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Planning to Pray

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Make a plan to grow in prayer in 2016! Find lots of great resources at DoNotDepart.com
If the bible admonishes us to pray without ceasing, why should you need to plan to pray?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The reality is that we live in a world fraught with distraction. Most people in the Western world spend their days, and even nights, scurrying from one task, event or device to another. Having a prayer plan can help you be intentional about spending time in conversation with God.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6

There is nothing off the table in our conversations with God. Bring every fear, need and joy to Him.

Let’s make a plan!

Plan Times to Pray

Do you find you need to make a date to talk to your spouse without interruption? Making a “date” with God is analogous, yet even more important.

God is waiting to hear from you every moment of every day and night. The one who needs the “schedule” is you! You can still pray any time, but planning for certain prayer times may help you develop the habit.

  • There are many ancient Jewish and Christian traditions of scheduling prayer. These might be a useful starting point.
  • Tie prayer to specific activities. Do you pray when you wake up? Before meals? As you lie down to go to sleep at night? These are natural examples of associating prayer with certain times of day or activities. My dear aunt used to have a long car ride alone to work every morning – this was her time for a long chat with God. I know women who like to pray when they do dishes, knit, jog… the possibilities are endless.

Plan to Pray With Scripture

If you are struggling with prayer, you may find it helpful to pray using scripture. Here are some resources:

Plan to Pray With Others

  • Ask the Lord to show you someone you can ask to be your prayer partner. Meet regularly with her, either in person or by phone, to pray.
  • Join a prayer group at your church, or start one! You can also find prayer groups associated with community activities, especially schools.
  • If you are isolated geographically, find a Christian ministry online, like Hello Mornings or Good Morning Girls, and become part of a community who prays for one another.

Plan to Record Your Prayers

Writing down prayer requests helps you to remember! Some people like to actually write out their prayers to help them stay focused.

  • Keep a prayer journal. You can see my current journal in the photo above. It is absolutely beautiful to look back through my prayer journals and see what God has done!
  • Use on app on your smartphone to record and organize prayer needs, like PrayerMate, Echo Prayer Manager or Pray!
  • Set up a prayer binder. For some ideas, check out these posts from Kari at Stone Soup for Five: part 1, part 2, part 3
  • Make a prayer calendar
  • Create a prayer album to tuck in your purse

Plan to Read About Prayer

I don’t think we will ever fully understand prayer, but it is a blessing to try. Reading about prayer can be another fruitful endeavor as you seek to grow as a prayer warrior. Here are some books to consider:

– What Happens When Women Pray by Evelyn Christenson
– A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller
– The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer by E.M. Bounds
– Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller
– Becoming a Prayer Warrior by Elizabeth Alves

Be Inspired!

I can’t skip recommending the absolutely wonderful movie War Room! If you want to get fired up about the power of prayer, give yourself a treat and make the time to watch this movie!

I hope that you have found some new ideas today that will help you as you become more intentional about meeting with God in prayer this year. Are there prayer resources that have blessed you that I did not include? Please share them in the comments!

Plan to spend more time this year in God's Word and pursuing a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Find resources to help you plan in this month's series "Plan to Abide."

Do you pray without ceasing? Grow in prayer in 2016. #PlanToAbide

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Have a prayer plan – be intentional about spending time in conversation with God. #PlanToAbide

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A Compact Guide to Memorizing Matthew 6 – Printables

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Matthew-5-resources

Whether you signed up to memorize Matthew 6 or just to read along, we want to equip you to stay in the words of the Word, to take them wherever you go to give you pure thoughts to think on, and to provide you with words to talk to God about.

Choose your translation of choice, then download the accompanying set of pages to create your own compact guide to memorizing Matthew 6.

Cut out the 3×5 cards, then staple or hole-punch and bind all the cards together. Perhaps print an extra set to place around your house or office or to keep in your purse.

Print the 2 full-size pages—chapter-at-a-glance reviews—and put them wherever you will see them frequently (several of us laminate them or tape them in Ziploc bags in our showers!).

But remember:

Your success won’t be measured in how many words you can or can’t recite at the end of this challenge. We don’t do this to be “heard for our many words,” or to “heap up empty phrases,” but to be “rewarded by our Father in heaven who sees in secret” our desire to honor Him.

COMPACT GUIDE TO MEMORIZING MATTHEW 6:

For extra community, join our Hide His Word Facebook group. Post pictures on Instagram with #Matthew6 and #HideHisWord. Practice the verses using Scripture Typer. Share tweets using #Matthew6 and #HideHisWord.

Download your free Compact Guide to Memorizing #Matthew6

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Why do you want to memorize and/or read Matthew 6? How will you prepare for it? Please join in the discussion.

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Plan to Abide in God’s Word

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Are you looking forward to this brand new year? New opportunities, new ways to serve, new ways to grow, and new opportunities to see His faithfulness… exciting!

This is such a great time to commit to the various spiritual disciplines, isn’t it? I love this statement of Patti’s in her intro to this series:

God is lovingly calling you to grow more intimate with Him in 2016.

Yes! God wants us to know Him. He desires that we draw near to Him and promises us that when we do, He will draw near to us. (James 4:8) It’s relationship that He desires. He wants our hearts and He wants us to know His.

What better way is there to know who God truly is and to know His heart for humanity (and for you personally) than through His word?

Plan to Abide in God's Word ... Read more at DoNotDepart.com

Why read God’s Word? (If you need reasons, check out this post with a free printable.) He’s given us His written message so that we may know Him (His love, salvation, faithfulness, grace, and promises) and grow to look more like Him. God’s Holy Word works to change our hearts as He sanctifies us through a growing relationship with Him.

But committing to daily Bible reading can be hard… so why devote ourselves to time in the Bible?

I really love the way Don Whitney answers this in a Desiring God interview:

“Now the goal of practicing any given discipline is not about doing as much as it is about being: being like Jesus, being with Jesus. But the biblical way to grow in being more like Jesus is through the rightly motivated doing of the biblical, spiritual disciplines.” [Emphasis, mine.]

If you desire to grow the discipline of being in God’s Holy Word every day in 2016, here are some resources for you
:

Community

Hello Mornings is an online community of women holding themselves accountable as they prioritize time with the Lord each day. A Bible reading plan and/or study is available each session. Not only is it fun to meet with likeminded ladies each day, it’s very uplifting and encouraging! I have been truly blessed by the women involved in this ministry and their hearts for Jesus and staying in God’s Word.

Whole Bible Reading Plans

Bible in 90 Days: If you have time, I really recommend reading the Bible in 90 Days. The reading is lengthy and intense, but if you’ve got the time (I did one year when I suffered an injury) it is definitely worth it. One benefit is that if you have a rusty memory (like I sometimes do) the finish date is so close to the start date that you’re less likely to forget what you’ve read.

Chronological Plan: Reading the Bible chronologically for the first time was eye opening to me! If you’ve never read the Bible this way, I truly recommend it!

M’Cheyne Reading Plan: If you’d like to read the Bible in a year but spend a bit more time in the New Testament, this (or the following) plan may be for you. I almost chose this plan one year, but opted for another (see below). If you read using this plan, you’ll cover the Old Testament in one year, and the New Testament and Psalms twice.

Four Stream Reading Plan: This is the plan I did one year rather than the M’Cheyne. This plan covered the Old Testament once in the year, but Psalms twice, and the New Testament and Proverbs four times. This plan also had lengthy daily readings, but splitting it into morning and night readings helped me.

Partial Bible and Topical Plans

If reading the entire Bible in a year sounds like more than you can do right now (which is reality for many of us!), you may want to try a topical plan. Usually, a topical plan has shorter daily readings.

Bible Doctrine Reading Plan: Past contributor for DoNotDepart, Kathy Howard , has written a wonderful plan that focuses on Bible doctrine. Here’s her description:
“This 5-day-a-week plan walks you through the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith. The first quarter focuses on “Theology,” the study of God and His character. The second quarter on the nature of the Bible, mankind, and Christ. The third on “Soteriology,” the study of salvation. And the fourth on the Holy Spirit, the Church, and end times.”

New Testament in a Year: Kathy also has a plan to read through the New Testament in one year. The daily readings average about one chapter (or about 5 minutes). A great plan if you are limited on time!

The Youversion app (or bible.com) has some really great plans that focus on topics such as anxiety, prayer, new beginnings, God’s promises, and so on. You may not cover the entire Bible in one year, but by starting a new plan each time you complete one, you’d accomplish your goal of reading the Bible every day.

I’ll close with these verses from Colossians…

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col 3:1-2)

What better way to set our affections on things above than by spending time in God’s Word, learning of His heart for us, what He wants for us, and of who we are in His eyes. Being armed with this knowledge can change our everyday. And make it oh, so much brighter!

Praying you’ll have a spiritually bright 2016 as you abide in God’s Word!

What’s your Bible reading goal for 2016? What plans have you enjoyed? Leave a comment – we’d love to hear from you!

Looking for a Bible reading plan for 2016? We’ve got many to choose from! #PlanToAbide

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Plan to Abide: Spend More Time with God in 2016

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Plan to spend more time this year in God's Word and pursuing a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Find resources to help you plan in this month's series "Plan to Abide."
It is the first week of a brand new year. As you reflect back on 2015, how do you feel about your spiritual journey? No matter your answer, God is lovingly calling you to grow more intimate with Him in 2016.

While what you do outwardly (bible reading, bible study, prayer, scripture memorization and so on) does not necessarily reflect your inward spiritual journey, the choices you make regarding spiritual disciplines can have a profound impact on your relationship with the Lord. As you know Him better, you can better understand His will for your life (Romans 12:2,) and grow in understanding of the incredible love He has for you (Ephesians 3:14-19.)

I have learned over the years that having a plan makes a difference. If I know that when I wake up each morning I am going to start a load of laundry, I don’t really have to think about it. I just do it. It becomes a habit that makes a positive impact on the rest of my home life.

Pursuing God is obviously much more important than having clean laundry! Making and implementing a daily plan for spending time with Him, for growing in knowledge of and relationship with Him, will have an eternal impact.

This month we will be sharing resources to help you plan to abide with God and in His Word in 2016. Make a commitment to continue grow in Christ this year!

How do you desire to grow with God this year? How can we help you plan?
Leave a comment!

God is lovingly calling you to grow more intimate with Him in 2016. #PlanToAbide

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Find resources to help you #PlanToAbide in the Word in 2016.

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Be intentional about pursuing a growing relationship with Jesus Christ in 2016! #PlanToAbide

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Sign up to memorize Matthew 6

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Update:
Registration is now closed.

But you can still print the materials and use them anytime!
Print the schedule here.

Memorizing-Matthew-6

It’s here! Our newest chapter to memorize together is Matthew 6. Words straight from the mouth of Jesus.

Have you memorized with us before? We’d love to have you join again and be around to encourage newbies.

Or will this be your first time? What a rich chapter to begin with! Next Monday, January 11, we’ll post resources to get you off to a good start. Then on January 18, we’ll start memorizing Matthew 6:1-2.

If you look at the chapter now, you may discover you’re already familiar with many of the verses. The truths in these red letters are life-changing on:

  • Giving
  • Praying
  • Forgiving
  • Fasting
  • Contentment
  • Releasing anxiety

Once you register below, we’ll send you an email with more details. Then each Monday morning throughout the challenge, beginning January 18, you’ll receive a short weekly email, reminding you which verses we’re learning that week. We want to walk alongside each other for encouragement to keep going.

But more importantly, we want to keep our hearts stirred together to be attentive to what Jesus is speaking into our lives in this season. His words are always relevant.

There’s no reporting in, so even if you just want to receive the verses to read along with us, sign up below. But if you want more accountability, we’ll be chatting weekly on our Facebook page as a community of believers memorizing together.

Start 2016 with a great habit of listening quietly to the Lord’s timeless message to you. He won’t let you regret it!

Connect with us in any or all of these places:

Download and print this Schedule for Memorizing Matthew 6.

Schedule Memorizing Matthew 6_DoNotDepart

We’d love for you to share this challenge on your own blog (button for Memorizing Matthew 6) and help us spread the word on social media. Thanks!

I just registered to memorize #Matthew6 in 2016! Join in. Details here. #HideHisWord

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2016 – A Year for Newness

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The DoNotDepart Team would like to wish you a very Happy New Year!

2016 is literally just around the corner!

I have no idea what the New Year will hold in store. I don’t know if I’ll succeed or fail in the goals I’ve set and the plans I’ve made. I’m not sure that even 6 months from now will look anything at all like today. But one thing I’m sure of? That there will be newness.

  • New growth in Christ.
  • New displays of God’s faithfulness.
  • New reminders of His love.
  • New opportunities to serve in His name.
  • New awarenesses of His constant presence.

New year New Soul, read more at DoNortDepart.com

You get the idea. Newness.

As a person that tends to be a “creature of habit”, sometimes all this newness scares me. But today, I’m not feeling fearful. I’m feeling joyful and excited!

Because I know that in all this newness, He’ll be with me. God’s already gone ahead of me to prepare places and spaces for me, and to prepare my heart to meet with Him when I get to wherever-it-is-He-leads-me.

I’m thankful for the knowledge that I’m a new creation in Him and that He works newness in me!

New Creature in Christ from DoNotDepart.com

How are you feeling about 2016? Are you excited to meet with God on the path He’s making for you?

We pray your New Year is blessed richly in the knowledge of His goodness, love, and presence. 

~Ali, Caroline, Lindsey, Lisa, Patti, and Katie

Pray about Memorizing Scripture in 2016

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Memorize-Bible-Chapter-Challenge-2016

The new year is almost here! How intentional will you be about your spiritual growth in 2016?

If you’re serious about cultivating your spiritual life, consider memorizing scripture. It’s not a necessity, but it’s something you won’t regret.

On January 4 we’ll invite you to memorize a chapter of the Bible with us here. We go slowly (~2 verses/week); we exert no pressure; we don’t compete.

But we don’t take it lightly either. Sitting purposefully with God in a specific section of truth, over and over, is weighty stuff.

We hope you’ll seriously consider weaving this spiritual discipline into your life alongside us and the community at Hide His Word over the next several months. We’ll provide resources to equip you and encouragement to motivate you.

Please pray this week about joining us as we seek to expand our hearts with holy words from the Word, growing more in love with the Lord and with love for each other.

Together we can do this.

Questions or comments? Please share your thoughts and prayers here. 

Pray this week about memorizing scripture in 2016. Registration begins next week! #HideHisWord

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Merry Christmas from the Team!

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Merry Christmas from your DoNotDepart Team!

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light... Isa 9:2 DoNotDepart.com
We pray that your Christmas will be blessed richly as you bask in the light of
Jesus’ glorious presence
and celebrate the miracle of His birth and purpose!
Merry Christmas to you and yours from all of us and ours!

Ali, Caroline, Lindsey, Lisa, Patti, and Katie

Finding Jesus in the Old Testament – Series Wrap Up

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Finding Jesus in the Old Testament, with Printables for you from DoNotDepart.com
So, we started off this month with this quote:

The entire Old Testament points toward Jesus as Savior, and if you miss that, you’ve missed the entire point of the Scriptures. Jesus is the Messiah and the fulfillment of prophecy.” -Adrian Rogers

Hopefully, we’ve highlighted a few of the ways the Old Testament points toward Jesus, prophesied about Him, and revealed His active presence in people’s lives. And I know we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg.

We pray that our printables helped you to focus on the miracle of Jesus and the purpose of His presence – in the Old Testament, and as He came in the flesh to be God with us, here and now!

Yes, our Immanuel, God with us… We pray you experienced Him personally as we looked together into the Old Testament.

 

    • Jesus is the Prince of Peace. If you’re in need of some peace today, my post focused on the fact that the same Peace promised to the Israelites is the same peace offered to us today. Included a printable paper Christmas ornament with the names of the Messiah listed in Isa 9:6-7.

 

    • Lisa wrote an enlightening post about The Ark of the Covenant, and how as Believers, we are now the home of God’s presence. Her post included a printable list of verses and a printable prayer verse all about the topic.

 

    • Jesus is our Immanuel, God with us! As Lindsey pointed out, no matter our circumstances, God will never leave us alone. Her post included beautiful printable artwork that reminds us God is with us.

 

    • Caroline reminded us to slow down and stop striving this Christmas. Rather than strive, we can celebrate that Jesus came from Heaven to reach us! Caroline’s post includes a fun coloring page you can do with the special kiddos in your life to remind them of this very important message.

 

{And a most special thank you to our dear friend, Ashley Taylor,

for creating all of the beautiful printables this month!}

We hope our focus this month will encourage you to continue looking into the entire Bible to find Jesus. He’s there. And we pray that you’ll be more and more as Christmas draws near… blessed by drawing near Him in worship, adoration, and praise!

Did you catch all the posts in our series? Here’s the wrap up! #JesusInTheOT

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On Celebrating Instead of Striving This Christmas

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You know how you can read a Bible story over and over again, and sometimes you need to read it in a different translation or version to see something new?

One of my favorite ways to do that? Children’s bibles.

Yep. Children’s bibles. Good ones.

One of my family’s very favorites is [amazon_link id=”0310708257″ target=”_blank” ]The Jesus Storybook Bible[/amazon_link] by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Jago (Zonderkidz, 2007).

Sometimes (actually, often, for this one), reading a story in this Bible brings an aspect to light or emphasizes something I need to hear just at that moment. This particular storybook Bible also beautifully links every Old Testament story to the Christ of the New Testament.

For example, take the story of The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9).

On Striving, and for the Wrong Reasons

In Genesis 11:4, we learn that the people wanted to build a tower that “reaches to the heavens.” So reaching the heavens was part of their goal. But we also learn the secondary reason: “… so that we may make a name for ourselves.”

God sees what they are doing and decides they must be stopped, so He “confuses their language” and creates new languages amongst a people who had once all spoken the same language.

The Jesus Storybook Bible offers this about their reasoning for the tower:

“We’ll be like God. We’ll be famous and safe and happy and everything will be all right.” – p. 50

Yes, as a storybook Bible, this is inferred, but it’s also grounded in what we know about us as humans and what the Bible has taught us about ourselves over our history.

Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we think we need to strive, to work, to scramble for safety, happiness, and some sort of goal that will bring us closer to God.

We think we must do it. That it’s all up to us.

The Jesus Storybook Bible continues:

“But God wasn’t pleased with them. God could see what they were doing. They were trying to live without him, but God knew that wouldn’t make them happy or safe or anything. If they kept on like this, they would only destroy themselves, and God loved them too much to let that happen. So he stopped their plans.” – pp. 50-51 (emphasis added)

This. This is something I think I miss when I quickly reread the story of the Tower of Babel when I’ve read it over so many times.

The people became arrogant, yes (don’t we?), and wanted more for themselves, yes (don’t we?).

But the main point to remember (and that this children’s storybook bible shows me)? It’s about God’s love.

What We Really Need

At Christmas, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of “we must to do this, we must make that, it must look like this.”

Or, in some cases, when Christmas can be a stressful time if certain family relationships are strained or toxic, it can feel like we have to fight just so hard for even a little peace and focus on Christ in the season.

We get tired over trying so hard.

One solution? Celebrate, instead of strive.

(Easier said than done, I know.)

Here’s where The Jesus Storybook Bible reminds us to celebrate:

“You see, God knew, however high they reached, however hard they tried, people could never get back to heaven by themselves. People didn’t need a staircase; they needed a Rescuer. Because the way back to heaven wasn’t a staircase; it was a Person.

People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them.

And, one day, it would.” – p. 54 (emphasis added)

Jesus Storybook Bible page 54

Heaven came down at Christ’s birth.

That’s what Christmas is for. To celebrate “heaven come down” and know that we are already loved.

Once we know that, feel that, remember that, we can share that celebration and love with others.

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” – John 6:38 (emphasis added)

For one small way to celebrate, please enjoy this free printable coloring page to do with your family! Click on the image below to open the file and choose “save as” to save to your computer and then print. Thanks to our friend, Ashley Taylor, for creating this printable! 

John 6:38 printable

(Please do not sell, edit, or host this printable elsewhere. It is a free gift for readers of Do Not Depart. Please do share a link to this post so others can find it, too!)

 

How do you celebrate at Christmas and share that celebration with others? What helps you remember if Christmastime becomes a strained time for you or your family? Please share and encourage each other in the comments!

 

Sometimes it can be easy to forget Christmastime is for celebrating over striving:

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How a children’s storybook Bible reminds us about #JesusintheOT and celebrating at Christmas:

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