a registered book. So, here we go... 

You can find it at:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/109328

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

I'm so excited. The 365 project

I have started to compile the list for the 365-day of Praying the Word scriptures. This is an exciting project. I will share them with you as I go. Consequently, I will put them for free on Smashwords so you can start to enjoy the fruit of them right away.

As I work on my A MONTH OF... Books, I will work on this project. I think I will probably download a new version once a week or so. So, it's safe to say every Friday after 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, you can download the latest copy.

I want us to have every opportunity and advantage to pray continually and without stopping--as we meditate on the Word of God morning, noon, and night. 

Thanks to this project, I am far more passionate about Praying the Word and I've been pretty passionate about it for years. My faith is being transformed. I pray the same is happening with yours.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD: Day 8

Good day, friends. We have been at this journey a week now. Can you believe it? I do not know about you, but time is flying and I am starting to wish we had a lot more time than what we have. Therefore, it's important for us to maximize what we get out of "A MONTH OF PRAYING IN THE WORD" study. After all, what we learn here we can apply no matter what. We can do other Bible studies and still be doing this for the rest of our lives. In fact, we can repeat this book every month for the rest of our lives.

Consequently, we need to get to some of the deeper stuff now. We want to make sure we get the most out of this and do not get bored. We also need to see the relevance and learn what the Bible has to say about this.

Let's take a look at Romans 12:2. 

ROMANS 12:2 AND THE PULLING AND ENTRAPMENT OF THE WORLD

~*~ Please take a look at it in your Bible and write a summary in your own words of what it says. 

The world tends to grab hold of us and influence our lives, doesn't it? What gets me is how it does so when we do not even realize it has a hold of us. It fights dirty and gets our eyes off of what is really important and what really matters. The world, and everything in it, steals our attention and affections. 

~*~ Write your thoughts in your journal about the world and how it tends to snag you. (Need I mention distractions, busyness, doubt, depression, finances, shopping, people, ideas, customs, etc.?)

This is why we are told in Romans 12:2 not to allow the world to shape or conform us. We are to overcome it. But, how? What does that look like? Romans 12:2 provides us with the answer. 

We are to think differently and have our minds and thoughts renewed. What does renewed mean? It means an entire change of mind. It means changing the way we think. 

~*~ Write your thoughts about the changing of your thought patterns.

HOW DO WE CHANGE OUR THOUGHTS?

I do not know about you, but some thoughts pop into my mind and consume me. I get obsessed about something--rather silly and pointless. Or, doubt starts to creep in about something or someone. And, of course the doubt is not founded at all. The enemy knows which buttons to push. I get reminded of tough times in the past and they can play with my mind. Or, I worry. I fret. I stress about deadlines. 

Ugh. So, you see, my mind can be very undisciplined at times. I lose my self-control and need to regroup. 

What we are learning from this book is the answer for overcoming the effects of this world. We replace our thoughts with Scripture. In other words, we pray the Word. If we pray the Word, and do so 16+ hours a day, we do not have time for the worldly stuff to consume us. And, if it threatens to get in our minds again, we can combat it with--you guessed it--with praying the Word.

Can you think of anything better for us to think than the Word of God, the Holy Bible? 

~*~ Please write your thoughts now.

~*~ What has God said to you? What is he saying to you?

~*~ What are you saying to God?

It's that easy.

Now, do you see why we worked on planning yesterday? Do you see why I've given you in APPENDIX A a month of Scripture and Praying the Word Outline? 

~*~ How can you change your thoughts and renew your mind with Praying the Word? Make an action plan to overcome the impact of this world on your life and in your mind. 

DAY 4 FROM THE OUTLINE

Do Day 4 from the outline of Praying the Word in APPENDIX A for the next 24 hours, please. Add Romans 12:2 to it as well. Also, make sure to journal and listen to the Lord and his promptings. 

*** By the way, I will most likely write at least one additional (if not more) book each year on Praying the Word, along with the 365-Day book.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

A MONTH OF PRAYING IN THE WORD: Day 5: The Praying the Word 31-Day Outline

TAKE AWAY

Day 4 we covered Psalm 1.  The following questions are for you to ponder. Write your responses in your journal, if you have the time. 

~*~ What did God say to you through Psalm 1 yesterday and last night? 

~*~ Has God spoken to you about Days 1-3? Is there anything you want to meditate and think on still from those days? 

~*~ How is it going with Praying the Word?

SELF-PACED OR STICK WITH THIS LAYOUT

I hope to be very clear about this. You have a choice here.

The outline I am going to give you is an option. It is not a requirement. I recommend, for the best results, that you stick with the outline. But, you can pick any 5 verses from the Bible, your pick, as long as most 3 or 4 of them are new to you each day. 

I am providing a sample of 31 days with outline and verses. You can use them or ignore them. If you want to repeat previous verses, feel free to. If you are working on an issue/topic of some type and want to know what the Bible has to say about that, then look up in a concordance about that issue/topic and meditate on 5 verses per day about that issue/topic.

Does this make sense?

Here is my suggested outline.

THE PRAYING THE WORD OUTLINE: 2 CHRONICLES 7:14

I do not know about you. But, the more simple something can be for me, the better. Praying the Word can use the Lord's Prayer as an outline or other varieties. With this one, I chose 2 Chronicles 7:14. Why? It's quite a powerful verse and it lends itself to quite an easy outline for praying the Word daily.

Please grab your Bible and look up the verse. It should be one that's familiar. If not, what a treasure you are about to read. Go ahead and read it at this time. then, continue reading today's reading.

2 Chronicles 7:14, personalized, and paraphrased, states: If I am called by His name, I will humble myself. I will pray to him, I will seek his face, and will repent and turn from my wicked and sinful ways. If I do these things, then the Lord will hear me from heaven. Then, he will forgive me and my sins and will heal and restore my land. 

So, here is the outline from 2 Chronicles 7:14:

Acknowledge and Humble

Petition and Intercession

Praise

Confession

Thanksgiving

= APPCT

See. that is pretty simple.

Acknowledge and Humble is to acknowledge he is God and to humble self.

Petition and Intercession is to pray for self and others.

Praise is to praise him for who he is. It's to adore him.

Confession is to confess and repent from sin and wrongdoing and to stop the temptation.

Thanksgiving is to thank God for what he has done in our lives.

Every verse in the Bible can fit into at least one of those categories.

NOTE: By the way, this series is now going to be, starting with this volume, "A MONTH OF..." Fill in the blank. This is Praying the Word. Next volume might be distractions, for example. The topics we deal with in each of the MONTH books can be prayed for in the petition and intercession section.

See. That's pretty easy. 

TODAY'S PRAYING THE WORD

Here is a sample: 

Acknowledge and Humble

John 3:16-17

Petition and Intercession

John 3:18 Pray for the believers and unbelievers in your life.

Praise

Isaiah 12:1

Confession

John 3:19-21

Thanksgiving

Colossians 4:2

WHAT TO DO NOW?

Take as much time as you can give this today and in your first sitting. Half an hour is great. If you only have 15 minutes, then take 15 minutes. If you have a couple of hours to spare, even better. This is self-paced and God-paced. Take what time you've got.

Then, read one verse at a time. Paraphrase each verse as you go in your journal. Take a few minutes to talk to God about it. Then, listen to what he has to say. Give him more time than what you talk. If you cannot hear Him, then, repeat the verse a few times--very slowly and see if you hear him then. If not, move to the next verse. Or, if your mind is filled with all sorts of thoughts because of that verse, then write them all down in your journal. Then, try to give God more time to speak.

When you are finished, and out of time, make sure that you remember one of those verses and carry it with you for the next 24 hours. Make note of it in your journal. Any time you talk to God about it, write down what you say and write down whatever he says to you about the verse.

By the way, if God is working through one verse, and your mind is filled and you are being moved by the Spirit, do NOT continue to another verse. Hang out in that verse for a while. If this day's reading takes you half an hour a day of sit down journaling time, along with meditating on it morning, noon, and night, then stay with it. Do not read ahead until God tells you that you are ready to do so. Just make sure you are still meditating on it constantly. If that stops, continue to the next verse. Does this make sense?

Also, make sure to have lots of silent time. Do not fill in those silences unless you are uncomfortable or restless, then repeat the verse. If nothing happens, and you do not hear from God and your mind is blank, then move to the next verse.

YOUR TURN

Now, it's your turn. Why don't you try the sample for today? Just a reminder: Make sure you journal everything.

See you tomorrow.

Stacy Duplease

Bible Study Writer & Blogger

A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD: DAY 4

DAY 4

YOUR TAKE AWAY

~*~ What did God say to you through your verses and the lesson yesterday?

~*~ What have you learned about Praying the Word?

~*~ What verse(s) do you want to meditate more on and Pray to God morning, noon, and night? 

DELIGHT

Please journal your answer:

~*~ How do you define delight?

~*~ Is the Word of God, the Holy Bible, your delight? 

CONFESSION ON MY PART, BUT YOU MIGHT RELATE

It's time for me to get real with you. I have to admit, the Word never brought me great satisfaction or enjoyment until I started Praying the Word. Sure, I loved the Word. I studied it, read it, threw myself into it. I soaked it up like a sponge. But, it was not my delight. 

Coffee or chair tea. That's delight. A good laugh with a friend or someone I care about--that's delight. Seeing the Rocky Mountains is delightful. Reading a book brings me delight. But, is the ancient text something that brings me delight? Do I get excited from the text? Do I find great satisfaction in reading the Word? I just don't. It is work for me. It takes great effort and intentionality on my part, if you want to know the truth. Well, that is unless I read the Psalms or Proverbs. I can usually read those and not feel like I've worked. But, the rest of the Bible takes concentration on my part. I do my best to get into the Word day after day. It can just be tricky. I do not get nearly enough out of the Word as I could. But, being in the Word is required of all of us. How else can we know the will of God, after all? 

Please tell me you know what I mean.

However, I make sure to add Praying the Word to the equation--and that changes everything for me. that's when prayer and the Word get exciting for me. 

But, let me back up a little. I've been a prayer warrior for years. I've read just about every book out there on the subject. But, when I did the prayer inventory about a month ago, I realized my prayer life was lacking. It was not what it could be. I try different types of prayer. I noticed if I do Praying the Word, my spiritual life, in every way, flourishes. When I stop, for whatever reason, my spiritual life and faith take a tailspin and I fall flat on my nose. 

Why am I sharing this with you? I want you to know I am not a perfect Christian. I have my points of contention. I have my flaws. But, I know how to work with them and how to workaround them. I know how to test myself and see if I am where I should be. I know what it means to fail. I know how to give God the silent treatment and how to ignore him. I also know how to be stubborn and question him to a fault. I am easily distracted. I get too busy for God, or prayer, let alone the Word at times. But, I know how to confess and repent. And I know what works for me. Praying the Word makes everything in my life come alive. It changes everything for me. This book is my attempt to share this with you. 

Again, I hope you know what I mean. I can't help but wonder if you are a super-Christian with a cape and all (I am being serious here.). After all, if you are, I hope you send me all of your advice and tips! My email and blog address are mentioned throughout this book. I love words of wisdom shared from others. But, if you are a fall-on-your-face at times sort of Christian, I think we'll relate with one another. 

So, do you delight in God and in his Word? Do you try to and want to? 

Do you want to learn how to bring a fire to every dimension in your life? Praying the Word is the secret. 

PSALM 1

Please read this in your favorite version of the Bible and see why I bring up delight. I call it the battle cry of the Praying the Word Christian. If this doesn't get you excited to pray the Word, nothing will. 

~*~ Write your thoughts. 

Will you humor me for a moment? Would you read this out loud to yourself? If you are in a public space, it's okay to whisper it. Just make sure your ears can hear the words you utter. 

~*~ Write your thoughts again--after hearing it. 

~*~ Do you want to be blessed?

~*~ Do you want to prosper in life inwardly and outwardly?

~*~ What is the danger of not Praying the Word?

~*~ How can this be your battle cry for Praying the Word?

~*~ How can you apply this passage to your life?

~*~ What has God said to you?

~*~ What have you said to God?

A.M., NOON, AND P.M.

Meditate on Psalm 1 mourning, noon, and night for at least the next 24 hours. Make sure to journal everything that happens between you and God.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

A Month of Praying in the Word: Day 3 Prayer Inventory

DAY 3

FOLLOW-UP FROM DAY 2

Let's take a look at Day 2 before we continue. Grab your journals and take a quick look at them, along with the lesson from that day. Then, answer the following questions:

~*~ In your own words, define Praying the Word.

~*~ What are you impressions of it so far?

~*~ What was your biggest take-away from yesterday? In other words what was the most importnat thing you learned that you can apply to your life? Explain. 

WHY A PRAYER INVENTORY?

If you read Volume 1 of this series, "A LOYAL FAITH A BIBLE STUDY INTRODUCTION" or the blog version, "A LOYAL FAITH: AN INTRODUCTION," then you know that I am big for assessment of where we were, where we are, and where we are headed (and want to head). I also believe this assessment needs to be frequent. (For more information, go to my blog at: http://aloyalfaith.blogspot.com and find the page/tab at the top of the page that is titled, '2-Hour Templates,' and you'll see what I mean. I cannot recommend them enough.) Consequently, today is the day we are going to analyze our prayer lives. It will take about half an hour, as with all the other lessons, but I cannot stress enough the more time you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Then again, that could be said of all these lessons. 

Grab your journals and let's get started.

~*~ Define prayer.

~*~ Describe your prayer life. What do you do? Are you satisfied with it? Do you think it's on fire, stagnate, or non-existent? Explain your answer. Be as thorough as possible.

~*~ Have you been able to pray without ceasing or stopping 24/7/365?

~*~ Do you meditate on the Word of God morning, noon, and night? How long? How many periods of silence are there? 

~*~ What do you wish your prayer life looked like? Explain. 

~*~ If you were praying without ceasing, even if you are not currently, what would that look like to you?

~*~ What do you think of Day 1 and Day 2 in this study and "A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD?"

~*~ What do you hope today to get out of this study? Explain.

~*~ What has God said to you?

~*~ What have you said to God?

~*~ Write a prayer to God asking him to reveal to you what he wants from you. Ask him to help you understand how to Pray the Word. Talk to him about it. Make sure to listen more than you talk. Again, if you find you can't listen...and that your mind keeps wandering... Then, read the Word back to him. Read a verse back to him. Use one of the 5 you used yesterday or another he's revealed to you today. 

FIND 3 VERSES

Find three verses in the Bible you want to pray to God for the next 24 hours. Write them down in your journal. Make sure you also write why you chose them. Meditate on them morning, noon, and night. 

CONCLUSION

As far as the amount of words I've written, today is a shorter day. But, with what you've written, I bet today was the most intensive day for you yet. Tomorrow, we will take a look at more of what it means to Pray the Word and how to do it.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

A Month of Praying the Word: Day 2

DAY 2

WHAT EXACTLY IS PRAYING THE WORD?

Praying the Word is a way to combine Bible reading and studying with prayer. In other words:

Prayer + Bible verse or passage = Praying the Word

It's reading a verse, or saying it from memory, to God in an attitude of prayer and then listening to what God has to say to us through it. If we do not hear anything, we repeat the verse in our minds. 

Another way of saying it is personalizing the verse or passage and praying it back to God. The catch is we need to listen fully to the Lord and pay attention to what goes on inside of us as we do this. We also need to remember that we need to listen far more than we talk. 

It sounds a little too simple, doesn't it? Well, it is. But, what it offers us is ripe with complexity. I do not know of a way to get closer to the Lord. I cannot stress this enough. I have not found anything more transforming in my life. I do not know of  a way to bring me closer to God and his Word. That's precisely why I am writing this book and sharing the sweetness of this practice with you. 

We have 29 days to gain full insight as to the riches this way of prayer and way of being in the Word can offer us. Let's get started.
PSALM 119:15 (AND A POSSIBLY BAD WORD)
Since we only have 29 days left, we are going to jump right in and get down to work--and I mean that in a very beautiful way. I guess I could also say, "Hold on! We're approaching the cliff!" You're about to see why I say this is the case.

Please read Psalm 119:15 in your favorite Bible. Then, make note of what it says in your journal. 

There is a word in this verse which is quite misunderstood in the Christian community. It brings up several connotations, most of which aren't good. As a matter of fact, there is a word there that makes some think it's evil. Is it? If God tells us to do it, is it evil? The Bible tells us to do this repeatedly. Any guesses? It's the word, 'Meditate.' Are you cringing or smiling? Which camp do you fall in? If you are cringing, please take note. 

This is what people think:

Meditation + Anything = Bad (Avoid)

Is this true? Let's sincerely ask this question. Does this add up? 

Know your reactions to every word in the Bible. Our biases and misunderstandings will add bias and misunderstanding to the very Word of God. All of us have them. There is no exception in that reality. We need to be aware so that we can work through them and gain new insight in the Bible. 

Let's get real. When you think of meditation, you imagine Eastern religions and witchcraft. Right? We see people in the lotus position, the 7 chakras, and we cringe. We know that stuff pulls our attention from the Lord and his Word. We know we must be careful not to get pulled in and we guard against it. This is all good. May we never change this reaction. However, biblical meditation is a very different animal. It has absolutely nothing to do with any of this. 

We are going to look at the word, 'meditate' and see what it really means in the biblical connotation. If you want to do a full study of the word, by the way, follow the instructions from this link: http://aloyalfaith.blogspot.com/2011/11/passage-study-template-morning-noon-and.html (That's what I am using as I share the study of this word with you.) 

The Hebrew word for meditate is SIYACH. What it means is: to consider, ponder, muse, talk of, and declare. 
--- Bibliography Information
1 Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius. "Hebrew Lexicon entry for Siyach". "The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon". 
2 http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/siyach.html
3 http://concordances.org/hebrew/7878.htm

Or... It means to pray the Word in our ways of speaking today. 

~*~ Write in your journal what you think of the word 'meditate' now.

Re-read Psalm 119:15 with your new understanding (or your confirmed understanding). 

~*~ How does this verse speak to you?

~*~ How can you apply Psalm 119:15 to your life?

Now, let me give you a word of warning: Our biases keep us from doing what God mandates. That adds sin on top of sin. Sin for not doing it and sin because we do not trust the Word of God. Be careful. Know what they are as you read the Word of God so you do not keep bias and misunderstanding from seeking perfect communion with the Lord and an intimate relationship. 

Praying the Word is, in part, doing what Psalm 119:15 states. 

FOR THE REST OF THE DAY

~*~ Find 5 verses to write out in your journal and reflect on today and tonight. Read them whenever you have the chance throughout the day and night. Paraphrase them in your own words (just make sure you do not take anything out of context or add meaning to it that isn't really there). 

Regarding the 5 verses you find, if you are struggling with an issue, like loneliness, for example, then look up 5 verses on the subject. Look half up from the Old Testament and half up from the New Testament and then with the extra one, I recommend Psalm or Proverbs. 

~*~ Make sure to write what God says to you and what you say to God about these verses, what you learn, what you want to apply to your life, and about your life. 

TIP: Just before you fall asleep, read these verses. As you fall asleep, reflect on one of these and allow it to put you to sleep. Whenever you roll over or can't sleep, repeat the verse in your mind again until it puts you to sleep again. When your alarm goes off, repeat the verse. Then, make sure to write down everything in your journal that God said to you and you said to God through the night--if anything. Sometimes, it's just a feeling or an impression. 

ANOTHER TIP: The more journaling you do, the more you'll get out of this. God will continue over the next several days to share more with you about those verses--and then for months and years to come. If you don't get the progression written down, you will forget and who wants to forget one word God says to them? 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger

A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

A Month of Praying the Word, Day 1 Continued

WELCOME TO "A LOYAL FAITH BIBLE STUDY SERIES"

This is Volume 2 of this series. 

It is highly encouraged you read Volume 1, if you want to get the most out of this series and develop and live a more loyal faith in the Lord and in his Word. However, if this title has you too curious to do so, that's all right. I would still go back in time and do the first book, though. It's the introduction and will give you information you wouldn't get otherwise. 

A Loyal Faith is focused on living for the Lord and the Lord. This book is another way to advance that goal. 

WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK?

I'm Stacy Duplease and am your tour guide for the journey of living a more loyal faith. 

I'm married to my best friend. We do not have the blessing of children yet, but have a beagle, an orange Maine Coon, and two turtles. I'm addicted to coffee, chai tea, and apple butter and enjoy reading. 

I have studied the Bible and have been a prayer warrior for 18+ years. 

My 6-word memoir is: "Living faithfully, in love, and writing." This describes my life in particular for the last 10 years and I hope will be what describe me for the rest of my life. 

I'm passionate about remembering the present. After all, if you don't live the best life today, you will miss out on opportunities and blessings. Thus, journaling is another one of my passions. In order to remember my journey with God, and get the most out of my faith, I find it essential to keep a record of what God says to me, what I say to him, what happens in my life, my prayers, what I learn from the bible, and how I apply the Word to my life. If I don't, I tend to forget it and that's where journaling comes to play. 

I'm a Colorado native, but also call Las Vegas and Virginia home. At the present, Virginia is home and is where we live. 

WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR THIS BOOK?

A BIBLE: You need a Bible. Find your favorite version or favorite versions. I have 7 I tend to use and they help broaden my understanding of every verse. However, I am an overachiever and write and do Bible studies for a living. So, you might not want to be as anal and as crazy as me. One will do. Anything more than that is just icing.

I recommend online Bibles since they are free. My favorite internet sites for Bibles are:

A1 http://www.studylight.org/ 

A2 http://www.biblegateway.com/

A3 http://www.biblestudytools.com/

A4 http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Those internet sites also have numerous other biblical resources (i.e. commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, and dictionaries). Love them! 

B JOURNAL: In an effort to save on bookshelf space, digital space, and money for you, I ask that you keep your own journal. What this means is you will create your own workbook for this Bible study and prayer book. In the first volume of this series, I referred to it as a journal workbook. I will simplify it in this volume and just call it your journal. 

It's up to you as to which type you want to use--paper or digital journal. Speaking as someone who has had movers lose 10 years of her journals, along with a hurricane within three weeks of one another, I cannot suggest the digital version enough. (NOTE: Take a look at this blog post for more information about this: http://aloyalfaith.blogspot.com/2011/11/format-of-your-journal-keep-it-digital.html ). I keep mine as a Google Doc. What that means is it's saved online and does not take up space on my computer. Also, I do not need my computer. Any internet equipped device means I have access to my journal. I journal with my PC, my cell phone, and my Amazon Kindle Fire on Google Docs. 

But, find what works best for you. These are just suggestions. 

C PLANNER: Make sure to have your planner on you.

D AN OPEN HEART AND MIND.

E TIME. 

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF "A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD"

It's simple. Do everything this book says. Don't skip anything. Do all the suggestions and write as much as possible in your journal. 

Make sure to devote enough time to it as well. 

Half an hour is more than do-able for the journaling and Bible study portions. But, ideally, you will learn to Pray the Word 24/7/365. This book will help teach you to get to that point. 

~*~ = MAKE NOTE

Anytime you see the symbol ~*~ throughout this volume, this marks something to journal. 

GRAB YOUR JOURNAL

Grab your journal and let's start with the first set of questions:

~*~ Why did you start to read this book to begin with? Explain. 

~*~ What do you think of this book so far?

~*~ What do you know about Praying the Word?

~*~ What do you hope to gain from this book? What are your goals? 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction