Saturday, January 4, 2014

Day 1: A Strong and Firm Faith

Welcome to:

40 Days to a Strong and Firm Faith:

A Devotional Bible Study

What I really wanted to call this blog post series and book was: “Bold, Strong, Firm, and Unashamed Faith,” but I was afraid that title was too long. As it is, strong and firm might be a bit much. But, is it really?

WHY DID I WRITE THIS BLOG POST SERIES AND BOOK?

I do not know about you, but my daily prayers seem to include: “Mature me and strengthen me in my faith, Lord.” After all, I do not want to have an anemic or weak faith. Just the thought scares me. But, let’s be frank. I’m sure we have high tides and low tides in our faith each and every day. Some moments, we will have great faith, other moments, not so much. This is why I thought it would be a good idea to write this book. It’s to help us to grow in our faith.

How do you develop a bold, strong, and firm faith and what does that look like? That’s what we’ll cover the next forty days.

PRAYER JOURNALING

Before I continue, I think it’s important for me to mention why this book is called a Devotional Bible Study. It’s because it’s part a daily devotional, to bring you closer to God and into His presence. But, it’s also a Bible study in that it brings you into the Bible and helps you read it study it, learn it, and apply it. Put them both together and make it a Devotional Bible Study and you get a way to bring you closer to God and His Word—through digging deep and taking your time—allowing things to simmer and contemplate them all day and night—not just when you read the day’s lesson.

In order to accomplish all of these feats, it’s important to interact with the material I write (and have put in this blog post series and book), with the Bible, and with God Himself through prayer. The more you interact with those three things, the more you’ll get out of this Devotional Bible Study. In fact, there is a simple rule of thumb: The more you put into this Devotional Bible Study, the more you’ll get out of it.

Through doing these things, you’ll develop a strong and firm faith.

Hence, it’s important to prayer journal. In fact, I would say it’s a requirement. If you want to develop a strong, firm, and bold faith, you’ll prayer journal.

Why?

1 It helps you interact with my writing, the Bible, and God.

2 It forces you to slow down so you don’t read so fast and so much that you don’t take the time to digest what you have read and learned.

3 It forces you to think.

4 It brings you to listening and talking with the Lord.

5 It helps you to remember what you have said to God.

6 It helps you remember what god has said to you.

7 It helps you remember what you’ve learned.

8 It helps you remember what God has done in your life, around your life, and through your life.

9 It helps you apply the Word to your life.

10 It gives you something to reflect on later in life.

11 It helps you analyze where you are, what you think and feel, along with what you think and believe. It helps you to see if you are on the right track.

12 A million other reasons I won’t mention at this time.

In short, prayer journaling is by far the most important thing you can do each day, and with your life, as you pray and are in the Word of God.

So, please start to prayer journal. Answer every single question I ask in this blog post series and book. Yep. All of them. Again, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. That’s the rule of thumb here.

WHAT IS A BOLD, STRONG, FIRM FAITH?

Prayer Journal and Contemplation Question: How would you define it?

It’s reflected on the inside AND on the outside. It’s both being and doing. It’s an active and intentional faith at all times. It’s making the choice each day, every moment of the day, to be and act as a person of faith. It’s making God our priority.

We will make sure to let people know if we disagree with them. We will do it out of love as a mere opinion. We will not attack them or be rude, but will just state as a simple fact of how we disagree and why. We will respect their stance and what they do, but we do not have to agree. This is having a bold, strong, and firm faith. It’s living in this world, but not being of it.

Moreover, the most important part of all, regarding having a strong, firm, and bold faith, is this: Everyone will know that we are Christian. It’s not because we are in their face about it, but we allow our way of life to reflect it. We will not allow ourselves to get by with mediocre living and will do our best and work for the Lord in all we do.

Colossians 3:23-24 is how we will live our lives:

Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV

23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Prayer Journal your thoughts.

How can you apply this verse to your life so it will help you have a firm, strong, and bold faith?

What is God saying to you about this verse?

What are you saying to God about this verse?

Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Prayer Journal your thoughts.

How can you apply this verse to your life so it will help you have a firm, strong, and bold faith?

What is God saying to you about this verse?

What are you saying to God about this verse?

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

1 What jumped out most at you today in what you’ve read, studied, and prayer journaled? Why?

2 How will you live a strong and firm faith?

3 What are you applying to your life?

4 Find one verse from today’s lesson you would like to memorize, if not more.

5 What did you say to God?

6 What did God say to you?

7 Write a final summary prayer about today.

Saturday, January 4, 2014