Meditation on the Word of Cod

Transcription

1 Meditation on the Word of Cod 'OW READ: Psalm 1 A person is blessed when he does not walk in the counsel of the The reason he is blessed is because his delight is in the the Lord. of He on the law day and night. To meditate is to think about what a passage of Scripture is saying. Ask yourself, "What is God saying to me?" Meditation can also be the process of making our minds new or renewed (Romans 12:2). When we memorize Scripture and hide it in our hearts, it renews our mind (Romans 12:2). It can lead us from the path of sin (Psalm 1:1).We meditate to seek God out, to understand the passage, and to gain strength to overcome, if we are dealing with sin. We ask God to reveal His will and purpose for our lives. As we ponder God's Word, we allow it to sink deeply into our hearts. You may read something that speaks to you deeply. Read over it again and again until you are clear about its meaning for you. PRAY: Ask the Lord to give you a desire to memorize Scripture. Ask Him to reveal His Word to you as you meditate on it today. Pray on the armor of God, then write your prayer requests in your Prayer Journal. READ: Hebrews 4:12-13 ICIC "For the word of God is and and sharper than any sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (v. 12) The power of the Word of God is real. It cuts to the quick those who are in sin and draws them to Christ who can save them. Do you remember the first time you felt the reality of sin in your life and the need of Jesus to save you? Through the power of Scripture, your heart was convicted of sin and drawn to Christ. That is the power of the Word of God. It is living and active in our lives. God's Word will cut through all the bad things in your life, and it will transform and change you as you read it, meditate on it, memorize it, and live it out in your life.

2 PRAY: Ask the Lord to give you a desire and passion for His Word. Ask Him to help you memorize Scripture and to use it to transform your life. Pray on the armor of God, then write your prayer requests in your Prayer Journal. 'OW REAM Romans 12:1-2 IOC In view of God's wonderful mercy, we should offer our bodies to Him as living When we do this, it is and pleasing to God. It is seen as an act of "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this but be transformed by the of your mind." (v. 2) One of the most holy things you can do for God is to surrender your life fully to Him. The second step that Paul says is just as important once you take the first step is to renew your mind. The way you renew your mind is through saturating it with the Word of God. If you were to take a bucket of water, put dirt in it, and stir it up, you would have dirty water. Then, if you took a water hose, placed it into the bucket of dirty water, and opened the water valve all the way, the running water would flood the dirt of the bucket until the water was crystal clear again. Every person has impurities in their life that need to be flushed out with the living water of God's Word. By memorizing Scripture and meditating on it day and night, we transform our minds to be more like Jesus. PRAY: Ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit and the power of His Word. Pray for a passion and desire to read, meditate on, and memorize God's Word every day so that you might become more like Jesus. Pray on the armor of God, then write your prayer requests in your Prayer Journal. ICC READ: Joshua 1:6-9 The Lord told Joshua to be strong and very Why did Joshua not have to fear anything? What did God tell Joshua to obey? "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do written in it. Then you will be and." (v. 8)

3 God had a plan for Joshua, but that plan included obedience. God showed Joshua that the way to live out His Word was to meditate on it day and night. The Lord made Joshua a promise that if he did, he would be prosperous. You can do the same as you saturate your life with the Word of God. Meditate, reflect, read it again, and apply it to your life. PRAY: Ask the Lord to give you a passion for His Word every day. Pray on the armor of God, then write your prayer requests in your Prayer Journal. READ: Psalm 119:73-78 When it comes to God's commands, what will He give you? (v. 73) 11:t "Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your is my delight." (v. 77) What does the psalmist say he will do in verse 78? The psalmist had a deep passion for the Word of God. He would meditate on it so that he would be able and willing to obey what God commanded. His desire was to be fully saturated or consumed with the Word of God so that he would honor God in every way. As you memorize a verse of Scripture, take time to ponder its meaning. Go over it again and again until you get it completely. Ask the Lord to help you grasp its meaning. PRAY: Ask the Lord to give you a deep desire for His Word. Ask Him to help you understand what you are studying and memorizing today. Pray on the armor of God, then write your prayer requests in your Prayer Journal READ: Psalm 119: "Oh, how I love your law! I commands make me ever with me." (vs ) on it all day long. Your than my enemies, for they are The psalmist said that God gave him more insight than whom? (v. 99) Why is that?

4 He said that God's Word was sweet to his, sweeter than honey in his mouth. Some people feel like reading the Bible is a burden. Once you can get past that viewpoint, you will perceive God's Word as delicious spiritual food that you crave each day. And, it will begin to transform your life. When you begin skipping your daily quiet time, Satan delights in the distance that comes between you and God. Getting away from God's Word opens you up to sin and worldliness. Memorizing, studying, and meditating on Scripture may seem difficult, but when God's Word is in your heart, you will desire more of God and less of the world. What are some ways that you can make Scripture memory a priority in your life? Hiding God's Word in your heart is the very thing to keep you strong in your faith and help you have victory over sin in your life. PRAY: Thank the Lord for the power of His Word to transform your life. Ask Him to continually give you a deep love for His Word. Pray on the armor of God, then write your prayer requests in your Prayer Journal. ill talk: Whig a stian worldview A common struggle for parents is getting their child to memorize Scripture or to have a daily quiet time. Part of the problem in many families is that mom and dad are not doing it themselves. Did you know that a spiritual foundation for your child is far more important than their education? According to a recent study, the majority of parents today say that their child's education is number one among their personal priorities. Jesus Christ was number eleven in that same study. Scripture warns us not to put anything before God. Exodus 20:3 says, "You shall have no other gods before me." If school or sports is number one, then ask yourself if it has taken the place of God in your home. Many parents regrettably discover that they put too much emphasis on the wrong things when their grown children have success in life but are empty inside because they built their life on worldly things. You will find when you put God first that your child's education will go far beyond your expectations. On the contrary, many families choose to put education ahead of God. Commit today to make your child's spiritual life one of your highest priorities. Help them memorize their weekly verse. Encourage them to go over it again and again until they have it down. Teach them to meditate on God's Word daily. Remember that Jesus tells us the one who listens to God's Word and puts it into practice will be like a wise man who builds his house upon the rock (Matthew 7:24-29).

5 MEMORY VERSE: Have your child quote Psalm 1:1-2. REVIEW: 1. Why is it important to put God first in your life? 2. What good does it do you to memorize God's Word? 3. How can your family read, meditate on, and memorize God's Word together? PRAY: Pray together as a family, and dedicate your lives to the Word of God to memorizing it, meditating on it, and obeying what it says to do. Pray on the armor of God, then use the Prayer Journal. PARENT CHALLENGE: 1. Commit as a family to put God first in every way. 2. Prioritize you and your child's spiritual life as number one. 3. Give your child to the Lord for His service with the understanding that you only have them for a season.