Tuesdays Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

Drawing near to God is both a science and an art. Just as a soldier never goes to war without weapons you should never go to your time with God without certain tools. These are the things I always take to my time with God. I have a place, a pad, a pen, a prayer list and a plan to read my Bible.

There are two things you must have and do to draw near to God. You must have a Bible so you can hear from God and you must have a time of prayer so you can talk to God. The foundation of any intimate relationship is communication. When it comes to the Bible, you need to plan your reading and then you need to read your plan.

I would encourage you to let God always have the first word. Let God always speak first. The primary way that God does that is through the Bible and that is why we call it, “The Word of God.” The one thing I would encourage you to do is don’t try to bite off too much at a time. If you are just getting started in developing this time with God, less is more. It is not how much of the Bible you get through that matters; it is how much of the Bible you get into you that matters.

I would encourage you, as you read your Bible, to read it with a pen and a pad. I have kept a spiritual journal for almost 29 years. Some of the greatest thoughts I’ve ever been given, some of the greatest messages I’ve ever delivered, came out of my quiet time. When God gives you a promise to claim, or a lesson to learn, or a blessing to enjoy, or a command to obey write it down.

If you want to draw near to God, if you want to go deeper with God there is no substitute for listening to God speak through this book. When you open this book you will find solutions for your problems, healing for your hurts, strength for your weaknesses, faith for your doubts and comfort for your sorrows.