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A Living Conversation
A vital part of every relationship is learning to relate to the other person; learning to to understand
their heart and the way they think. That's what God wants for you! The Bible is God's bridge for us
into the spiritual realm. The Holy Spirit makes the Word come alive and he enables us to
understand how God wants his unchanging Word to be applied to our lives. As you practice the
steps below and commit to obey what the Lord reveals, you'll fi nd yourself learning to discern his
voice better and better.
Step 1–
Beginning the Living Conversation
The only way we understand the truth of the Bible is through the help of the Holy Spirit (1
Corinthians 2:14).
Start by inviting the
him
through prayer
to be your guide, your teacher. He loves
to do this!
Then,
read through the scripture passage a few times until you can summarize it in your
own words.
Step 2 - Exploring the Truth
Take your journal and write down thoughts using some of the questions below to prompt your
thinking.
1.
What happens in this passage?
2.
What does this passage tell us about God
, what he's like or what he values?
3.
What does this passage tell us about people
, what they think or how they approach things?
4.
What in this passage is good news?
5.
How
would
this passage change how we live
if we followed it's teaching?
Step 3 -
Reflecting on
the Truth
Take
a couple
minute
s
to
be quiet and reflect on the passage
and your observations. Ask
God,
"How
do you want me to
respond to all of this?" This listening and reflecting time
may be new for
you, but it's super important and many Christians neglect it.
As
we
reflect,
the Holy Spirit
often may
give
us
insight in one of
these ways:
1.
A truth that we're to embrace
. (
about him or his ways or what he thinks of us
)
2.
Something to do or to stop doing.
3.
Someone to love, to reach out to, or to forgive.
Step 4 -
Prayer of Obedience
Now, write out or pray an "I will" prayer. It's a prayer of commitment that conveys how you'll
respond to what the Holy Spirit told you to do. Remember, it may be a truth about God that you're
to dwell on; it's not always an outward action. As you practice this living conversation, the
reflection time will become more and more important. Because this is a living conversation, you
should expect God to impress thoughts upon you. He wants you to know him better and better
(Eph, 1:17)! He will never condemn or belittle you--those thoughts come from us or our enemy.
Turn them over to God to handle. He will speak encouragement, direction and wisdom.
What God Thinks About You and Wants For You
•
The Lord appeared to u
s in the past saying
saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I
have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
(
Jeremiah 31:3 NIV
)
•
Jesus
said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and most important commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)
•
There
is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
(
Romans 8:1-2
NIV
)
•
I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the LORD your
God, obey
Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life. (Deut. 30:19-20)
•
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who
believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
•
The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who
loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him. (John
14:21)
•
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine
or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than victorious through
Him who loved us … [Nothing] will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in
Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:35, 37, 39)
•
This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our
lives for our brothers. (1 John 3:16)
•
God's love was revealed among us in this way. God sent His One and Only Son into the world so
that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins … We love because He fi rst loved us. (1 John
4:9-10, 19
)
