The month of May is at mid-point, meaning that the lazy, crazy days of summer are just around the bend. Before you take off with your sunscreen and sunglasses, let me offer some resources to help you nurture your faith and stir your heart to keep those eyes focused during the not-so-structured summer months.
A little light reading…
Really light in that this book is only 96 pages in length, but not light in the topic or the impact it will have in your relationship with the Lord.
The author and seminary professor, Donald S. Whitney, addresses the problems that prevent us from praying, such as why our minds wander, or our prayer lives are just flat out boring.
He then offers practical answers that you can put in place, and will put into practice. I am confident of that! He will guide you and give you a system for praying through the Psalms, praying through other genres of the Bible, such as narrative accounts or letters to the churches. In essence, you will walk away equipped, encouraged and your prayer life with the Lord will be forever changed.
For me the challenge in prayer came when I was a new Christian, and someone taught me to pray the acrostic, ACTS (Adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication). Unfortunately, this tied me up into a legalistic routine. Praying the Bible, God’s words back to Him, is an intimate, powerful conversation. I find myself praising God more which was a struggle for me.
Summer is a great opportunity for extended times of prayer. Read this book.
Creating habits that stick…
Meet my new friend, Kat Lee, of Hello Mornings: God + Plan + Move. She delightfully helps to lighten the load and guilt to help you begin your day off in a positive direction. Her plan is simple, which is what I love. This is what I have tweeked into my own thing, and it is so easy that it doesn’t make sense that it really works for me. I set my alarm to wake up at the same time everyday. I get up, wash my face (helps me to wake up), and drink a glass of water (before my coffee). Wake – Wash – Water. Those three easy steps set me up to accomplish more. After that comes my Bible reading and praying, but those three little things create focus for me. Check out her ideas and create a plan for you. (Please note that I am a morning person, so if you are not then you might hate me for this.)
But hey, it’s almost summer! You can choose to go with the flow and tuck this away until August when reality starts to creep back in!
One more thing, here’s an interesting article from her newsletter, from the author of Atomic Habits, James Clear.
I love this podcast…
The Journeywomen Podcast, hosted by Hunter Beless is for women living to glorify God. In Episode 84, The Local Church with Susan Hunt, Hunter and Susan discuss the importance of the local body of Christ for every Christian. If you are struggling with finding a church where you belong, are very skeptical about church, or maybe you need a better understanding, this is the one to give a listen. It is a beautiful thing! As Christ followers and members of His body, we are obligated to one another in love. This episode is also a model of a younger woman sharing insights with an older woman. Susan Hunt has been around a long time in women’s ministry. There is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, and Hunter skillfully interviews, asking some great questions!
You will be blessed!
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-8
Better Times 
Thank you! Sharon
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