10. October 2011 by Bernice Davis.

I have been receiving a lot of emails lately about how does one develop a consistent word and prayer life and how does one begin to transform the mind. I thought I would break my study today on the book of  Philippians and attempt to answer this. The emails talk about the struggle that one has with being inconsistent.

I think it would be fair to say that we have all experienced inconsistency in our prayer and word life at one time or another and at various seasons in our life. Some of us may even find ourselves in that season of inconsistency now. Discipline doesn’t happen over night, it is developed.

I struggled for years on developing a consistent word and prayer life. One of my first problems was when I started studying the word; I set my goals too high and would always get discouraged and stop. When I first started reading the bible, I use to fall asleep all the time. Sometimes, I would even say I’m going to spend 30 minutes reading the word and 30 minutes in prayer daily and found my self because of schedules, excuses, etc, not meeting my goals, and then I would get in this cycle of starting and stopping because I just could not consistently keep a one hour prayer and word time.

Let me tell you what I did to overcome this problem in my life. I decided to reach for smaller goals. Each day, I began something as small as 5 minutes of prayer and 5 minutes of reading the bible, which was something that I could easily keep. After I started getting consistent because that was such an easy goal to keep, the 5 minutes grew to 10 then to 20 then to 30 until sometimes now, I find it difficult to put the bible down and I love my prayer time. In the beginning it was a chore, but now it has become a love. My relationship with God has grown and I really love now being in God’s presence through prayer. I look forward to it rather than seeing it as a chore. 

So, as you see in the beginning, I did it simply because it is the right thing to do and sometimes I felt burdened by the ritual but knew it was necessary to develop a strong relationship with God.  Now reading the word and prayer has become a joy, my source of strength and renewal.

Another method I used was memorization of scripture. I found a scripture everyday, and I memorized it. I would go to work and write my scripture for the day on a sticky pad and would put it on my computer monitor so that it would be in my face all day and by the end of the day, I had memorized it. That was also another way that I begin seeing my mind renewed and transformed. My thinking began changing, my faith began growing, I felt more and more empowered with each scripture that I committed to memory.  As I have grown older, I must admit that those scriptures are now weekly memorized rather than daily.   Through my daily devotionals that I post on the web, I choose a scripture at the start of the week and I focus on it all week long.  It is amazing how throughout the week, that scripture becomes such a source of strength.

The bible teaches that transformation of the mind can only come from the word of God; there is no other way. So all I’m saying is start off with little steps and they will grow into larger steps and God will honor our faithfulness. Even if we don’t understand everything that we read, the comprehension will come. I used to pick up the bible everyday and quietly whisper to God “please read this with me.” It was my way of asking him to help me understand what I was reading and to get the correct meaning from the text.

Get you a good study bible that has easy reading. Remember, God will honor your faithfulness and will send you help. You may not like the way that I did it but find what works for you. All I’m asking you to do is consider sitting and planning a study life that will work for you and something that you can faithfully keep.  Your life will so be the better for it. 

So our memory verse for the week will be Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate on it day and night, and thou shall observe to do all that is written within, and then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and thou shalt have good success.” (KJV)

Make it a great day and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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6. October 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:27” Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

Our text for today is as follows:

Philippians 2:19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,30 because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

In our text today, Paul lets the Philippian church know that he intends to send Timothy to them soon to continue the work of ministry that he started.  Many have turned against Paul at this juncture in his life and it was difficult to find someone that he could trust.  Timothy had proven to be a faithful son in the gospel.   Paul was also letting them know that the man Epaphroditus, whom they had sent with the financial support for Paul had gotten sick on his journey to Paul almost till death yet he preserved and made it to Paul.  Paul was letting them know that he was fine and he was sending him back home.      

Stay encouraged!!

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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5. October 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

Our memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:27” Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” 

Our text for today is:

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life–in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Our text today is Paul admonishing us to live right.   Please read it carefully.  This word just ministered to me.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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4. October 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ: 

Our memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:27” Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” 

Our text for today contains one of the most powerful directives I think in Christ.   It teaches us to take on the humility of Christ that though he was God in the flesh and humbled himself and became obedient unto death.   I love these scriptures.  

Philippians 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.   5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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3. October 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

Welcome back from the weekend.  The weather has turned really cool here in Atlanta and I spent an enjoyable day cuddling up on the couch under a big blanket enjoying my Sunday afternoon.  Those of you that know me know that I love the weekends.  I love gathering together with the saints in the house of the Lord, having a date night with my husband and just taking a deep breath.  

Our memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:27” Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

Our text for today is as follows:

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved–and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

In our text today, Paul has a dilemma.  He actually is ready to depart this world and to be with Christ.  Wow…    Paul truly was not caught up in this world.  His ties were clearly to kingdom business.  How many of us can really say that we are ready to depart and be with the Lord; that we desire to see him and fellowship with personally and enter into his rest through death.   Wow…  Paul’s dilemma was that though he desired to be with the Lord, he also knew that it was necessary that he remained in his body for the benefit of the church.  Paul knew that he still had work to be done on this earth to advance the kingdom and to help the saints grow and mature in the faith.

Paul admonishes the church that no matter what happens to him, they must commit to conduct themselves always in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. 

Paul closes this text out with a powerful statement.  He tells the church that not only has it been granted to them to believe on Christ but to also suffer for him.  We love the blessing part of the message but there is also the suffering part.  Suffering does not mean that we are losing battles or are defeated.  It is a major part in knowing Christ. 

Stay encouraged!!

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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