Monday, December 30, 2013

Day 2 Closing the Old Year of Chapter

Good Morning, Lord: A Prayer for Each Morning

Good morning, Lord.

How sweet it is to wake up knowing You are in my life and are working in my life, around my life, and through my life. You are always with me and forever present. You never leave me and certainly never forsake me (1 Kings 6:13; 1 Kings 8:57; Isaiah 42:16; Hebrews 13:5).

I also start this day knowing I have two choices:

1 Make today all about me or partially about me.

2 Make this day all about You.

I woke today because You wanted me to do so. That means You have a purpose for me this day. Am I going to live it? This is my choice.

Lord, guide me. Help me every second, minute, and hour, to make today all about You and not about me.

For, today is Your day. There is no better day.

Psalm 118:24 * Expanded Bible (EXB)

24 This is the day that the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad ·today [in it]!

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION

What are your thoughts about what you just read?

How can I make today more about You, Lord?

How can I make each day ALL about You, Lord?

What is Your purpose (or purposes) for me today? This week? This month? This quarter? This year? This decade?

What have you said to God?

What is God saying to you?

Closing the Old Year of Chapter

Isaiah 43:18-19 * GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

“18 Forget what happened in the past,

and do not dwell on events from long ago.

19 I am going to do something new.

It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it?

I will clear a way in the desert.

I will make rivers on dry land.”

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONSINSTRUCTIONS

INSTRUCTIONS: Since this is the first time you have seen this section, I figured I would explain what this section is for, in other words its intent, and expectations. First of all, you’ll want to get a prayer journal if you don’t already have one. The Prayer Journaling and Contemplation Questions are to get you engaged in the devotional Bible study and in the Bible, the Word of God. It’s meant to help you learn, apply, and remember each day’s lesson. Therefore, be as thorough in your answers as possible. Write as much as you possibly can. Also, throughout the day and night, add to each answer.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

What do the verses of Isaiah 43:18-19 mean to you?

What jumped out to you about those verses?

What do you say to God about those verses?

What does God say to you about those verses?

When you think of the year 2013, what do you think of?

Let It Go

Nowhere does it say in those verses not to count your blessings of the past. Nor does it say to forget what God has done in your life. Nor does it say not to think about lessons learned.

Rather, we are to forget the past regarding the parts that bring guilt, the question of why, and the thoughts of what could’ve or should’ve been. We are to move forward. We cannot change what we did or didn’t do in the past. Nor can we change what someone else did or didn’t do. Therefore, it’s important to focus on today and the future, for those are what we can control and influence.

Looking at the Last Year

This applies to you if you are living today. It does not need to be a New Year celebration or near one. Today is the start of a new year. Count out 365 days and that’s a year. Or, count back from today 365 days. That’s a year. So, this applies to you where you are and when you are.

I do not know about you, but this last year has been a mixture of life-changing, challenging, joyful, and full of revelation. It’s had a great deal of ups and some downs which were the toughest I’ve seen in a while. And, never mind all of the times I didn’t read my Bible or pray… (Sigh.) So, it’s really important for me to look at the last year. How about you?

I think closing the year well is just as important as starting the year well.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

List 3 of the sunshiny days from the last year.

List 3 of the stormy days from the last year.

List 7 things God did in your life the last year.

List at least 25 blessings to thank God for this last year.

Your 5 favorite verses from the last year.

List at least ten of your favorite memories.

What Bible studies did you do the last year?

What lessons did you learn this last year?

How much of the Bible did you read this last year?

What was your prayer life like this last year?

What did you say to God this last year?

What did God say to you this last year?

Write a summary of the last year.

Write out a prayer to God.

Monday, December 30, 2013