WEEK 1
DAY 1
Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it..
Spend time meditating on it before reading the following. The first requirements of a disciple of Jesus is SELF DENIAL. When Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me," the disciples probably thought about when Jesus called them to follow him. When Jesus called me to be saved he gave me faith to receive him as my Savior. I did so but didn’t follow him for 10 years. I never grew spiritually during those years. I think of Discipleship and know that I must follow God on his terms just as when I was saved. I must deny myself and put him and his desires first. Remember the first requirement of discipleship is self-denial. A person who is not willing to put Jesus first and seek after him cannot claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I think of Peter's denial of Jesus when he was asked about following Jesus. Each of the three times he denied being a disciple. Denying Christ can come in many forms. What we value more than our relationship with Him is a denial of Him as is not spending time each day with Him. Denying self is a sign of being Christ’s disciple.
My challenge is that we all need to examine ourselves and see if we are really a disciple of Christ. What is the priority of our lives? Do I set some time aside each day to spend time alone with The Father? Ask yourself, what do I need to change to make sure I spend time alone with the Lord each day? What excuses do I use for not spending time with Him? Suppose God only looked after us according to the time we spent with HIM. What would our life be like? Just as we eat each day, what we need (probably more than food) is to make sure we have daily communications with HIM so that we can have spiritual food! Memorize verse 25 so that it will be implanted in your heart.
DAY 2
The first requirement (as stated in the previous QT) of a disciple of Jesus is self denial. The second requirement of discipleship is to TAKE UP ONE'S CROSS. Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) says Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." Put into simple words it means that we must be willing to do whatever it takes or cost us to follow Jesus Christ. The people who first heard this knew the true meaning of a cross. Crucifixion was the Roman way to execute their enemies. They could identify with the suffering that the cross brought. They saw it all around themselves. Unless we have studied the crucifixion of Jesus we can’t fully relate to what Jesus is saying here. Those executed were required to carry their cross to the place of the execution just as was Jesus. The people of that time could certainly understand what it meant to “pick up your cross”. To carry your cross at that time in history was a walk to death! I have heard people speak of their cross to bear as a disability, illness, death of a loved one etc. That is certainly not what Jesus meant here.
Thought for today is “do we fully understand what Jesus means when he used this as a requirement to be his disciple?” Study the crucifixion of Jesus and the suffering after he was arrested and then on the way to the cross and then when he was nailed to the cross. Use the internet to read and understand the cross. Google crucifixion and you will find many sites that describe the Roman method of crucifixion. Think about what you read and then relate it to what Jesus was saying here in these verses. Ask God to help you to feel the weight of the cross, the back-breaking effort to carry the cross. Think of the beating, bleeding and all the suffering Jesus underwent before he was nailed to the cross. (The Passion of the Christ left an impact on me that brought me to the realization of the suffering of Jesus before the cross. If you haven’t seen the movie, I suggest you rent it and watch it.) Read Philippians 2:6-8. Meditate on that and the meaning of it. Ask God to help you feel the suffering Jesus did for you and me.
Are you carrying the cross or do you need to make a recommitment of your life to carry it the rest of your life? Read at least one of the accounts of Jesus ordeal as he went to the cross. (Matt. 26-28; Mark 11 & 14-16 Luke14-16 and 22-24 & John 17-20.) Focus on John 19, the description of Jesus being beaten and mocked. Reading on of the accounts and being sure to read John 19 it will help us better understand what it means to “take up the cross” and follow Jesus.
DAY 3
The first requirement of a disciple of Jesus is self denial, the second is to take up one's cross, and the third is LOYAL OBEDIENCE. Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) says Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” When we are obedient to the first two requirements, we must make sure we are obedient to all areas of our life as possible. Right now or at the end of this Quiet Time, meditate on areas of your life that God will bring to mind as you ask God to reveal those areas to you. Confess the sin and forgive yourself and accept God’s forgiveness (1st John 1:9). So only after a person denies himself and takes up his cross is he prepared to move to the third step in being Jesus’ disciple.
One of the reasons that spending time alone with God, reading His Word, meditating on it and confessing any area of disobedience is so that we may be obedient and then we are his disciple. We must be willing to submit all that we are and all we have to the Lord! A true disciple acknowledges that all he or she has and will ever have is really God’s. Our first step in being obedient is when God calls us to salvation. He gives us faith to receive him as Savior and then by this faith we respond and confess our sins and receive him into our life. So really, one cannot take the first step until this is done. Receiving Him as Savior and then taking the three steps is a matter of submission. We submit to Him by our actions. If we want to be a true disciple we must submit ever area of our life to Him.
Jesus had a servant’s heart and set the example for us. Do you have a servant’s heart? Ask a family member or someone who know you well. The Apostle Paul considered himself a servant. The word in Greek means the lowest type of servant in that day and time in history (Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1). Are you willing to be that kind of servant to our Great God? Think on this, suppose that every believer was a true disciple of Jesus. Meditate on this and if you journal, write out your thoughts. Spend the rest of your Quiet Time reading the challenge issued in the first of these postings (Matt. 26-28; Mark 11 & 14-16 Luke14-16 and 22-24 & John 17-20). Focus on John 19, the description of Jesus being beaten and mocked. Reading on of the accounts and being sure to read John 19. Spend time praying that God will give you an understanding of the cost of your salvation.
DAY 4
I Peter 2:1-2 (NLT) “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment…”
Meditate on this and ask God to reveal the meaning of it and how you need to apply it to your life. The greatest need of all Christians is spiritual growth. That comes with being a true disciple who studies God’s Word and spends time alone with God each day. Most long established churches are declining or struggling to maintain where they are because they haven’t produced disciples. You can help your church by being a true disciple of Christ! With the busy world that we have become, many Christians use the excuse “I don’t have time”. The truth is we find time to do exactly what we want to do. The question we must ask ourselves is, “do I take time to get nourishment from God’s Word? The church (body of baptized believers, not the building) needs disciples so that the “Great Commission” can be carried out (Matthew 28:19-20). Think about the 12 men who turned the world upside down and 13 if you include the Apostle Paul. Make a commitment to read the Book of Acts. Thirteen men and women could do that today if we were as committed as these early disciples.
Think of this, “A disciple remembers his life source.” I Peter 1:23-25 reminds us to remember that the saving power of God’s Word is our source of power. It is also the source of power by which we become TRUE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST. A true disciple eliminates his or her sins (I Peter 2:1b). We will pick up here tomorrow and look at this part of the verse. Today, ask yourself, am I using the excuse of being too busy to spend a few minutes in God’s Word each day? Do I have to be in a crisis before I really turn to God’s Word? Ask the Lord to reveal to you if you are growing in your relationship with Him. I challenge you to take time today to speak a word of testimony to someone about your time alone with God. Are you the kind of person who is for the cause of Christ as was Peter? Take time to listen to God after you read this. With an open heart you will hear Him!
DAY 5
Peter 2:1-2 (NLT) “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment…”
What part of these verses are calling for repentance? Peter list 5 signs of attitude and speech which if harbored would interfere with our relationship with God and with others. Identify these five sins. If you journal, write them down and/or underline them in your Bible. Think of the words, “get rid of”, perhaps set aside, eliminate, etc. Think about it this way, when the transformation from life to life in Christ (salvation) takes place, we are setting aside and being forgiven of all our sins. Now we are on the road to being a disciple! Take a moment to think on your life at present time. Is there anything in your life that God has brought to mind that you need to set aside? If so, stop right now and confess it to God, (I John 1:9 NLT) “… if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Spend some time in prayer listening to God. Ask him to reveal to you any sin, habit or excuse that you need to “get rid of”. Tomorrow we will look at the 5 sins Peter mentions here.
DAY 6
I Peter 2:1-2 (NLT) “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment …”
Peter points out 5 sins we need to be sure to “rid” ourselves of. The first is “evil behavior” (“malice”, NIV& NASB). In the original language, it is desiring to harm someone and really just plain wickedness. I believe that we cannot desire God’s Word and be his disciple if we have “malice” in our heart. It is contrary to God, so we need to make sure we are not guilty of this. We must “rid” ourselves of this first, then we can “rid” (with the power of the Holy Spirit) ourselves of the other 4 sins mentioned here. Sin #2 is “deceit” which is really dishonesty or fraud. The third sin is “hypocrisy”. This is another way of being dishonest, false pretenses, not being real or truthful, acting to be something we are not. Forth is jealously (“envy”, NIV). It means to resent someone because of their success, looks, abilities, relationships, etc. This sin can cause us to be angry, bitter and hold a grudge, all of which are sins according to Scripture. The final sin is “unkind speech” (“slander”, NIV). This can be in the form of gossip, speaking negative about someone or anything that is defamation of character. The one who intentionally listen is just as guilty as the one who is speaking unkindly about someone else. Any of these sins can destroy relationships and keep a person from being a true disciple of Christ Jesus. Take a few minutes to reflect on these sins and ask God to reveal to you any that you are caught up in. If you are guilty of any of these, again confess it to God.
As quoted in a previous QT post, I John 1:9 & 10 (NLT) tells us, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.” Think about the importance of spending time alone with God so that Holy Spirit can convict us of sin, we can confess it and be cleansed. God has already forgiven us when we received Jesus as Savior but we need to acknowledge our sin. “To confess is to agree with God”. Another Scripture to read and meditate on is Psalm 42:1-4 (one of my favorite passages and is the theme of the book Becky & I wrote). Ask God to give you the same desire as the Psalmist.
DAY 7
A DISCIPLE RECOGNIZES HIS DEPENDENCE ON GOD & HIS WORD
I Peter 2:2 (NLT) “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.”
Read this verse again and meditate on it. Ask yourself, “Do I have a craving for God’s Word?” Thinking of how a new born baby craves milk and then think on your craving. Is my craving for God’s Word as desperate as a baby crying out for milk? If you are not craving His Word and want to do so, ask God to create a craving within you. He will do so if you truly desire it. Think about the word crave. How can we say we love God and not crave His Word? As a Pastor, having counseled people over the years who have an addiction, I have discovered that a person must recognize and admit that he or she has a problem before the problem can be solved. The first step in Alcoholics Anonymous is you must admit your addiction. Once a person admits the problem there is hope. We must admit we have a deep need for God’s Word to take care of our sin problem. Many Christians try to be self-sufficient rather than depend on the Lord. Notice Peter says, “like new born babies”, in the Greek he uses words that mean “just born” baby who wants his mother’s milk. Think about how a baby takes a bottle when he is hungry. He tries with all his strength to get as much as he can as quick as he can then settles in to take the rest of the bottle. If you have had babies, think on how yours nursed or took a bottle. We need to long for God’s Word, for spiritual food with as much desire as a baby has for milk. Again, think about your own desire for God’s Word, your dependence on Him, and your need for His teaching and leading. Take time to pray through this. Memorize Psalm 42:1-2. Additional reading: For a time of praise to God read Psalm 145:1-7. Use this for a great private worship time. Praise be to the KING!
DAY 1
Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it..
Spend time meditating on it before reading the following. The first requirements of a disciple of Jesus is SELF DENIAL. When Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me," the disciples probably thought about when Jesus called them to follow him. When Jesus called me to be saved he gave me faith to receive him as my Savior. I did so but didn’t follow him for 10 years. I never grew spiritually during those years. I think of Discipleship and know that I must follow God on his terms just as when I was saved. I must deny myself and put him and his desires first. Remember the first requirement of discipleship is self-denial. A person who is not willing to put Jesus first and seek after him cannot claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I think of Peter's denial of Jesus when he was asked about following Jesus. Each of the three times he denied being a disciple. Denying Christ can come in many forms. What we value more than our relationship with Him is a denial of Him as is not spending time each day with Him. Denying self is a sign of being Christ’s disciple.
My challenge is that we all need to examine ourselves and see if we are really a disciple of Christ. What is the priority of our lives? Do I set some time aside each day to spend time alone with The Father? Ask yourself, what do I need to change to make sure I spend time alone with the Lord each day? What excuses do I use for not spending time with Him? Suppose God only looked after us according to the time we spent with HIM. What would our life be like? Just as we eat each day, what we need (probably more than food) is to make sure we have daily communications with HIM so that we can have spiritual food! Memorize verse 25 so that it will be implanted in your heart.
DAY 2
The first requirement (as stated in the previous QT) of a disciple of Jesus is self denial. The second requirement of discipleship is to TAKE UP ONE'S CROSS. Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) says Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." Put into simple words it means that we must be willing to do whatever it takes or cost us to follow Jesus Christ. The people who first heard this knew the true meaning of a cross. Crucifixion was the Roman way to execute their enemies. They could identify with the suffering that the cross brought. They saw it all around themselves. Unless we have studied the crucifixion of Jesus we can’t fully relate to what Jesus is saying here. Those executed were required to carry their cross to the place of the execution just as was Jesus. The people of that time could certainly understand what it meant to “pick up your cross”. To carry your cross at that time in history was a walk to death! I have heard people speak of their cross to bear as a disability, illness, death of a loved one etc. That is certainly not what Jesus meant here.
Thought for today is “do we fully understand what Jesus means when he used this as a requirement to be his disciple?” Study the crucifixion of Jesus and the suffering after he was arrested and then on the way to the cross and then when he was nailed to the cross. Use the internet to read and understand the cross. Google crucifixion and you will find many sites that describe the Roman method of crucifixion. Think about what you read and then relate it to what Jesus was saying here in these verses. Ask God to help you to feel the weight of the cross, the back-breaking effort to carry the cross. Think of the beating, bleeding and all the suffering Jesus underwent before he was nailed to the cross. (The Passion of the Christ left an impact on me that brought me to the realization of the suffering of Jesus before the cross. If you haven’t seen the movie, I suggest you rent it and watch it.) Read Philippians 2:6-8. Meditate on that and the meaning of it. Ask God to help you feel the suffering Jesus did for you and me.
Are you carrying the cross or do you need to make a recommitment of your life to carry it the rest of your life? Read at least one of the accounts of Jesus ordeal as he went to the cross. (Matt. 26-28; Mark 11 & 14-16 Luke14-16 and 22-24 & John 17-20.) Focus on John 19, the description of Jesus being beaten and mocked. Reading on of the accounts and being sure to read John 19 it will help us better understand what it means to “take up the cross” and follow Jesus.
DAY 3
The first requirement of a disciple of Jesus is self denial, the second is to take up one's cross, and the third is LOYAL OBEDIENCE. Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) says Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” When we are obedient to the first two requirements, we must make sure we are obedient to all areas of our life as possible. Right now or at the end of this Quiet Time, meditate on areas of your life that God will bring to mind as you ask God to reveal those areas to you. Confess the sin and forgive yourself and accept God’s forgiveness (1st John 1:9). So only after a person denies himself and takes up his cross is he prepared to move to the third step in being Jesus’ disciple.
One of the reasons that spending time alone with God, reading His Word, meditating on it and confessing any area of disobedience is so that we may be obedient and then we are his disciple. We must be willing to submit all that we are and all we have to the Lord! A true disciple acknowledges that all he or she has and will ever have is really God’s. Our first step in being obedient is when God calls us to salvation. He gives us faith to receive him as Savior and then by this faith we respond and confess our sins and receive him into our life. So really, one cannot take the first step until this is done. Receiving Him as Savior and then taking the three steps is a matter of submission. We submit to Him by our actions. If we want to be a true disciple we must submit ever area of our life to Him.
Jesus had a servant’s heart and set the example for us. Do you have a servant’s heart? Ask a family member or someone who know you well. The Apostle Paul considered himself a servant. The word in Greek means the lowest type of servant in that day and time in history (Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1). Are you willing to be that kind of servant to our Great God? Think on this, suppose that every believer was a true disciple of Jesus. Meditate on this and if you journal, write out your thoughts. Spend the rest of your Quiet Time reading the challenge issued in the first of these postings (Matt. 26-28; Mark 11 & 14-16 Luke14-16 and 22-24 & John 17-20). Focus on John 19, the description of Jesus being beaten and mocked. Reading on of the accounts and being sure to read John 19. Spend time praying that God will give you an understanding of the cost of your salvation.
DAY 4
I Peter 2:1-2 (NLT) “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment…”
Meditate on this and ask God to reveal the meaning of it and how you need to apply it to your life. The greatest need of all Christians is spiritual growth. That comes with being a true disciple who studies God’s Word and spends time alone with God each day. Most long established churches are declining or struggling to maintain where they are because they haven’t produced disciples. You can help your church by being a true disciple of Christ! With the busy world that we have become, many Christians use the excuse “I don’t have time”. The truth is we find time to do exactly what we want to do. The question we must ask ourselves is, “do I take time to get nourishment from God’s Word? The church (body of baptized believers, not the building) needs disciples so that the “Great Commission” can be carried out (Matthew 28:19-20). Think about the 12 men who turned the world upside down and 13 if you include the Apostle Paul. Make a commitment to read the Book of Acts. Thirteen men and women could do that today if we were as committed as these early disciples.
Think of this, “A disciple remembers his life source.” I Peter 1:23-25 reminds us to remember that the saving power of God’s Word is our source of power. It is also the source of power by which we become TRUE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST. A true disciple eliminates his or her sins (I Peter 2:1b). We will pick up here tomorrow and look at this part of the verse. Today, ask yourself, am I using the excuse of being too busy to spend a few minutes in God’s Word each day? Do I have to be in a crisis before I really turn to God’s Word? Ask the Lord to reveal to you if you are growing in your relationship with Him. I challenge you to take time today to speak a word of testimony to someone about your time alone with God. Are you the kind of person who is for the cause of Christ as was Peter? Take time to listen to God after you read this. With an open heart you will hear Him!
DAY 5
Peter 2:1-2 (NLT) “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment…”
What part of these verses are calling for repentance? Peter list 5 signs of attitude and speech which if harbored would interfere with our relationship with God and with others. Identify these five sins. If you journal, write them down and/or underline them in your Bible. Think of the words, “get rid of”, perhaps set aside, eliminate, etc. Think about it this way, when the transformation from life to life in Christ (salvation) takes place, we are setting aside and being forgiven of all our sins. Now we are on the road to being a disciple! Take a moment to think on your life at present time. Is there anything in your life that God has brought to mind that you need to set aside? If so, stop right now and confess it to God, (I John 1:9 NLT) “… if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Spend some time in prayer listening to God. Ask him to reveal to you any sin, habit or excuse that you need to “get rid of”. Tomorrow we will look at the 5 sins Peter mentions here.
DAY 6
I Peter 2:1-2 (NLT) “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment …”
Peter points out 5 sins we need to be sure to “rid” ourselves of. The first is “evil behavior” (“malice”, NIV& NASB). In the original language, it is desiring to harm someone and really just plain wickedness. I believe that we cannot desire God’s Word and be his disciple if we have “malice” in our heart. It is contrary to God, so we need to make sure we are not guilty of this. We must “rid” ourselves of this first, then we can “rid” (with the power of the Holy Spirit) ourselves of the other 4 sins mentioned here. Sin #2 is “deceit” which is really dishonesty or fraud. The third sin is “hypocrisy”. This is another way of being dishonest, false pretenses, not being real or truthful, acting to be something we are not. Forth is jealously (“envy”, NIV). It means to resent someone because of their success, looks, abilities, relationships, etc. This sin can cause us to be angry, bitter and hold a grudge, all of which are sins according to Scripture. The final sin is “unkind speech” (“slander”, NIV). This can be in the form of gossip, speaking negative about someone or anything that is defamation of character. The one who intentionally listen is just as guilty as the one who is speaking unkindly about someone else. Any of these sins can destroy relationships and keep a person from being a true disciple of Christ Jesus. Take a few minutes to reflect on these sins and ask God to reveal to you any that you are caught up in. If you are guilty of any of these, again confess it to God.
As quoted in a previous QT post, I John 1:9 & 10 (NLT) tells us, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.” Think about the importance of spending time alone with God so that Holy Spirit can convict us of sin, we can confess it and be cleansed. God has already forgiven us when we received Jesus as Savior but we need to acknowledge our sin. “To confess is to agree with God”. Another Scripture to read and meditate on is Psalm 42:1-4 (one of my favorite passages and is the theme of the book Becky & I wrote). Ask God to give you the same desire as the Psalmist.
DAY 7
A DISCIPLE RECOGNIZES HIS DEPENDENCE ON GOD & HIS WORD
I Peter 2:2 (NLT) “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.”
Read this verse again and meditate on it. Ask yourself, “Do I have a craving for God’s Word?” Thinking of how a new born baby craves milk and then think on your craving. Is my craving for God’s Word as desperate as a baby crying out for milk? If you are not craving His Word and want to do so, ask God to create a craving within you. He will do so if you truly desire it. Think about the word crave. How can we say we love God and not crave His Word? As a Pastor, having counseled people over the years who have an addiction, I have discovered that a person must recognize and admit that he or she has a problem before the problem can be solved. The first step in Alcoholics Anonymous is you must admit your addiction. Once a person admits the problem there is hope. We must admit we have a deep need for God’s Word to take care of our sin problem. Many Christians try to be self-sufficient rather than depend on the Lord. Notice Peter says, “like new born babies”, in the Greek he uses words that mean “just born” baby who wants his mother’s milk. Think about how a baby takes a bottle when he is hungry. He tries with all his strength to get as much as he can as quick as he can then settles in to take the rest of the bottle. If you have had babies, think on how yours nursed or took a bottle. We need to long for God’s Word, for spiritual food with as much desire as a baby has for milk. Again, think about your own desire for God’s Word, your dependence on Him, and your need for His teaching and leading. Take time to pray through this. Memorize Psalm 42:1-2. Additional reading: For a time of praise to God read Psalm 145:1-7. Use this for a great private worship time. Praise be to the KING!
