Private Worship

Yesterday my message was about the need that we each have to connect to God through private worship. I offered you a framework for a daily time of worship. Below is a recap of that framework as well as a few suggestions for how to put it to work in your own life:

Use the Primary Resource: The Bible is the primary resource for understanding who God is and how we live a life of worship. As you consider reading the Bible, pick a translation that you find easy to read. I've primarly used the NRSV because it is the book of my seminary days. However there are translations that are easier to access the language, so let me suggest the CEV, Message, and NIV(or TNIV). You can do an online search of any of these translations at Bible Gateway.

Make an Effort at Retention: What I hope to encourage is that you commit to memory the concepts that are shared in the verses you've read. It really doesn't matter if you memorize chapter and verse. If you can do that, than by all means do. If not, work with the ideas of a passage to make them a part of your own thought process.

Spend a Moment in Reflection: You might be one to journal your thoughts. That's real helpful. There are places online that you can do this if you like. I've never actually tried any of the online personal journals so I won't make any suggestions.
Personal reflection can often be augmented with the reflections of others. Here are some resources, some that you can have emailed daily, to help you in your worship moment:
Song of Deborah
Upper Room - Look for "Subscribe" in the left hand column. A great United Methodist Resource.
David Jeremiah - I don't agree with part of his theology, but he has some great devotionals.
Max Lucado - the popular writer puts out a weekly devotional.
Homeward

Learn to Reason God's Way: As you begin to read, retain, and reflect, allow the Spirit of God to move into your daily decision making. God's ways are not our ways, the Bible tells us. However, we can change our ways to become more and more Godly. The popular question WWJD (what would Jesus do) is perhaps the most important question you can ask. Beware, it won't always garner you favor with those who can't quite wrap their minds around a Godly way of life.

Patiently Watch for Results: As you work to deepen your spiritual base you will find that you are far more able to live through the spiritual battles you will occassionally face. No one is immune to those battles, but not everyone has prepared for them. Be patient in your preparations. And when the battle is faced, let me know about it so I can pray with you through it and celebrate with you when it ends.