Abiding in the Lord

My favorite time of day is just after rolling out of bed and getting something hot to drink. I quietly pad out to my deck with Bible, journal, pens, and adoration sheet in hand.  It’s early, before the sun crests over the horizon, and it’s quiet. I love starting my day with the Lord this way, preparing my heart for what the day will hold. It is, quite literally, the only time of quiet in my day. I would linger if only time would allow, but 7:00 is when the demands of my day begin.

When I leave that sacred space each morning, my desire is that my communion with the Lord wouldn’t end. Oh, that my heart would abide in His throughout my day. The barrage of lies, of temptations, of distractions from gazing on the beauty of the Lord begins the moment I wake. “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God, but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of Christ is in you! Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:9, 26). I must stay engaged in the Spirit throughout my day!

Having relationship with the Lord is not something to check off my to-do list in the morning before I can get on with my day. I need the life of the Lord flowing through me so that I can impart life to others. It is in Him that  I live and move and have my being (Acts 17:28). As a mom, I live to lay down my life for my children and impart the life of God to them. The only way that I can do this is with the life of the Lord abounding in me. And the only way for His life to abound in me, is if I abide in Him. Being a mom means my life has constant demands, which means that I need to be creative in how I pursue the Lord throughout my day.

While not exhaustive, here are five ways I seek to do it:

1. Meditate on, declare to myself, and pray through the same passage of Scripture all day. My heart beats with David’s when he said, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways” (Psalm 119:15).  The best way I know to do this is to prayerfully immerse myself in the powerfully transformational Word of God all day long. So much of life involves doing that which we don’t enjoy doing. It’s easy not to seek the Lord during the day, because it’s so easy to let my feelings guide my actions. But, when I willingly choose to seek Him regardless of how I feel, I am changed. It’s a choice between life and death. When I put His Word before my eyes, in my mind, and in my heart, I am inviting the Lord to transform my heart. I love to use my dear friend’s Adoration prayer sheets as a guide. I may not necessarily stick with the same verse, but it’s a good place to start.
2. Put worship music on while doing chores. Our hearts were created to be moved by music toward our Lord. There are many times when music is playing in my home that I stop what I’m doing and focus all my attention on the Lord. I love to do this while working, too. I believe the heart of the Father is moved when there is a song in my heart for Him while I work.
3. Send a text to a friend. Oh, how I need the body of Christ to help me keep my eyes on the Him! Shooting a text to a friend and asking for prayer is a tremendous help to my heart, especially on days when the press of life starts to feel like too much. When I ask for prayer, I’m talking with the Lord at the same time.
4. Praying and reading while I run. About 10 years ago, I trained myself to read while running on my treadmill. For a long time, this is when I worked on memorizing Scripture. Now, I usually pray through the Psalms. I was created with a heart similar to Eric Liddle who said, “…when I run, I feel His pleasure.” This is truly some of my sweetest time with the Lord in my week.
5. Read. I’m an avid reader. When I read certain authors, I worship the Lord with my heart and my mind!   Therefore, my “pleasure” reading is that which helps me grow in the fear of the Lord, wisdom, and worship of Him. One online favorite is Every Bitter Thing is Sweet, and my gaze is always turned to the Lord when reading John Piper’s writings. Pierced by the Word is a favorite! These writers both have a way of stirring my heart to seek God.

There are seasons in my life when I’ve veered from the habits of seeking the Lord that I have now. Early pregnancy and life with a newborn are particularly challenging. During my last pregnancy when reading made me nauseous, I would mostly worship with Scripture-saturated music. If you find that you’re in a challenging season, can I encourage you to pick just one new habit to incorporate?  Deliberately taking the Word of God in whatever form possible, and speaking it to your heart and back to the Lord is powerful!

Oh, that we would know the Lord more intimately with each passing hour!

 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!
With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.
In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Psalm 119:10-16

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