Super Bowl Sunday & Sacred Moments
It’s Super Bowl Sunday!
My team didn’t make it to the big game, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t watching the Super Bowl. The fridge is stocked with salsa and cheese slices. Wings and pork butt are in the smoker. Beverages are chilling and extra ice is on the back porch. Friends have been invited and reminders have been sent. The bathrooms are clean and the rest of the house is … tidy.
We are ready!
Even if you don’t succumb to football frenzy, you can probably relate to my excitement. Think about the anticipation and preparation of organizing any party, or redecorating a room in your house or planning a vacation.
Don’t you look forward to it? Of course, there is the organizing and preparation and the clean up, but the outcome is worth it, right? Parties and remodeled bathrooms and family vacations are the result of a thousand decisions to culminate an exceptional experience.
Quiet Time -What’s that?
The decision to spend moments with God creates significant experiences for eternity. The choice you make to create and keep your Quiet Time with God is sacred ground. (A Quiet Time can be reading Scripture, journaling, praying, reading a devotional or sitting quietly in anticipation of experiencing God.)
Do you look forward to your time with God like to do a Super Bowl party? Do you anticipate your Quiet Time as if you were going to meet a celebrity? Are you excited to think about receiving an affirmation or gift from Him?
True confession, there have been seasons when I set God on the back burner. My Bible collected dust and my prayers were boring. Let me suggest a couple ways to ignite fresh passion for God’s word so that your Quiet Time is a Get-to and not a Have-To.
When the Bible seems stale.
To make the Bible more interesting and enjoyable, switch up the version you’re reading. It’s okay, really! You won’t explode into flames. Use the New Living Translation or The Message or get a Chronological Bible. Remember, the reason we read the Bible is to know God better and deeper, not to pass a test on a genealogy of Jesus or the historical validity of the Wise men or even the number of times an angel appears in the book. It’s to discover who God is and who we are to Him!
Jump start your reading with a devotional like “Jesus Calling”, “He Holds My Hand”, “My Utmost for His Highest”, or “31 Days of Praise”. Our Daily Bread will mail or email you a devotional for free. Apps like She Reads Truth or First Five can be downloaded to your smartphone if you like digital over paper.
Making it fun to read.
I have read the whole Bible in 80 days, but all I got out of that was bragging rights. Now, I read a chapter a day. Ok – one chapter most days. I start in Genesis and work my way through the whole book. It takes me about 3 years to complete, but it sticks.
Other ideas are to read the same book of the Bible over and over. For example, read one Proverb a day or one of the gospels over and over.
Dave spent a year exclusively reading the Red Letters (and some surrounding text for context). The red letters are the words of Jesus in the New Testament.
Read stories in the Bible. Genesis is packed with them: Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Joseph! Good stuff. Read the book of Jonah or Esther or Ruth. Read about Samson or David and Goliath or Paul.
By reading the accounts of God’s faithfulness to people in the Bible – seeing how they trusted Him in the direst or most peculiar of situations, you will begin to see that what was provided for them is possible for you.
Hate to read?
Don’t think I didn’t hear that groan when I started talking about reading the Bible. Ohh, I heard that.
Listen instead! The entire Bible, in many versions, is available on audio. You can hear it for free on BibleGateway.com or buy a dramatized audio version on CDs.
God will make himself known to you in the pages of His word. He will show you how much He loves and accepts you and longs to be with you.
I want you to look forward to your Quiet Time like you anticipate a party or vacation because if you create and keep your Quiet Time, God will make it sacred. The more holy moments you collect with Him, the deeper your capacity for love and wider your understanding of who God is and who you are to Him will be.
What’s next?
So, how will you jumpstart your Quiet Time? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Prayer: Lord of heaven and earth. How soon I forget all your benefits to me. Remind me to read your Word. Woo me to spend time with you. I want to feel your love. Fill me. Lead me. Love me. In Jesus Name amen.
Scripture for today.
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Ps. 103:1-5
I’m sure your Super Bowl party is a blast! Loved your presentations at our retreat in Flagstaff last weekend.
Hi Darlene
I loved being with you all, too. Thanks for the words of encouragement!
I have promised God and myself to have a quiet time with Him each morning. I thank you for sharing your quiet time thoughts. All God’s very special blessings always!
Thank you for the encouragement. I am currently teaching Sunday School for a small group of K-5th graders. This year I decided to go through the book of John with them. I try to read next Sunday’s passage/story/history at least once a day for the entire week. Since we aren’t using a specific curriculum the first day, I read it, “What can I teach the kids from this? How am I suppose to teach this? the questions seem difficult to answer at first. But as I study the same passage each week, praying for direction and meaning, going over and over it in my mind, I am constantly amazed by what God has taught me and thoroughly excited about what he can teach the kids. He hasn’t let me down yet and I know he never will. I just thought I had to read something new everyday. I am learning so much more.
Debbie J-
He is awesome, isn’t He? I love that He is revealing fresh stuff for you to apply and receive as well as teach the kids.
Carry on, Woman of God. Well done!
Hi Robyn,
This article really spoke to my heart.
Thank you.
Jane
Thank you, Robin. I pray you are doing well. These are great suggestions and are so simple. I am praying today that some of our Women Anew ladies who got to know you at our retreat a few years back are following you, too, and getting the encouragement they need today, too. Please continue to lift us up in prayer as we make decisions about our future with the Women Anew ministry in Ohio. Blessings to you, dear lady.
Hi Ellen,
I heard that Saw Mill Creek was remodeling. I hope the conference continues. So many women need that refreshment and prompting in the Lord. I am praying with you for a clear decision. For a venue and and for energy and vision.
FYI: Would love to come back to Women Anew as your speaker in October! 🙂
My favorite passage, Psalm 103:1-5. Thanks for sharing!
Darlene,
Ps. 103 saved my life. Long story short, 1999 was a brutal year personally, but God used Ps. 103 to get me through it.
Love you Kindred Sista!
I started this year with a commitment to having a quiet time. I have a spare bedroom in my house where I can sit quietly and read, pray, and sing praises. My sister in law gave me a copy of Jesus Calling, and I love it. She also shared a devotional app on my phone that has many different studies to choose from. Thank for the inspiration to keep it up.
Karol, That’s wonderful. My Quiet Time is fluid – I try not to let it get routine. I do one way for a month or more, till it starts to feel routine, then I switch to a different devo or time of day or space. So, switching up devos and structure of the time is good idea.
My “routine” quiet time is spent SOAPing different parts of the Bible. Last year I bounced around and made 30 days plans, one month in the NT the next month in the OT. Right now I’m working on Psalms. When I’m consistent, I so look forward to that time in the Word, whether it’s a day where He wants to soothe my soul or a day where I am given understanding about something in the Bible, it’s exciting to anticipate what I’ll see that day.
My husband and I also do an annual reading plan on the Bible app together each year. Last year we did the NT with my son, this year we’re doing the OT, we’ve done chronological, and the One Year Bible approach. We learn new things every time.
That is amazing Sara! Well done.
Thank you for posting such great ideas. You’re an inspiration!
SOAP? Is that Scripture. Observe. Apply. Prayer.
Thank you Robyn for your devotion to sharing with all of us the love Jesus Christ has for us, and how to grow in our relationship with Him. I have found this year, listening to the bible passages I am reading at the same time is very helpful. Our church leadership provided us a reading plan for the year, and encourages everyone to participate. I have found it helpful to have a plan for each day of what to read, and a goal to attain. So far, I have been able to keep up, sometimes needing to make up a couple days. Thank you for listing all of the ideas to help us read the bible, and expressing how important it is! Thank for continuing to reach out to us! God Bless you and your family!
Hi Robyn,
So glad that you are still reaching out to me!!! I have alot going on as we all do and don’t always have time to respond. Just wanted to let you know I truly appreciate it!!
My sister Sue Mical (who reached out to you recently & THANK you for your response to her!! She discussed it with me & your advise is exactly what she needed to hear!!!) but she gave me & my younger sister Rose a book for Christmas which I just LOVE how it is written, so easy to understand bible passages, Psalms, etc.
The name of it is “Jesus is calling for Christmas” written by Sarah Young.
From the bottom of my heart I am blessed to have met you & have you part of my life!
Hi Linda,
So glad to hear you and your sisters are taking care of each other. It’s my pleasure to help. Hope you are all getting stronger day by day.
Thanks for posting.