The Most Important Time of My Day
By Lysa TerKeurst
"... Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4
Is it really that important to have a quiet time with the Lord everyday? I mean, the Lord knows how busy my life is, so if I just toss up a few prayers and listen to a Christian song on the radio while rushing off to work, that should suffice, right?
It's easy to let the busyness of life crowd out time for prayer, Bible reading, and sitting with the Lord. There are a million things on all of our to-do lists, time is tight, and quiet moments seem few and far between. But I've learned that if I make the choice to be with the Lord first thing in the morning, my outlook on life that day and my ability to handle things seems to go so much smoother.
Also, I've had to change my mindset on having a quiet time. Spending time with the Lord in the morning doesn't end when I say "amen" and put my Bible back on the shelf. I've just invited the King of Kings to participate in my day. So, I get up from spending time with the Lord in the morning and start eagerly looking for His hand of activity in my life.
I think about the Bible verses I read that morning and look for ways to apply them to my life that very day. I watch the circumstances that come my way hour by hour and ask the Lord to constantly give me wisdom to process life in the way that would be most honoring to Him. My mindset is healthier, my attitude more positive, and my ability to extend grace to those who rub me the wrong way is increased just by setting aside some time to be with the Lord.
If you are struggling with having quiet time with the Lord each day, try these helpful ideas:
Be honest with God and admit your struggle. Ask God to give you the desire to set aside time to be with Him.
Start with just a small amount of time. Even if it is just 5 minutes at first, give this 5 minutes solely to the Lord without any other distractions. Over the next weeks and months, your desire for more time with Him will increase.
Use a version of the Bible that lends itself to study. I use the NIV Life Application Study Bible and I love it. It helps me understand the context each book was written in and gives me commentaries to understand specific verses.
Ask God for understanding as you read the Bible. When I first started reading the Bible I had a hard time, so I started praying that God would open my spiritual eyes to see the truths in a life changing way for me.
Write some of the verses that seem most applicable to your life on 3x5 cards and use them in your prayers. For example, Matthew 6:19-20 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." So, I could use this verse in my prayer time by praying, "God, help me to know how to store up treasures in Heaven. Help me to relinquish my tight hold on my earthly possessions so I can use them to build your kingdom now. Show me how to best use that which you have blessed me with. Give me your mindset for the money I have."
Get involved in a Bible Study with friends. This will help hold you accountable to getting your study time done and will open up great discussions to deepen everyone's understanding of applying God's truths to everyday life.
Suggested Prayer:
Dear Lord, I want a more vibrant relationship with You and I know having a daily quiet time is an important part of that. Help me make this my most important priority each day, no matter how busy life is. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
If you don't know which book of the Bible to start with, I'd suggest either Matthew or Philippians. These are two of my favorite books that are rich with life application opportunities. You may also want to read a chapter from the Book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters, one for each day of the month.
Reflections:
How can I safeguard this time and make it a priority each day?
Love,
Mel(:
9:24 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Mon (23rd June):
YISHI: Econs (1300-1510)
JIA YU: Chemistry (0800-1045)
GP P1 (1300-1445)
GP P2 (1445-1615)
GUO HAO: Econs (0800-1045)
Biology (1300-1600)
RYAN SEAH: Language Arts P1 & P2 (0800–1120)
Chemistry (1330–1530)
XUE TING: Econs (0800-1045)
Biology (1300-1600)
ISAAC: English
VON: GP (0800-0930)
Econs P1 (1300-1340)
Econs P2 (1400-1445)
MEL: ECO 182 (1345-1545)
YISHI: Physics (1200-1500)
JIA YU: History (0800-1015)
GUO HAO: Chemistry (1300-1600)
RYAN SEAH: Maths P1 (0800-1000)
XUE TING: Chem (1300-1600)
ISAAC: Chinese
VON: H1 CL (0800-0930)
H2 Maths (1300-1500)
YISHI: Maths (1300-1500)
GUO HAO: Maths (0800-1100)
CL Listening Compre (1200-1245)
RYAN SEAH: Biology (0800-1000)
XUE TING: Maths (0800-1100)
CL Listening Compre (1200-1300)
ISAAC: Econs
YISHI: Chem (0800-1030)
JIA YU: Maths (0800-0950)
Physics (1300-1530)
GUO HAO: Chinese P2(1300-1600)
RYAN SEAH: Higher Chinese (0800-1000)
Maths P2 (1330-1530)
XUE TING: Chinese (1300-1615)
ISAAC: Econs
VON: H2 Chemistry (0800-1000)
Fri (27th June):
RYAN SEAH: History (1430-1630)
XUE TING: H2 Chem Spa
ISAAC: Maths
VON: H1 Geography (0800-0930)
ISAAC: Chemistry
Geography
Bible Verses for God’s
Scholars!!! (:
For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Do not worry… God has faith in you…
Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Deuteronomy 28:13
And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Keep asking and believing... Have faith!
Mark 9:23
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 21:22
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
All the way! Keeping you guys
in prayers! (:
Labels: Let's keep them in prayers (:
5:52 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Friday, June 20, 2008
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
7:38 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Oh no. I think this is ai also. Please look at elizabeth's face again. HAHAHA so the above one is nu I think. HAHAHA
This is should be xi or le. HAHAHA :D Finally there's some change of expression in elizabeth. HAHAHHA
so we see one pair of siblings. I couldn't get joshua and elizabeth, they were too shy. but look at the obvious excited look of issac. hahaha and rach is obviously going to complain about how she looks in the picture but never mind :D
okay I think I promised the person I'll delete the picture but it'll be a waste. hahaha :D so team taupok and stranger. D: 
oh wait I think this is supposed to be xi. HAHAHAHA guohao looks damn happy man. HAHAHA
7:11 PM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
From Pst Robb Thompson:
While People of The World
Choose Conformation,
Those Who Believe Heaven
Choose Transformation.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. Therefore, the easiest way to get rid of negative thoughts is to replace them with positive thoughts. The most effective way to do this is with your spoken words. Your mind has to entertain what your mouth says. The mind is never empty; it is always occupied with a thought. Spoken words override unspoken thoughts. By substituting your thoughts, you can replace troubling thoughts with a God-thought that has the power to transform your life.
You can't be filled with nagging fear, relentless doubt, and abject worry when you constantly meditate upon God's Word. As long as you don't allow negative thoughts to be planted into your mind, growing like weeds in your flower garden, you'll discover peace, joy, and happiness. But the transformation of your life is linked to your commitment to change the way you think.
Love
Mel (:
10:57 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Sunday, June 15, 2008
This is the one time in Christ's life when we see the slightest hint of fear. Fear by itself is not sin, but the way that we respond to it can become sin. Jesus did not allow His fear of enduring God's wrath to lead Him into sin (1 John 3:5), but He responded the way we all need to respond whenever we face a fearful situation:
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39 NKJV)
Jesus does three things here that we need to emulate. First of all, Jesus went a little farther , meaning He separated Himself from Peter, James, and John. When fear hits us, the first thing we need to do is get alone with God. Getting together with others can be a great blessing, but it can also be a distraction from fellowshipping with the One we need to meet with the most. Second, Jesus fell on His face, and prayed. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of prayer in the Christian life. We simply cannot experience a relationship with God without prayer, and Jesus shows us that it is indispensable when it comes to facing our fears. Last, He said, ". . . not as I will, but as You will." Christ's statement is an expression of His complete trust in His Father's loving wisdom, which would only allow Him to do what was right and best, and in His Father's ability to control all things.
The next time we're feeling fearful, we need to get alone with God. As we open our hearts in prayer to Him, we should remember that He is in complete control and that He will only allow what will ultimately be best for us.
Article from GodSpeaks devotional (:
Love,
Mel (:
8:55 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Labels: Outreach (:
9:11 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Hi guys (:
Another abstract from Dr. Cho's article! Hope you are blessed by it! (: Let's really keep all our friends in prayer! Be specific in your prayers! P.U.S.H = Pray Until Something Happen! (: Revival!!! (:
THROUGH PRAYER YOU CAN TOUCH ONE ANOTHER:
When you want to win a soul to Jesus Christ. First you must have time to pray for that person so that the power of God may have already worked in that heart. God makes no distinction between time and space. Through prayer, you direct God's power to that person or to that area. Many people try to win others at random. You don't have much success in winning souls in this way. Through the cell system, the cell leaders always should point out one family, and concentrate their prayers on that particular family. I tell my cell groups. You only need to win one family in six months. So take about three months to pray for them. Every time you gather together, pinpoint that family, call their names out in prayer and direct God's power to that family. Usually, our cell leaders go to that particular home and lay hands on the outside wall of the house, and pray, calling out the names of the persons in that household. After three months of praying, when they visit that home, they have already been broken by the Holy Spirit, and easily accept Christ in to their hearts. So through prayer, you bring the power of God down to a specific person or to a specific area. You break the power of Satan. Before you bind the strong man, you are unable to steal his possessions. The devil is a strong man and can hold the people. So, if you, through prayer, bind the strong man, then you can go and deliver the people from his clutch.
Prayer is very necessary for evangelism. Many people try to program evangelism. They try to make it successful through their programs. That is a very foolish thing to do. We are not fighting against blood and flesh. We are fighting against spirits. So, if you pray a vague prayer you will have no power. You should have a pin-pointed prayer. When we have prayer in the Olympic Stadium, I always give the subject of prayer: Let us pray for yourself, your family, your church, your nation, your President, reunification, etc. All of these are specific goals. Then God's power will come down and destroy Satan and deliver. But if you just say, "Oh, God, bless us," vaguely, how can God bless you? There are 7,000 promises in the Bible. Which one do you want Him to use? Many people have vague faith because they do not have clear-cut goals. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is the substance of things. If you don't say clear things, then faith cannot have clear-cut substance. Many people pray very vague prayers. So, they receive a vague answer. If you pray for a clear goal, you will have a clear answer. You cannot have powerful cutting faith without having a clear goal.
For a long time I prayed a vague prayer. "Oh, God, bless our nation. "What kind of blessing? It is so vague. "Oh God, bless my life." How do you want Him to bless you? Healing, spiritual blessing? You must make your goal very clear. "Father, bless this, this, this." That is the reason that Jesus always asked a sharp question when the people came to Him. "Son of David, help me." Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" Blind Bartimaeus came to Jesus. Jesus knew that he was blind. Still, Jesus wanted to make it very clear. "What do you want me to do?" "Sir I want to see." May it be according to your faith." Jesus always wanted people to be clear about their goal so that they would have clear faith. So when you pray, make it very clear what you want. You must make your goal very clear, very definite, so that God's power may be directed toward that goal. God's power can be like a magnifying glass.
Concentrate on one point and you can burn that point. But if you just pray all over the world, nothing to be burned. You can bring God's power down through prayer to the specific goal. Make it very specific when you pray. Keep on pounding on that point. Many people try to use beautiful language in their prayers. You don't need to have beautiful language. Just keep praying on one point. Think of the man whose friends came to his house in the middle of the night and he had no bread to give them. He went to his neighbor and said, "Please give me some bread, three loaves of bread so that I may feed my friends who came in the evening. The friend said, "Oh, I and my children have already retired. Come tomorrow. I am not ready to rise up and give you bread." What did his friend say? Did he use all kinds of flowery words? No, the friend only spoke in one shrieking voice, "Give me bread! Give me bread! Give me bread!" He did not need any flowery words. He was knocking and pounding upon the door saying the same words over and over. His friend in bed was so harassed that he said, "I would never give you bread because you are my friend, but you are harassing me so much that I will give you some bread to get rid of you."
When you pray effectively, you just pound on one point with one phrase over and over again. If you just repeat, then you will lose power. Concentrate with one simple sentence on that point, then you can break the power of Satan.
Love,
Mel (:
Labels: Prayer really Works (:
8:57 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
8:04 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Labels: photos:]
1:47 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Monday, June 9, 2008
love, von:]
Labels: prayer really works
4:13 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
3:51 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Article by Dr Cho (:
Many great things are happening at our church because of prayer. So you must keep on praying so that you will be equipped to fight Satan in your life and your ministry. THE HAND OF GOD IS MOVED THROUGH PRAYER When you move the hand of God, then God moves in your life and in your circumstances. In 1987, Korea had a national presidential election. Before the election, there was a great turmoil in Korea. There was labor unrest, student riots and demonstrations.
One day the Prime Minister asked me to have dinner with him. He was trembling as he said, "Pastor, I cannot handle these riots. The whole country is in an uproar. The unrest of the labor, the students, the Communists from North Korea are instigating the people constantly. Now we are unable to have a peaceful election. I cannot even use the army because if they come out, then that will be the sign for the communistic people to rise up and agitate people all the more. I do not know how to solve this problem." I said, "Mr. Prime Minister, I will do my best to help the situation. We will see how God helps." I announced to my people that we would have a great prayer meeting at Yoido Plaza. I will gather together at least 800,000 people totally mobilizing all our Christian plus more to have a prayer meeting for the peaceful election of the President of Korea. We had one month to prepare for this Prayer Rally. I announced to my people that the communist-inspired people were very angry at me and said, "We will kill you and your family." They were so ugly that I moved my wife and children to America, and I could not go home. I stayed in the church. My Christians were surrounding me. I was living in the church day and night. The telephones were constantly ringing and intimidating me.
The time arrived for this big prayer rally. On Yoido Plaza, all the people would be exposed to the snipers. From my office, I called my parents saying, "Daddy, today I will go to heaven before you because the snipers are going to shoot at me, and there is no defense. If I die ahead of you, think that I have died for God and for my nation." I wrote my last will to my family, and the people gathered together on the plaza, all 800,000 people.
Surrounded by people, I moved to the platform on the plaza. It was a very eerie feeling. I asked the people to pray for our nation. They responded beautifully. Three thousand communistic student demonstrators were positioned to disturb us, but they were stopped. They could not approach us because of the vast crowd and the fervent prayer. After the prayer, the Spirit spoke to my heart saying, "Make a demonstration throughout the city." Usually you can't have that kind of a parade without getting permission from the government. But I said to myself, permission or no permission, we are going to do it because I had received permission from the Lord. I announced my decision to the people. My elders said, "Pastor, please do not do this because from the top of the buildings, the snipers can shoot at us." But I told them that I had prayed and that they did not know that we were prepared for this. If the snipers had known of our plans ahead of time, they could have arranged to be in strategic places, but they had no knowledge of what we were going to do. So, with all kinds of slogans and flags, we marched through the city. When the marchers arrived at Seoul City Hall, still there were people on the Plaza. It was such a long line. The parade was televised all over the country, the newspaper wrote about it. The next day, all the riots stopped.
God's power came down and a very peaceful presidential election was held. The new President was so happy. He really treated me nicely. In 1988, Korea was scheduled to hold the Summer Olympic Games. Once again the nation was in trouble. North Korea was very angry. North Korea said, "There is internal division in the country." So every day they spoke against the Olympics through the radio and propagandized South Korea. They sent hundreds of spies to South Korea to agitate the students saying, "There is internal division in the country. This is the plan of the American imperialists. This is the plan of the European imperialists. So you should destroy this idea." This time it was even worse than the presidential election. Every day there were burnings. Finally, Mr. Samaranch, president of the Olympic Committee came to Korea and said that should move the games from Korea to another place because it was too dangerous for the athletes and the spectators. The President of Korea asked me to come to his palace. He said, "Nobody can handle this situation, but when I was ready to be elected President, you helped me, so please help our country now."
Labels: Prayer Works
10:45 PM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
3:38 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
nice song:]
1:22 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
7:34 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
5:20 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
Monday, June 2, 2008
Labels: No greater love (:
11:30 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
HUGGS
8:59 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
ONE WAY JESUS!!!
3:05 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
whee its N399's blog! :]
1:54 AM, & i live by faith and not by sight for you
