I read The Word....

[DahcsLion]

I wanted to post this poll today, because I was was asking in alliance chat why we weren't speaking more of what God was doing in our lives on a daily basis. I personally, really enjoy talking about how God is bringing me along, what He has shown me in His Word and what amazing things He does from day to day.

Since He has shown me that there is life in His Word, I feel that the substance of an awesome life in Him is found therein. That's what my poll is about. Please be honest and do not stretch the truth. If you never read the Word, then say so. If you want prayer over your reading habits, please post your request here. If you have questions, you may ask them here or you can PM me.

I know this would be a good subject and poll for the main forums but I can only deal with alliance members at the moment because that's who I have contact with. I welcome any and all comments, requests and questions, and I'm sure others here do too.

 

[mist_01]

yeah, my family reads before every meal and i read every night before going to bed. Reading the Bible comes easy to me, now applying it, thats a different story.

 

[[toj.cc]WildBillKickoff]

I wanted to post this poll today, because I was was asking in alliance chat why we weren't speaking more of what God was doing in our lives on a daily basis. I personally, really enjoy talking about how God is bringing me along, what He has shown me in His Word and what amazing things He does from day to day.

Dahcs, thank you for reminding us of this important aspect of our daily Christian lives.

I think that a lot of the talk about God in our alliance is done either privately in-game or on these forums through threads like this one. That's not to say that talking about God and what He's doing shouldn't be a part of Alliance chat-- just that in general, some folks are more comfortable going to an officer or trusted friend one on one rather than broadcasting their personal problems to the 200+ members of our alliance.

It's a little bit of "Stained Glass Masquerade Syndrome", but I also know that the officers probably spend anywhere from 1/5 to 1/3 of their time online either counseling members or just helping in general. There is a ton of stuff that goes on behind the scenes so that this guild can run as smoothly as it does, and I commend each of our officers and leaders for that.

 

[ChickenSoup]

that's a good point, DL

 

[blackgravity]

I've been in the habit for about the past 2 years of listening to audiobible mp3's while I'm getting ready for bed, because before bed is when I do most of my reading and sometimes my eyes just get too heavy read. I used to have a really bad time with sleeping the whole way through the night, and with awful nightmares, and I find that whenever I have the Word of God on while I sleep, it's the best sleep I've had. Romans is one of my favorites to have on while I'm laying down and it's quiet, just absorbing everything I possibly can .

 

[Stc95]

Ya i read at least 2 chapters of the Bible every night before bed except maybe on weekends. Its really cool cause some nights i look at my Bible and i really really dont want to read it but once i open it to where i left off i end up reading a lot more then my 2 chapter min.

 

[thinkerseven]

I try and read every night but it is hard for me because my reading doesn't seem to mean anything to me... I just go through the motions. Now when I read a study I get a lot of it. What am I "doing" wrong? I have trouble pulling points together and stuff when I read, also I tend to space out in the middle of reading... it is so frusterating.

 

[Stc95]

I try and read every night but it is hard for me because my reading doesn't seem to mean anything to me... I just go through the motions. Now when I read a study I get a lot of it. What am I "doing" wrong? I have trouble pulling points together and stuff when I read, also I tend to space out in the middle of reading... it is so frusterating.

that used to happen to me when i was reading the new testiment, i dont remember any of it and i wasnt getting anything out of it. i think i just came closer to God that now i am accualy getting stuff out of the Bible, or my first semester project at school helped me analyze literature for meaning.. ug i hated that thing. just pray to understand God words, if you want im sure some of us will pray for you too.

 

[Atown]

i try daily

 

[MaidMirawyn]

I try and read every night but it is hard for me because my reading doesn't seem to mean anything to me... I just go through the motions.

You might try reading a different version. Bible studies are good, but I really believe you need to read the Word BY ITSELF, as well as with a Bible study. It's a good idea, perhaps, to read the "assigned" passage first, THEN go through the study.

For myself, I've been using BiblePlayer software to allow me to read the Bible on my iPod. It has a Bible in a Year section, with each day's passages grouped together so you don't have to flip back and forth to find the OT and NT passage for the day. It makes it much easier to manage!

 

[sdenotter]

I try and read every night but it is hard for me because my reading doesn't seem to mean anything to me... I just go through the motions. Now when I read a study I get a lot of it. What am I "doing" wrong? I have trouble pulling points together and stuff when I read, also I tend to space out in the middle of reading... it is so frusterating.

i found that as well for the first... 2-5 months while i was forcing the habit. what i did, was went to the Message Remix. Now, as ive developed in my christianity, im wanting to get a new version, simply for the fact that the Message changes the wording so that it is an easy read.... not a good study though.


but it is crucial to get into the habit of reading daily (or listening) because it starts to get rooted into your heart, and you come up to a situation, and you immediately have a scripture verse that completely suits the situation... and for me, the first time it happened, i was along the lines of, Woah... i thought that only happened to adults. but it can be a very big help in times of trouble

 

[DahcsLion]

I try and read every night but it is hard for me because my reading doesn't seem to mean anything to me... I just go through the motions. Now when I read a study I get a lot of it. What am I "doing" wrong? I have trouble pulling points together and stuff when I read, also I tend to space out in the middle of reading... it is so frusterating.

Hi Thinker,

Stc95 and Mist are so, so right. Understanding and application are two of the keys to the scriptures and they go hand in hand. One can't apply what they don't understand and one wont understand what they are unwilling to apply. Jesus said that it was not those who heard the Word that were His mother and brothers, but it was those who were hearers and DO'ers who were His family (Mark 3:35). With that, we see that covering vast amounts of scripture is not really the key to the scriptures themselves. The key is to apply what we do understand and be the doers of God's will that Jesus wants us to be. This means taking smaller bites of scripture but studying those and letting them sink in.

I think also, we need to see the true importance of reading the Word and applying it. I personally would start with two verses. Hebrews 4:12 says that:

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

This verse tells us that the Word of God can expose for us, good things as well as bad things that are in our hearts. This is extremely important. The Holy Spirit will convict us of sin, but His Word will tell us what is making us sin. Then, we can see better how to pray for ourselves.

The second verse is this:

2Ti 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

The first verse is a statement and desciption of the word of God, the second is an instruction. Being able to accurately handle the word of God takes some study, so it's not something we try a few times and then move away from. It takes some stick-to-it-iveness and if you seem to be failing, rest assured, you are not failing because you haven't quit. Try taking smaller bites and turning those verses over and over in your mind. This is what we call meditating on scripture. If you do this, God sees and He will give you the understanding you need when He sees your willingness to understand. It's all about willingness.

I will pray that He gifts you with understanding of some of the things you are reading, and you should do this also right before you read. I am sure others will pray this also. Be blessed Thinker!

Dahc.

 

[Stc95]

You might try reading a different version.

THATS IT! i got a new Bible for Christmas and its in NCV (didnt know about that one) i like it a lot, MUCH easier to understand then NIV (what i had before and grew up on)

 

[TheChad1215]

I've started to read through the original KJV this year. I've been using the NIV all my life too, and I like it alot for studying, but I really wanted the old-school language... much more poetic. I'm really enjoying myself but have gotten kinda behind since school's picked up.

-Chadley

 

[Kid4Christ]

I just wanted to share a very cool way to memorize scripture.

I was in Wal-mart the other day and I saw a "Purpose Driven Life" calendar. You won't believe what happened next! A big ray of light burst right through the Wal-mart ceiling and on to that calendar! So I quickly purchased it and hung it on my wall. Each month it says a verse. A read and repeat it everyday. I find it a great way to read scripture on the fly for busy days!

Jan. scripture was this.

Col 1:16: Everything, absolutely everything was created by him and for his purpose.

-The Mess. bible version

 

[DahcsLion]

I just wanted to share a very cool way to memorize scripture.

Each month it says a verse. A read and repeat it everyday. I find it a great way to read scripture on the fly for busy days!

I have another very effective way to share. I take a passage that I want to memorise, and every morning and every evening for seven days I write the passage 3 times looking at the scripture. Each time I write it down, I try and write everything I remember without looking. When I can't remember any more of it, then I open up to the scripture and finish writing it down. Three times each morning and three times each evening. I have never gotten to the seventh day without having the scripture memorized.

This is especially effective when you want to memorise a passage longer than one verse.

 

[thinkerseven]

I was talking with my pastor today and he said one effective way of reading scripture is just to open it up without any expectations and read a little bit at a time... and read that over and over. He also said even if reading just seems like routine and "nothing" comes from it, to keep reading and eventually inspiration will return.

 

[Cloud G]

I'm always on the go. So I use the software from Olivetree on my Q. Since I usually have at least THAT on me I can catch a few minutes here and there to read a passage. I also have the NIV on mp3 for those long commutes.

I'd recommend the Olivetree software for anyone with some sort of handheld or smart phone. The software is free. You just have to pay for the different bibles, commentaries, and devotionals they have. The KJV is free if you want to try it out.