The habit takes me to the necessary. Wherever we are and whatever state of settled or unsettled we may be in.
Through the scattered parts of transition or life in general, it’s a habit that orders my day. Puts priority in its proper place.
This habit, shaped and established over the years, has shaped and established me. It is daily focused time with the Lord. A discipline that keeps me abiding in Christ through prayer and the Word.
Desperation
I saw this practice modeled early on by my parents. But it wasn’t always a regular part of my walk with Him.
I promoted “having a quiet time.” But didn’t always practice what I preached.
Until I came to a place of desperation. And recognized that I couldn’t live without Him and His Word.
Three things
Those wilderness years were humbling. And I learned more deeply and personally that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).
In the years since, three things have helped me form and keep this habit. Daily.
Place. Plan. And Plate.
Place
Upheaval and exhaustion and travel-weariness. It comes with the territory of the journey. Whether we transit in the temporary space or move to a more permanent spot.
Wherever our family lands, I immediately find a place to meet with the Lord. To begin the day in His Word.
The chair. The desk. The kitchen table.
Something about preparing a specific place, prepares me.
Whether I’m in a hotel room. A house. A temporary apartment. A dorm room. There’s always a place to meet with Him.
Plan
When I wake in the morning and go to that pre-chosen place, I already have a plan for Bible reading.
This differs from year to year. One of my favorites has been the McCheyne Reading Plan. With daily readings in both the Old and New Testaments. [You can find this plan as well as many others here: Ligonier Bible Reading Plans. Another source: Navigators Bible Reading Plans.]
When I sit in my spot, still waking up, I don’t have to stop and ponder what to read. And I’m not hopping, skipping and jumping around the text.
The plan informs the habit.
Plate
The plate is the place setting at the banquet. A banquet of time with the Lord and the food of His Word. This “plate” includes a Bible. Pen(s). And a notebook.
We’ve lived in parts of the world where not everyone has the Word of God in their own language. Or access to the written Word. I don’t take my copy of the Scriptures for granted.
In the notebook, I record the date, place, and what I’m reading that morning. Sometimes I write a simple prayer to turn my attention to Him.
“Give me eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to obey, Lord.”
If there are things pressing for my attention, I list them. And surrender the list to Him, so that I can set it aside and focus.
Plain and simple
The habit is plain and simple. Structure for a growing relationship with the Lord.
I look forward to these morning times. With anticipation. I want to know Him and learn His ways.
These times vary in length. According to life season. And current schedule.
He is worthy
Somedays the notebook page is filled with what I’m learning. With verses and prayer requests and praises. Heart cries and questions about the text.
Other days the page is just a brief record of which Scripture I read.
No matter what, hungry or not, the habit takes me there. To focused time spent with Him and His Word.
And that’s worth everything. For He is glorious.
He alone is worthy of our worship.
What about you?
What helps you stay in the Word and prayer daily? What is your daily practice?
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16 replies on “Habit”
Thanks, Susan for this simple but important reminder. A friend told me recently (quoted from someone else), discipline leads to desire leads to delight. Whether in a season of delight or not, the habit is what can take us there.
Well said! Thank you for sharing that truth.
Thank you Susan. Presently I’m using An Updated Edition of Spurgeon’s Classical Devotional MORNING and EVENING. I’m also reading (slowly) The Divine Conspiracy by the late Dallas Willard. As a creature of habit, it is sometimes difficult to keep the good habits going and at the same time difficult to break the bad ones. Lord have mercy.
Spurgeon’s is one of my favorites. Agreed on the struggle! 😊 Thanks for sharing.
Some mornings jet lag is a blessing! Hours to quietly start my day with Scripture before anyone expects me. Hotel rooms with strangers snoring next door aren’t joyful noise but God shows up! I love how He teaches my heart gratitude – it changes everything!
Yes, let’s all remind each other that jetlag is a blessing! 🙂 Thank you for sharing, sister.
I love the idea of the “plate.” I vary what I do in QT. Right now I’m going through books of the Bible. I take two days on a passage. First day is look at promises, examples, etc. Second is more of application of my own life. Then in prayer I spend time praising Him for one of His names and thanking him then concentrate on a certain group of people each day. I usually like to stick with just the Bible, but every once in awhile, I love to do Selwyn Hughes devotional.
Thank you for sharing what you’re doing. I like this idea of taking two days on a passage. A good way to sink those roots deeper.
I like to start my devotions by reading a hymn. I just read straight through hymnals. I also review my memory verses. Right now I am studying Acts, synchronized with our pastor’s current sermon series. This has made his sermons even more helpful and enjoyable.
What a great idea to start your devotions reading a hymn. I want to try that. I remember my dad singing to the Lord in his times with Him.
Thank you for this beautiful post. One of the most rich and consistent quiet time routines I’ve had was the two years in a row I used The Songs of Jesus, a devotional journey through the Psalms by Tim Keller. I have also used various “read through the Bible in a year” schedules and appreciated the structure. But the Psalms speak to me so deeply already that using the Keller devotional as a springboard for journaling was just the thing.
Such a great devotional! And I must admit that some of my favorite reading plans are the ones that keep a Psalms passage or a Proverbs chapter in most of the daily readings. The psalmist just says what we are thinking :). Thanks for reading and sharing.
You look like someone I would get along well with. We look and dress differently, I’m guessing, and yet… Adore Tim Challies and the immense effort he gives to his daily postings, even more unfathomable due to his pain issues.
The fellowship of believers is such a joy. No matter what we look like or how we dress, we have much in common :). Tim Challies has been very kind to include my blogposts several times in his posts. I’m praying for him in his struggle with pain.
This is very encouraging Susan. God bless you for sharing I can relate with what your saying as I use almost the same structure but varies a bit as I read with the notebook in the evening(New Testament, Now 1Tim). In the Morning am reading the old Testament(now Nehemiah,Ezekiel). What I’ve learned from you is that Plan informs the habit and ‘If there are things pressing for my attention, I list them. And surrender the list to Him, so that I can set it aside and focus.’
Its encouraging to learn what other believers are doing in the closet and strengthens us to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
Amen, brother. Morning and evening readings are a great way to keep His Word in our hearts and minds as we begin and end our days. Thank you for sharing.