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The Importance of Writing Things Down

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The Importance of Writing Things Down ...Learn some of the benefits and advantages of taking notes during quiet times and sermons.

The Importance of Writing Things Down

We previously talked about reading the Bible on a regular basis (with tips here and how to stop spiritual cramming here).  In this post, I’d like to take that a step further and share about the importance of writing things down.  It’s a good idea to keep a journal or notebook for taking notes during our quiet times and even during church.  For a lot of people, they know writing things down is helpful and that it’s probably a good idea (much like reading the Bible on a regular basis), but they still neglect to do it merely for the hassle or inconvenience of it.  I’d like to discuss why the benefits of writing things down might outweigh the disadvantages of it.

Writing things down helps the information sink in…

Writing things down takes listening and reading a step further.  The simple act of writing forces us to think about what it is that we are hearing or reading and then reiterating that or abbreviating that onto paper.  When we take notes it helps us to recall the information later.  How many times have you written a list only to find out that you didn’t even have to refer to it?  But try not writing that same list, and chances are that you will forget many of the items.  It’s almost a catch-22.  The process of writing things down will help you to remember what it is that you’ve written.  Skip the notes and potentially forget—with an added disadvantage of having nothing to refer back to if you’ve forgotten.  Which brings me to the next benefit…

Writing things down gives you something to reference…

Overall, the purpose of taking notes is to key in on the important information that we need to remember and to use as a future reference.  We need to write things down to remember—even for those with a good memory.  Look at what the following scriptures say about writing things down and remembering…

“…the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder…” Exodus 17:14 (NLT)

“This says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.” Jeremiah 30:2 (AMP)

“Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced” Psalm 105:5 (NIV)

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” Psalm 103:2 (ESV)

If we are being told to “remember” and “forget not”, then apparently it is possible to forget.  Writing things down will serve as a reference for those things that we may have forgotten.

I’ve also heard it said that writing things down can also give the Holy Spirit something to work with—a reference of sorts.  In John 14:26 it says that the Holy Spirit will “remind” us.  Taking notes will act as a reference to which the Holy Spirit may even trigger us to go back and look.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” John 14:26 (NLT)

My own personal references

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Tips to Start Reading the Bible on a Regular Basis

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Tips to Start Reading the Bible on a Regular Basis

Tips to Start Reading the Bible on a Regular Basis

After writing the previous post about reading the Bible by “spiritual cramming”, I was hoping that nobody would feel condemned or have that feeling of “yeah, yeah, I hear that all the time.”  Those same thoughts and feelings are all too familiar for me so by no means do I want to impose them on others.  My hope is just to encourage people to start somewhere and to make having a regular quiet time a routine.  I really just want to share about it and encourage others because of the difference it’s made in my life.

Let me share how I got started…

When I first started reading the Bible regularly it was really out of desperation and despair.  It was the summer before my sophomore year in college, and my boyfriend of 3 years had just broken up with me.  I’m pretty sure he was cheating on me too because not too long after our breakup he was engaged to the girl that he swore was just his “friend”.  I was devastated.  It seems a little silly now, but I truly was in pain then.  (Side note: Never minimize or make light of the pain somebody is feeling because their hurt is very real and very consuming to them at that moment.)  Even though it seems silly and trivial now (and I’ve gone through MUCH worse since then), it really was a pivotal moment in my life.

During that time I was an emotional hot mess, and I couldn’t sleep.  I started reading the Bible at night along with a devotional book, My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers to find some comfort and to help me get to sleep at night.  It honestly was the only way I could get to sleep and deal with the anxiety and panic attacks.

I often fell asleep reading the Bible, and then I would later feel guilty about it.  One time I had a thought come to me though.  I now know it was God talking to me—though I didn’t know it at the time.  The thought was, “What better way to fall asleep than by spending time with me?”  It was true.  I could have fallen asleep watching TV or listening to the radio, but instead, I did so by reading the Bible or praying.  It really did give me peace.

My Bible reading practice slowly waned

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More Resources for Bible Meditation, Prayer, and Quiet Times

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More Resources for Bible Meditation, Prayer, and Quiet Times

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

I’ve often said I fancy myself a curator of resources. 😉 I’ve written a lot about practical methods, resources, and tools for studying scripture, praying, and growing in your relationship with God (much of this can be found on the “New to Faith?” page on the site). Recently, I shared several resources and tools for Bible study. In this post, I’d like to share a few more, specifically in relation to biblical meditation, prayer, and resources for your quiet times. These are especially helpful for those who might be auditory learners or prefer to listen to audible, narrated, or guided material.

These resources are just another way to instill scripture into your spirit and build your faith by hearing the word of God and meditating on it. (Read more on how to meditate on scripture here.) I hope you enjoy these resources and find them helpful!

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

“And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you–and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.” Mark 4:24 (AMPC)

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)

Lectio 365 app

The Lectio 365 app has been a recent favorite of mine. According to their site, “Lectio 365 is a daily devotional resource to help you pray through the Bible every day. It has been written by 24-7 Prayer leaders (an international, interdenominational prayer movement) and delivered through a free app. Lectio 365 contains devotional content to help you pause and pray at the start and end of every day.”[1]

Their daily meditation is inspired by an ancient form of praying and meditation called Lectio Divina. According to Wikipedia, Lectio Divina is a “…practice of scriptural reading, meditation, and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s word. Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read; meditate; pray; contemplate. First, a passage of scripture is read, then its meaning is reflected upon. This is followed by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God.”[2]

I typically spend around ten minutes when I listen to the audio version (as opposed to reading through on my own). Personally, I like the peaceful background music, and I love the guided prayers and pauses for moments of reflection and to hear from the Holy Spirit. I often find a fixed location (a comfy, chair in my room where I read my Bible each morning), close my eyes, and practice intentional, relaxed breathing.

Eric and I have also really enjoyed listening and night just before sleeping, as it relaxes us and focuses our thoughts on God and scripture just before drifting off to sleep. It’s a very calming way to end the day and to help with sleep (as I sometimes struggle).

Here’s a description from the Lectio 365 website:

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The “Right Way” to Practice Spiritual Disciplines

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The “Right Way” to Practice Spiritual Disciplines

I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot of Bible teachers (bloggers, speakers, influencers, etc.) teaching about the “right way” to practice spiritual disciplines such as reading scripture, studying the Bible, hearing from God, praying, praising, journaling, fasting, evangelizing, discipling others, teaching others, etc. While I know this teaching is usually good-intentioned, so much of it comes across like and feels a bit condescending and condemning…and honestly, even a little bit arrogant and know-it-all-ish too.

Recently, I’ve even been getting some chastising emails and comments about the “right way” to quote scripture and the correct translation to use. (Most remarks are reprimanding me for not using King James Version ONLY when I quote scripture.) People send emails and comments that I’m not leading people to Christ in the “right way” or not approaching how we should pray in the “right way”. I’m amazed that people truly believe there is only one “right way” to do things and that God leaves so little room for margin in how we should have relationship with him.

I don’t believe this to be so.

I really believe that God is not quite that rigid and will meet us where we are. What I’ve personally learned is that God is pretty forgiving, and there is a lot of grace. Even when there might be a preferred, better, more effective, or more efficient way to do any of these spiritual disciplines, God can and will still work regardless of any of our mistakes or misgivings. Jesus clearly demonstrated that he is not legalistic. Jesus is loving, not legalistic. Even if we are not where we might need to be, he will lovingly and patiently guide us there.

I say all the time… ”God will meet you where you are.”

Even when there might be a preferred, better, more effective, or more efficient way to practice spiritual disciplines, God can and will still work regardless of any of our mistakes or misgivings.

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Promoting a “right way” can lead to self-righteousness

As I was reading my Bible this past week, my belief that there is not only one “right way” to practice spiritual disciplines was reinforced.

Matthew 9:14-17 (NLT)

“One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”

Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.””

I was reading Matthew 9:14-17 where John the Baptist’s disciples came to Jesus and asked why his disciples didn’t fast. Jesus replied with comments about celebrating not morning when with a groom, not patching old clothes with new cloth, and not putting new wine in old wineskins.

As I read Matthew Henry’s commentary, I understood this better. Henry suggested that believing and professing that their practices were the “right way” was likened to being self-righteous because they boasted about the way they did things, such as fasting often. Henry states,

“There is a proneness in professors to brag of their own performance in religion, especially if there by any thing extraordinary in them; nay, and not only to boast of them before men, but to plead them before God, and confide in them as a righteousness.”[1]

Dependence on a “right way” leads to spiritual bondage

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Bible Study Methods and Resources for the Average Person

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Bible Study Methods and Resources for the Average Person

I think reading and studying the Bible can be intimidating and overwhelming for a lot of people. I’ve come to a place where I genuinely love reading and studying the Bible. However, by no means am I a theologian or Biblical expert. I’m just your everyday, average person who’s found some Bible study methods that work to help me read, learn and study the Bible effectively. Therefore, if I can do it, anyone can!

Several years ago we took a family vacation to Colorado. While we were there, we also had an opportunity to attend a church Bible study with some family. (I wrote about it in this post.) I really loved the way they studied and discussed the Bible because it was a similar method to how I like to study and learn. Prior to the meeting, they read a certain chapter or passage out of scripture. Then they came to the meeting discussing any insights they gathered and any things they felt like God spoke or revealed to them.

It was a very engaging and interactive discussion from which everyone in the room learned and received some type of benefit and wisdom. It seemed as though each person picked up something different from the passage, but as they shared others were able to learn from their observations and revelations too. In my women’s small group we’ve been doing a similar independent Bible study method of various books of the Bible. It’s been some of our favorite small group content, preferring it over doing book studies or an organized/guided Bible study written by someone else.

I’ll share with you some of my strategies and methods that help me, personally, to comprehend what I’m reading and be able to hear from God a little better.

Getting context

I recently read a great analogy that N.T. Wright used to describe getting a larger context for some of the well-known Bible stories and how they fit into the whole scope of scripture and plan of redemption through Jesus Christ (from the Old Testament all the way through the New Testament). He talked about how he knows certain areas of London very well but isn’t extremely familiar with how they all join up because he’s used to traveling on the Underground with no mental picture of what was above him. He mentioned that if he tried walking between the different points that he would get lost.

N.T. Wright said that many people are like that with the stories in the Bible. They know the parables, miracles, and major stories, but they often have little to no idea of the context of how they all join up and are linked and weaved together. People tend to get “carried”, as on a transit system, from one story to the next, like a spiritual Underground, without really ever thinking about how things actually moved together from one thing to another in the real world. Therefore, people sometimes miss the full force of the messages because they miss out on some of the context and the connections.[1]

This analogy is a great way to describe getting context as we study scripture. That’s why some of the following Bible study methods are so helpful because they really aid in finding and creating context for a better understanding and application of scripture.

Bible Study Methods list

Start by reading book introductions

When reading a book out of the Bible, sometimes it’s helpful to start by reading the introductions at the start of the book. In most Bibles, there is a page at the start of the book that will give some introductory information and background of that particular book. It typically contains things like the author(s) of that book, when it was written, where it was written, to whom it was written, an overview of the main points or major themes, the purpose or intent of the author, and maybe some cultural context.

These types of information can be helpful to learn before you start reading to give you a foundational context from which to start. Knowing some of these bits of information can create a “big picture” that will help you piece together the parts of the reading as you go along, making it a little easier to understand and follow along. This might be comparable to looking at a picture of what a puzzle is supposed to look like before you start putting it together. Continue reading →

Scriptures for Understanding the Bible Better

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Scriptures for Understanding the Bible Better

Scriptures for Understanding the Bible Better

At my church we are doing 21 days of prayer, and as part of this the church has provided an accompanying devotional booklet taking us through the book of Ephesians. The booklet comprises of daily reading passages of Ephesians in the English Standard Version (ESV). Both of my kids are going through the booklet each day as well, and they expressed some frustrations they were having. They mentioned that they were having a hard time understanding the Bible passages in the booklet.

I explained to them a few things that are helpful when it comes to understanding the Bible. I’ve written about these before:

 

Pick an understandable translation

I had a sense that what was troubling them the most was just the translation they were reading. Therefore, I told them that first I think it’s important to read in a translation or version that makes sense and is understandable to them. I emphasized that they don’t HAVE to use the reading in the booklet and suggested that they use their own Bibles or use The Bible App where they can pick from a variety of translations or even read passages in a couple of different translations to get a better understanding. I think this helped them significantly.

Pray for Understanding

Secondly, I shared that it always helps me to pray for understanding before I read (or even during my reading). There are a few verses that I turn into prayers that I have written in the front of my quiet time journal. I wrote down on an index card a couple of these verses as prayers for my kids to have to use as a prompt to pray before they read.

“God please open my mind to help me understand the scriptures.” –from Luke 24:45

“Give me understanding so I can learn.” –from Psalm 119:18, 27, 34, 73, 125, 169

Scriptures for Understanding the Bible better

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