I attended a women's retreat this past weekend. It was held at another church, about two hours away from home. I was privileged to travel with two other ladies from our church. We had a good time on our travels, but we were also challenged by the speaker at the retreat. She challenged all of us to commit to giving God 20 minutes of our day, everyday. On most days, I read from my bible. I also pray intermittently, especially when people ask for it. But, I had to ask myself, do I DEVOTE even 20 minutes of my time? Am I really in the Word, or do I read just to "check off" that I have done my daily reading?
I want to know what the Bible says. I want to be able to answer the tough questions. But, I also want to KNOW God, and I want to be KNOWN by Him. That will not happen if I do not spend any time with Him. I will not learn what He wants me to do if I am always distracted by other things.
I encourage you to spend time with God by reading Scripture, praying to God, and just being still. Maybe even reading a devotional (like the one you are reading now). Twenty minutes really is not that long, is it?
Proverbs 9:10 (English Standard Version)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Luke 9:23
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
1 Kings 8:54-61
54 Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven.55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying,56 “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us,58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers.59 Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires,60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”
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