Ruminations and Praying the Word of God and Matthew 6:33

Ruminations and Praying the Word of God and Matthew 6:33

(Ponderings, Contemplations, Meditations)

Let's begin with the verse we looked at earlier to ponder and pray: Matthew 6:33. After all, there is nothing more simple than this verse. We can build our entire lives off of this verse and study no more in all actuality. It's the essence and foundation of the Christian faith. Isn't it? Take a look at it.

Matthew 6:33 / Expanded Bible (EXB)
33 ·Seek first [Be concerned above all else with] God’s kingdom and ·what God wants [his righteousness]. Then all ·your other needs will be met as well [these things will be given to you].
--  EXB: Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Now, do the instructions for Ruminations and Praying the Word, found here: 
http://agodlyvision.blogspot.com/2014/01/ruminations-and-praying-word-of-god.html

ADDITIONAL POINTS TO PRAYER JOURNAL AND CONTEMPLATE

1 Seek first. Do this first. Focus on this first and foremost, above all. First. Not last. Not second or third. First. Not later. Now. 

2 What are we to seek first? 

3 What is the kingdom of God? 

4 The kingdom of God is eternity. It's eternal life in and with Jesus Christ. It's heaven. It's the afterlife. It's forever. It is the life to come after this earthly and fleshy life. 

5 Seek first eternity. Not anything or anyone of this world. Keep eternity in mind first, foremost, above all, and always. 

6 Concern myself with eternity first. Let this be what I think about and focus on above all else. 

7 And, concern myself at the same time, with as much importance, what God wants from me now and today. 

8 Then He will give me everything I need. He determines what I need, from how I put eternity and what He wants from me now in this moment first. I do not decide what I want or need. He does. And, it's all determined by how I seek eternity first and what He wants first. 

9 It isn't about me, or anyone else, or anything else. It's all about Him and eternity with Him.

Matthew 6:33 / New Living Translation (NLT)
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  

--  NLT: Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.  

Matthew 6:33 / New Century Version (NCV)

33 Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. 

--   NCV: Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 

Ruminations and Praying the Word of God: An Introduction

Ruminations and Praying the Word of God: An Introduction

(Ponderings, Contemplations, Meditations)  

Today, I'm going to start a daily blog post segment called, "RUMINATIONS: PRAYING THE WORD OF GOD." What it is is ruminating, pondering, contemplating, meditating, chewing on, thinking about, and praying the Bible and Word of God. I will talk about how this leads to A SIMPLE STILL SILENT FAITH in some of those posts and will leave it to you in others. It will be a devotional Bible study and a praying the Word and prayer journaling spiritual discipline. 

WHAT IS RUMINATING THE WORD OF GOD (THE BIBLE) ANYWAY?
What a fancy word, RUMINATIONS. It sounds impressive, doesn't it?  It means to chew on, contemplate, ponder, meditate upon, mull over, consider, study, digest, etc. 

Ruminating the Word of God is to do all of that. It's that simple.

When we ruminate on Scripture, we pray for God to speak to us through the verse, for our hearts and minds to be open, and for Him to tell us what it means and how we are to apply it to our lives. We listen 95% of the time and speak the other 5% as we ruminate. 

First, read the verse or passage all the way through rather rapidly. Get a feel as to what it is talking about. Prayer journal as you go and write anything that jumps out at you and anything God says to you. Write questions you might have. 

From here, prayer journal anything God says to you about each word, anything you say to God, what He wants you to apply to your life, questions you have, and whatever jumps out at you, etc.. Do this with each of the 6 segments below. Take your time. The idea is to allow God to fill you with thoughts, not for you to think. If your mind wanders, repeat the word or phrase you are ruminating. Listen to God and keep yourself open to Him and His promptings and instructions.

Also, if at any times, God tells you to stop and ruminate over a certain word or phrase for a longer time length, then by all means stop. Keep praying. Keep prayer journaling. 

There have been times when I have prayed the Word and a verse for several years or just a day. So, do not be surprised if God has you linger on something until you gain as much clarity and insight from Him as possible. 

The point of praying the Word and ruminating on it is to allow the Word to become part of your life. 
Ruminate on a verse for at least an entire day and night. If God wants you to continue with it the next day, ask Him to let you know then. Although, He might let you know the moment you see a verse He wants you to spend some time in the verse and in that specific Word. 

1 As we read the verse, we read it slowly. Very slowly. Read it slower than you have ever read anything. Read one word and stop. Let this echo through your mind and heart. Repeat it over an over as the full meaning of the word comes to mind. Do this even if it's the words: a, the, to, at, etc. Remain open to god as you do this.

2 Once you get to the end of the verse, break it into two word segments and repeat #1 in the same manner. Do more of the same.

3 Then, break it into three word segments.

4 Then, break it to the first punctuation mark, second one, etc. until you reach the final period.

5 Then, break it in half.

6 Then, do the entire verse again. 

I prayer journal the entire time, whenever I start to ruminate and pray a verse or passage of Scripture. After all, prayer journaling keeps me focused. My mind tends to be unruly at times and needs discipline. Prayer journaling helps with this for me. 

Also, I print out the verse in at least my favorite version of the Bible, if not in multiple. I try to ponder all of them. Right now, I'm using several versions of Mathew 6:33, for example, to ruminate and pray the Word. 

I then think of the phrase that jumped out at me most from that verse every moment for the rest of the day and night. And, I try to re-read it whenever I can, for I carry the multiple versions of the verse with me everywhere I go. 

CARRYING THE VERSES TO RUMINATE AND FOR PRAYING THE WORD

Come up with the system that works for you. 

And, if it stops working, try another system.

Right now, I print all of my versions of my rumination verse onto an 8.5 x 11 letter sized sheet of paper. I do it in 14 point type so I can read it from far away. 

Then, I fold the sheet into thirds. If type gets caught off, I will add a space between lines. 

Also, I only use the top two-thirds of the sheet. The last third is kept empty/blank. 

Then, I punch the left-hand side with two holes and I use two paper rings to bind them together. I add to it at least once page, if not more, throughout the day each day. I add it to the bottom of the pile.

When the rings get full, with too many pages, I take the top week of papers off and add them to the previous/old book. I either carry the old book with me as well or I leave it on my desk where I still go through it from time to time. I try to go through it each week as well. The only exception of not removing is if there are verses God wants me to ruminate and pray back to Him for longer. Then, I take other pages out from the next week and move them to the previous/old book. 

I fold my pages in half because when I work-out, that's when I ruminate on them over and over and repeat them over and over to the point I memorize them accidentally. It's handy for when I am getting ready in the morning, when I cook, as I wait on hold or stand in a line, etc. 

Find your favorite system today. Be willing to change if it stops working. Just make sure you carry several with you at one time.

I try to carry at least one month of verses, and usually three months, to ruminate with me at all times. 

Find your system. 

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 THE WORD: Day 7

DAY 7

Over the next couple of days, we will dive into more why it is important to pray the Word of God and how to start to move from praying 15 to 30 minutes a day to without ceasing. But first, let's talk about the sacrifice of time. You might want to grab your planner/schedule before we get started. 

I realize you might wonder why I'm doing this explanation now and not earlier. Before now, I wanted you to get a feel for things and see where you were regarding how much time you had (or didn't have) to commit to praying without ceasing. I also wanted you to step into this slowly and do what you felt most comfortable with. 

PRAYING WITHOUT STOPPING (CEASING)

To pray without ceasing is to pray continually.

Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:17 in your Bible. 

~*~ Write in your journal a summary of that verse.

Now that we have that covered, and know we are to pray all the time, how do we do that? Is it feasible?

It is. But, before we delve too much into this, I hope you might humor me for a moment.

THE SACRIFICE OF TIME

~*~ Please grab your journal at this time. Can you average the amount of time you put into each day: the homework and praying without ceasing?

Day 1

Homework time (SPT--see what this is below)

Praying without ceasing time (OPT--see what this is below)

Day 2

Homework time

Praying without ceasing time

Day 3

Homework time

Praying without ceasing time

Day 4

Homework time

Praying without ceasing time

Day 5

Homework time

Praying without ceasing time

Day 6

Homework time

Praying without ceasing time

~*~ Now, figure the average amount of time for all 6 days:

Homework time (SPT)

Praying without ceasing time (OPT)

GOAL

Our goal is to move from praying ??? hours a day (you fill in your average time daily of praying without ceasing where the question marks are) to praying 24/7/365.

Well, there are two types of time we will need to make sure to mark on our planners every day at the end of the day:

A Sit-Down Prayer Time (SPT)

B Praying while doing other things or (OPT)

The goal is to get the total of SPT + OPT to = 16+ hours 

Why is it 16+ hours? We are to sleep 8 hours a day. 24 - 8 =16. Now, part of that time includes falling asleep, waking up, rolling over, and being restless. During those times, we can be praying the Word without ceasing. 

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO PRAY 16+ HOURS A DAY?

How is this possible? And, is it possible?

The last time I checked, God didn't give us commands that we could not meet. He would not ask it of us--knowing it was impossible. He would help us to do so. However, we also have to work intentionally in that direction. So, how do we go about doing precisely that? 

Take your average time of SPT and mark that on your planner for the rest of the week. 

Then, for next week, add 10 or 15 minutes a day. (For instance, week 1, you might average 15 minutes a day. Add 15 minutes and your new average will be 30 minutes. And so on...) Do the same week after week until you have 1 to 2 hours a day (ideal = 2 hours; absolute least is 30 minutes) on your schedule alone for SPT. 

Next, it's time to start to add praying without stopping (OPT), and Praying the Word, to every activity you do. We can Pray the Word while we talk with others, while we are on hold, as we drive, etc. 

How do you add Praying the Word while you do other things:

A Come up with cues to remind yourself to pray. For instance: red lights, every time you drink or eat, shower, restroom, breaks, while on hold, standing in a line, while cleaning house, doing laundry, doing the dishes, while cooking, etc. Whenever I see my wedding band, I pray. Whenever I see a glass or mug, I pray. When I see a book, I pray. Walking through doorways, I pray. Start with the every time you drink and take a bite of food cue. That will add more time than you might realize. Just make sure to keep an idea of the amount of time you pray.

B Play a game with yourself and try to top your previous day's amount of time for OPT and SPT. 

C While exercising... We are supposed to get 30 minutes a day of exercise. Hence, what a perfect time to pray the Word and without stopping at the same time. 

D Add 10 or 15 minutes per day every week until you get up to 16+ hours. (For instance, week 1, you might average 15 minutes a day. Add 15 minutes and your new average will be 30 minutes. And so on until you are up to 16+ hours.) 

E Keep doing it until it becomes a habit. Practice will help. 

PLANNER

Make sure to mark everything on your planner now. Put it on there. Put your SPT and OPT goals every day for the next 14 months or so. Then, in six months, take it out another 14 months. Keep putting it on your schedule for the rest of your life. Literally. I love the Google Calendar. I put this in for indefinitely and am now set. 

ISN'T THIS ANAL?

Yes. It is. How else do you think you will actually obey the Word of God and pray continually? If you don't track it and plan it, you won't do it. It should be more important than everything else on your schedule anyway. Wouldn't you agree? 

How do you expect to pray without stopping unless you make an action plan and get it on your calendar? 

DAY 3 FROM THE OUTLINE

Do Day 3 from the outline of Praying the Word for the next 24 hours, please. Make sure to journal and lsiten to the Lord and his promptings. 

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

Month 1 Praying the Word Outline

MONTH 1

Day 1

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

Day 2

Acknowledge and Humble

Psalm 28:7

Petition and Intercession

2 Samuel 22:4

Praise

Hebrews 12:28

Confession

Ezekiel 14:4-5

Thanksgiving

Psalm 106:1

Day 3

Acknowledge and Humble

Psalm 59:17

Petition and Intercession

1 Kings 8:33

Praise

Proverbs 27:21

Confession

Lev 5:5

Thanksgiving

1 Chronicles 16:34-35

Day 4

Acknowledge and Humble

Psalm 106:12

Petition and Intercession

Hebrews 13:5

Praise

Psalm 150:6

Confession

1 Sam 7:6

Thanksgiving

Ps 107:31

Day 5

Acknowledge and Humble

Deut 32:3

Petition and Intercession

2 Chronicles 6:24-27

Praise

Deut 10:21

Confession

Acts 8:22

Thanksgiving

Daniel 6:10

Day 6

Acknowledge and Humble

2 sam 22:33

Petition and Intercession

Psalm 42:5

Praise

2 Samuel 22:47

Confession

Psalm 32:5

Thanksgiving

Psalm 9:1

Day 7

Acknowledge and Humble

Rev 4:8

Petition and Intercession

Psalm 105:45

Praise

Exodus 15:2

Confession

1 John 1:9

Thanksgiving

Romans 6:17

Day 8

Acknowledge and Humble

1 Chronicles 16:25

Petition and Intercession

Phil 4:6

Praise

1 Chronicles 16:7-9

Confession

Psalm 19:12

Thanksgiving

2 Cor 2:14

Day 9

Acknowledge and Humble

Ps 23:1

Petition and Intercession

1 Sam 12:23

Praise

Ps 149:3

Confession

Jeremiah 33:8

Thanksgiving

Ephesians 1:16

Day 10

Acknowledge and Humble

1 chron 16:11

Petition and Intercession

Col 1:9

Praise

Nehemiah 8:6

Confession

Rom 1:29-30

Thanksgiving

Col 3:17

Day 11

Acknowledge and Humble

Jere 3:15

Petition and Intercession

1 Thess 5:16-18

Praise

Psalm 13:6

Confession

Acts 5:31

Thanksgiving

Rev 4:9

Day 12

Acknowledge and Humble

Isaiah 9:6

Petition and Intercession

Psalm 109:1

Praise

Psalm 16:7

Confession

Matthew 6:12

Thanksgiving

Psalm 100

Day 13

Acknowledge and Humble

John 6:35

Petition and Intercession

Col 1:3

Praise

1 Chronicles 23:30

Confession

Romans 6:13

Thanksgiving

Psalm 119:62

Day 14

Acknowledge and Humble

Hebrews 10:16

Petition and Intercession

Ps 91

Praise

Psalm 22:2-26

Confession

Acts 2:38

Thanksgiving

2 Cor 4:15

Day 15

Acknowledge and Humble

2 sam 22:31

Petition and Intercession

Prov 2

Praise

Psalm 54:6

Confession

Nehemiah 1:6

Thanksgiving

Col 1:11-12

Day 16

Acknowledge and Humble

Deut 33:12

Petition and Intercession

Matthew 7:7-8

Praise

Psalm 86:12

Confession

rom 6:19

Thanksgiving

Rev 7:12

Day 17

Acknowledge and Humble

Rev 15:4

Petition and Intercession

Eph 3:14-21

Praise

Psalm 103:1

Confession

Psalm 38:18

Thanksgiving

Col 3:16

Day 18

Acknowledge and Humble

Ps 31:3

Petition and Intercession

Psalm 119:12

Praise

Psalm 52:9

Confession

2 Tim 2:19

Thanksgiving

1 Thess 5:16-18

Day 19

Acknowledge and Humble

Ps 3:3

Petition and Intercession

Gal 5:1

Praise

Psalm 71:14

Confession

Pslam 25:11

Thanksgiving

Eph 5:4

Day 20

Acknowledge and Humble

1 Chron 16:27-28

Petition and Intercession

Phil 1:9-11

Praise

Psalm 119:175

Confession

Ps 25:11

Thanksgiving

2 cor 9:11-12

Day 21

Acknowledge and Humble

1 Peter 2:9

Petition and Intercession

Phil 1:3

Praise

Jeremiah 17:14

Confession

Heb 8:12

Thanksgiving

Rev 11:17

Day 22

Acknowledge and Humble

John 10:11

Petition and Intercession

2 Thess 1

Praise

Psalm 96:2

Confession

Matthew 12:31-32

Thanksgiving

2 Chronicles 6:24-27

Day 23

Acknowledge and Humble

Isaiah 6:3

Petition and Intercession

Matthew 18:21

Praise

Genesis 9:26

Confession

Proverbs 28:13

Thanksgiving

Philemon 1:4

Day 24

Acknowledge and Humble

Ps 18:12

Petition and Intercession

1 Tim 2:1-6

Praise

Luke 1:68

Confession

Daniel 9:20-21

Thanksgiving

Phil 4:6

Day 25

Acknowledge and Humble

John 14:6

Petition and Intercession

Ps 33:20

Praise

2 Cor 1:3

Confession

Titus 2:13-14

Thanksgiving

Eph 5:19-20

Day 26

Acknowledge and Humble

John 6:51

Petition and Intercession

Prov 4:23

Praise

Phil 4:8

Confession

James 5:16

Thanksgiving

Ps 95:2

Day 27

Acknowledge and Humble

Psalm 139:14

Petition and Intercession

Eph 6:18

Praise

Hebrews 13:15

Confession

Matthew 6:14-15

Thanksgiving

2 Cor 4:15

Day 28

Acknowledge and Humble

Isaiah 42:8

Petition and Intercession

Neh 1:6

Praise

Luke 5:26

Confession

Psalm 79:9

Thanksgiving

2 Cor 9:11

Day 29

Acknowledge and Humble

Psalm 111:10

Petition and Intercession

Luke 11:1

Praise

James 5:13

Confession

Acts 26:17-18

Thanksgiving

Phil 4:6

Day 30

Acknowledge and Humble

Psalm 91:4

Petition and Intercession

Ps 43

Praise

Revelation 7:12

Confession

Matthew 23:28

Thanksgiving

1 Tim 2:1

Day 31

Acknowledge and Humble

Hebrews 11:6

Petition and Intercession

Psalm 77:1-9

Praise

Isaiah 26:1

Confession

1 John 1:9

Thanksgiving

Jere 51:3

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

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