Have you ever longed to know the Lord better? To regularly hang out with Him and just talk to Him… or so sit at His feet and listen as Mary did?
It hit me again how simple this is and how available He has made this for us. The reality is that every single time we open our Bible, we can make a choice. A choice to read it like a book… or a choice to recognize the awesome, exciting, powerful, comforting, love-filled conversation that we could have with our Lord.
Sounds too easy and kind of strange to have a conversation with a book…. except that it isn’t really just a book now is it.
The Bible states it so clearly. “The Word became flesh”
Yeshua (Jesus) became flesh…
Here is how this looks from a practical application.
As you read, line upon line, slow down, read it out loud and listen to it as intently as you would reading a letter from a dear friend or sweetheart. Stop after each line and respond in prayer to the Lord to what you have just read. Now keep in mind, that this is what a conversation with God sounds like to me.. yes this is how my brain thinks and speaks… but your own conversation with reflect your words (not fancy, not clever, just the raw you and the real deal of who you are, what you are struggling with, what you are longing for with zero pretense). You might notice that I spend a lot of time apologizing for my shortcomings.. This is done in joy and thanksgiving as I am utterly relieved to know that the Lord has made great provision for this and I am being totally real with my Daddy. Please forgive the font issue.. I haven’t been able to figure out why the verses are small…. I would inverse it if I could as I think what God says is so very very important.
For example
Psalm 103
“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.”
Oh Father… I long to have a heart of praise and to be able to praise you with all my heart. Please forgive me for being so distractable.. Oh I desperately need a revelation of the holiness in your name… It is something that I still don`t understand but long to be able to speak to you with the awe and reverence that You are so clearly worthy of
“2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.“
How is it that I take you for granted so much of my day… would you help me even with this my Lord. Oh do change my thoughts that I might forever think on the good things that You have done for me, on the awesome work of the cross and on the never ending tide of blessings that you surround me with every single day. Oh that You would free me of all yucky selfishness, of pride, of the entitlements, judgements and comparisons that steal my joy and peace and ability to simply be thankful for all that you do.
“3 He forgives all my sins”
When I think about how constantly I fall short of the standards you have set in your Word, I am amazed, shocked, deeply humbled to think of the depths of your mercy towards me, the depths of your love, compassion and understanding. Oh please help me to have the victory over my old self today, oh that the Spirit of Truth would have His way in me today. If it wasn’t for your perfect grace, I know I would drown in the condemnation and guilt of how often I fall short and some else gets hurt or offended. Oh search me and show me where I am harboring any of the tiniest bit of bitterness in my own life, that i could pour out this forgiveness on all others that you have lavished on my life.
“and heals all my diseases.”
Oh Papa…. there are so many people who are hurting today who simply don’t know that your Son was beaten and literally chunks of flesh were torn off of His precious body that we might be healed. They are hurting and feel so betrayed, so desperate and experience such depths of pain that my heart hurts to think of what they are going through… OOOHHHH that they would have a revelation… that the healing You have paid such a heavy price for would be revealed to them and overtake them quickly. Thank you, thank you, thank you for healing me and for continuing to give me greater and greater freedom and health. I am amazed at how much you bless me. Even in this pregnancy… At the slightest hint of morning sickness, I am humbled and encouraged to remember that Yeshua (Jesus) overcame the original curse released on the world by Adam and Eve… I no longer have to go through a difficult, laborious, painful birthing and pregnancy process but am utterly and thoroughly blessed. I am still amazed that each time I speak this truth, all of these symptoms simple stop and I am free to feel great and have a wonderful joyful pregnancy. Please forgive me for agreeing with the tiredness, and give me revelation as to how much to do and how much to rest. Thank you so much for my new intestines that are on the way.. Also for blessing my current intestines with the ability to absorb incredible amounts of nutrition. Oh Father you are so very good to me.
And so it goes.. A true conversation. I am convinced that if we stopped and read the Bible this way… Constantly responding to the slightest conviction we feel with confession and repentance, crying out to God in response to our own shortfall and needs, Crying out for greater revelation of the stuff we don’t get yet, praising Him and thanking Him for His great and wonderful provisions, stopping and meditating on just how big, powerful, loving, able, faithful, mighty He is… I really think we could accomplish more in 2 months of this than most of us see happen over 2 years… There is more freedom, more joy, more deliverance, more sanctification, greater understanding and greater depth and yet it is so very simple.. At it’s core is the point.
Having a relationship, a real, alive relationship with God and not simply using Him as a magic lamp that we rub when we need something.
Oh I pray that this blesses you as much as it blesses me.
with love,
Lisa
4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. 15 Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16 The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here. 17 But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. 21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! 22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
Healing and Discipleship 
Thanks for this post. I enjoyed reading it and the encouragement it gives for new ways to think about reading the word and communicating with God. Thanks :o)