30 for 30 RESET – Day 20

Gatheringplace   -   September 20, 2024

“But Jesus told him (Satan), ‘No! The Scriptures say, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” Matthew 4:4 NLT

Up to this point in our 30 for 30s I have focused primarily on prayer. Today I want to shift a bit and focus on how important the Bible is in your life. Read more.

Jesus, Who never wasted words, and Who only spoke absolute truth, literally said that you “live” by every word that is “coming from the mouth of God.”

That is a present, continuous verb tense. That means that God is currently speaking to you! And the primary way He does this through the Bible.

Every day someone is influencing your mind. You do not just go through life empty-headed. It is always being filled and influenced by someone or something. Jesus wants it to be filled by Him. But without exposing your mind to the Word of God every day you are left with it being filled with your own thoughts, the worlds thoughts, other people’s thoughts, or the devil’s thoughts. This is just a fact.

So, what can you do? Here are 5 ways to get the Word of God into you every day:

  1. Read it. Just simply read it. Read one story a day out of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). If you will do this consistently you will be amazed at how, in just a short time, you will begin to “hear” God’s voice in your life. It gives the Holy Spirit something to work with.
  2. Study it. If you have a study Bible, this makes it easy. There are introductions to each book, and notes usually at the bottom of each page. If you do not have a study Bible, there are plenty of commentaries online. Just search for “commentaries” on whatever passage you are reading.
  3. Memorize it. This begins to transform your mind – the way you think about things. Scientists have discovered that your brain has “grooves” developed over time that are “automatic thought patterns.” God wants to change the way you think to the way He thinks!
  4. Meditate on it. Now this begins to transform your heart. This causes the Word to go deep in you. Meditating helps the Word make it across the furthest distance in the world, eighteen inches from your head to your heart. (To meditate simply means to repeat the same Scriputre over and over, and to think about it as you say it. This is truly powerful!)
  5. Apply it. This is the most critical point as James says,

“For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 3:21-25 NLT

If you want a blessed life, RESET your Word life by reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, and applying it every day!

John

QUICK TIP ON HOW TO SPEND 30 MINUTES WITH GOD (REMEMBER: This 30 for 30 is a tool to help you, not a rule to shame you. Just do your best and let God do the rest.)

“Upward, Inward, and Outward”

  1. Upward: Get quiet. Settle down. Begin to thank God for Who He is – patient, kind, merciful. A God Who forgives sins – Who has forgiven your sins. A God Who cares, Who listens to your prayers, a miracle-working God. (There are many other attributes you can thank Him for. Go HERE for a prayer guide as well as a list of God’s names that will help you thank Him for Who He is)
  2. Inward: Read a chapter in the Bible. I would suggest one Psalm per day. Start with Psalm 1 and go from there. Or read one chapter of Proverbs per day. Start with Proverbs 1 and go from there. And as you read, stop, and think about what it is saying. Take your time (even if you do not get through an entire chapter – it is okay!). Ask God to speak to you through it.

A deeper dive: For those of you who would like to read the Bible in a year, here is a fantastic way to do it. It will take more than 30 minutes per day, but it will be well worth it. It not only gives you a reading plan but each day there is a short, very well-produced video explaining what you are about to read. Go HERE for your one year through the Bible reading plan.

  1. Outward: Ask God to show you how He can use you to reach those around you. Then begin to pray specifically for individuals. Pray for your family members, your boss, co-workers, classmates, friends, your church, its members, its mission, and its leadership. Pray for our city and our nation – that God would rule and reign in every mountain of influence, raising up leaders who fear Him: Church, Family, Government, Education, Media, Entertainment/Arts, and Business. You will not be able to get to everything in 30 minutes, but that is okay, just pick an area or two per day.

PRAYER POINTS

Personal:

  • Closeness with God
  • Deeper devotion to Christ
  • Renewed vision
  • Renewed passion
  • Strength
  • Joy
  • A profound commitment to act as Jesus would during this election year.

Church:

  • And increase of God’s manifest presence.
  • To see more CHANGED LIVES!
  • An increase in Miracles
  • Salvation for those far from God (make a list and pray for them every day)
  • More young people joining the vision at GPC.
  • New building for GPC

World:

  • A mighty harvest in our city and nation.
  • That godly men and women will fill the seats of government at local, city, state, and national levels.
  • For our missionaries (Use the bookmark handed out at church, or go to our website and check out our Missions page HERE)