Dear Truro Family,
A regular time of personal prayer and Bible study is vitally important to a vibrant, maturing walk with Jesus. That being said, there are many ways one might go about this, depending on season and situation. For this week’s clergy note we’ll share how each of us have been spending time with Jesus in the Scriptures during this season.
Mike: On top of study for preaching and teaching (in other words, my work), I have spent most mornings since the start of Lent reading straight through one of the shorter epistles in one sitting, especially 1 and 2 Timothy, which I’ve read now several dozen times each in the last few months. These epistles can be easily read through in one sitting (10-20 minutes), and I find myself noticing nuggets and themes I might otherwise miss when I read just a section instead of a letter in its entirety. Doing it this way in this season has helped me not just get “into Scripture” but to get “Scripture into me.”
Jamie: My morning run is my “quiet time” with God, and I run to a playlist of worship music that I create the night before, so it’s ready for me. After dinner time, our family always does “songs and prayers”, which is somewhat controlled chaos, but is a nightly rhythm for us. In the evening, after everyone has gone to bed and the house is quiet, I follow the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan. This takes me through the Old Testament once in a year, and the New Testament and Psalms twice. This is my second year following this plan, and I love it. I use D.A. Caron’s accompanying devotional book, “For the Love of God” (Vol. 1 last year and Vol. 2 this year) after I’ve done my Bible reading. Then it’s time to pray, and then it’s time for bed.
José: Billy Graham was helpful to me when he said that he prayed in bed in the mornings. I wake up quite early and spend time with God in prayer. During last year, until Spring, I did with a Truro group “The Bible in One Year” by Nicky Gumbel. Now that the weather is nice, I go out jogging and listen to the Bible. When I get back home, I have breakfast with Lidia and we do our “proper” devotional and pray together. She is reading a devotional by Chuck Swindoll, “The Seasons of Life.” We discuss some of the concepts. I read the Bible only systematically. Presently, I am in Leviticus. I read a chapter a day and write what the Spirit shows me and also the parts that I do not understand so I can check them at a later time. In the evening, Lidia and I read one chapter of the Scripture. We have read the whole Bible several times together like that. Now we are reading Job. We review verses that we are memorizing; read prayer requests from around the world and pray together.
Coleman: Recently, I’ve been reading the beautiful “Psalms of Ascent” – 120 – 134. One of my favorites is Psalm 130, where the psalmist writes, “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord.” He goes on to say that he “waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning.” Here is an image of a night watchman, eager to end his work after a long night, waiting eagerly for the break of dawn, to return to his home and family. And I was reminded of Jesus being called our “Sunrise from on high, who will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,” a revelation of the “tender mercy of our God” (Luke 1:78,79).
Perhaps you could share with us what your personal time with Jesus has been looking like lately in our Facebook group here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TruroAnglican/), that we might encourage each other.
Your Truro clergy