Friday Nurturing Content - 01/19/24

Happy Friday, Friend!

Raise your hand if your January has been busy. 🙋🏾‍♀️ I don’t know about you but it sure feels that way over here at the Christian Authors Network.

The reality is: we live life at a very high speed. It’s like going 60mph in a 45mph zone. We just want to get places… and get there fast!

And, unfortunately, we do not always notice—until it’s too late!—just how much our fast-paced lives impact our overall well-being, whether it be physical, mental, or even spiritual.

Our busyness gets in the way of us meeting with and hearing from God. If we are constantly on-the-go, time with our Heavenly Father becomes an afterthought. But, if we’re not intentionally finding time to meet with Him, how can we hear what He has to say to us? And, if we cannot hear from Him, how can we discern His will for us?!

This month, we’re spending some time looking at what it means to seek God’s will in our lives.

Part of seeking His will is actually making time for Him, carving out a moment of your day where the phone is silent, the to-do list is put away, and all other things fall to the wayside for the next whatever amount of minutes you can manage.

I recently came across something called the Daily Office, which is a simple, focused practice of setting aside time during the day to encounter God. This practice dates back to the earliest centuries of Christianity (and even further to pre-Christian Jewish recitation of the Shema prayer).

You don’t have to go big off the bat. Just start off with a 10-minute window, either in the morning or at lunchtime. There is no specific goal from this exercise other than to be still and spend time with God.

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God...’” -Psalm 46:10

There are four steps or elements that you can include in your Daily Office to help you get started. As you become more proficient in this practice, feel free to change things up, increase the duration, or even the frequency throughout the day.

Step 1: Slow Down, Stop & Be Still

Find an accommodating place in your house for this practice. Get into a comfortable position and quiet your body by taking some deep breaths.

Step 2: Focus

Read a small portion of Scripture. You can start off with Psalm 63:1-5; Isaiah 30:15-18; Luke 10:38-42; John 1:1-4. Read the verses slowly as you invite the Holy Spirit to penetrate your Heart with God’s Word. Re-read the passage several times, if you feel like you need to.

Step 3: Silence

After reading through Scripture, sit in silence with God. This may be challenging at first, especially as your mind begins to wander. When that happens, simply refocus your attention back to God and ask Him to speak to you and meet you.

Step 4: Prayer

This isn’t the time to pull out your prayer list. Instead, use this time to respond to the Lord as your heart leads. This may be a time to express gratitude, gain a fresh perspective, or engaging in a hard conversation with God. The possibilities are endless as you learn to discern God’s voice and respond to His direction.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Daily Office or want to participate in a 40-day guided practice, may I suggest to you this devotional by Peter Scazzero.

I pray that you’ll take some time in your day—maybe even today!—to practice the Daily Office and that you’ll discover great benefit and joy in spending daily time with God.

Dedicated to your success,

Tam