Prayer Journal: Always be in the Word

Written on January 07, 2016, Thursday

My Lord,
Help me to prepare for this special time together. I pray this verse:

Psalm 19:14 New Living Translation (NLT)

14 May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

-- New Living Translation (NLT). Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

My Lord, help me to remember to meditate on all the verses and teachings you bring to me. Help me meditate on and ponder, review, apply, and enjoy them. Help me to meditate on them so much I find delight in them.

Psalm 1:2 Expanded Bible (EXB)

2 They ·love [delight in] the Lord's ·teachings [laws; instructions],
    and they ·think about [meditate on] those ·teachings [laws; instructions] day and night.

-- Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.

My Lord, Help me to really want to meditate on and live out these verses today, along with yesterday's, and the day before's.

My love,
Remember that to meditate on my Word is to think on it, ponder it, contemplate it, and do so repeatedly. It means to think of all angles and facets. It means to chew on it so much that you cannot help but feel full.
Keep approaching me and my throne. You do so every time you think of me, read my Word, ponder my Word, pray, and give thanks. Keep doing these things and you find your delight.
I will help you want to always meditate, pray, and give thanks. After all, each is a spiritual need you have, whether you realize it at all times or not. You need them in order to survive spiritually. You need them in order to thrive as well.
What do pondering my Word, prayer, and giving thanks have in common, other than they are what you should do morning, noon, evening, and night? Think about it for a moment.
The answer is that all three boil down to this: spend time and your thought life with me.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

-- New Living Translation (NLT). Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

My love, being in my Word (reading it, studying it, meditating on it and pondering it) is my will for you. If it is my will, and it is, know that you are not alone. I am the other part in this equation. I have my duties, and you have yours, in our relationship. For you, it's to be present and be in my Word. For me, I am to help you want to be in my Word, understand it, live it, and find delight in it.
If you are in my Word, then you will naturally pray and give thanks. You cannot help but do each. They are all facets of the rich, beautiful gem that is our relationship.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 Expanded Bible (EXB)

17 Pray ·continually [without ceasing], 18 and give thanks ·whatever happens [in all circumstances; in everything]. That is ·what God wants [God's will] for you in Christ Jesus.

--Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.

My love, I want you to spend time in my Word. Do so all of the time. All, meaning without exception.
How can you know me or my Word unless you spend time with us?
How can you know me if you do not spend continual time in my Word?
How can you know and hear my voice if you do not spend continual time in my Word?
How can we have a close relationship if you are not in my Word?
How can we have and share intimacy if you are not in my Word constantly?

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

17 Pray constantly.
18 Give thanks in everything,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

-- Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

My love, how can you do my will if you are not consistently in my Word?

My Lord,
Help me to want more of you and your Word. I want to draw as close to you as possible, to hear you, and to delight in your Word.