I’ve owned Bibles. I’ve referenced them when a pastor had us turn to a particular passage. They’ve been a resource for Bible studies and academia. They’ve been read to me. I’ve read various passages and have studied individual books. But truth be told, despite this familiarity and these still purposeful interactions and exposures, I’ve never read through the whole Bible for myself. Can you relate? Maybe, similarly to me, you feel the nudge to read through the Bible. You sense there is something to be gained and that your life needs this regular connection. You’re curious, skeptical, nervous, and eager all at the same time. Perhaps you don’t know how or where to begin. Or don’t think you have time. Maybe you started this once before, but need to pick it up again. You long for a deeper and closer connection with God and have prayers and hopes to take your faith and relationship with Him to a new level. You desire to get back to a simple faith, having been bombarded with life’s challenges and demands. You know your…
The process of prayer for me has taken a turn. Similarly to going through what I shared about song and worship, equal humbling and development is being unlocked through the process of prayer, shifting from being solely fixated on the prayer item, goal, or destination itself to also valuing the process. I’m thankful for the contrast of experiences that can lead to newfound need, understanding, trust, and appreciation. Meaning, on one side of things, in terms of prayer, I’ve experienced going through the motions. Not praying at all. Doubted it was even doing anything. Struggled with the effort while not always seeing anything change. Left it to last resort or just during tough times. Walked away from it. Prioritized self. Expected only what I could make sense of or made time for it and believe in what could be accomplished as long as everything was agreeable to me. On the other side, I’ve received tons of fresh revelations and rewiring over time showing purpose and beauty to live anew that I will be sharing in this post. By no means is this a one-and-done arrived state; rather, it’s continuing to…
"Everyone deals with hard stuff. God knows the hard we will encounter. Through it, He creates the us He desires and brings about His best for us."