This post first appeared on The Good Book blog; used with permission.

The following piece is an extract from 5 Things to Pray for Your Kids by Melissa Kruger. In the book Melissa suggests fresh, biblical ideas to help you pray for tots, teens and all ages between. Today we wanted to give you a sneak peek at what the book looks like. This chapter uses psalm 121 to help you pray for God’s care of your child…

Father, I pray that you will help my child by…

1. Encouraging me

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD” (Psalm 121 v 1).

Being a parent is a wonderful gift, but it is also difficult. There’s no owner’s manual to guide us in all the choices we face each day. Praise God that we can turn to him for the help we need! Pray that he will guide your steps and lead you as you parent today.

2. Watching over them

“He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121 v 3-4).

As parents, we are limited. Even with modern technology, we can’t watch our children at every moment (although we certainly try!). Thank God that he is always watching over them, and that he never slumbers or sleeps. Pray that your child will know God is with them, no matter where they go or what they face.

3. Providing refreshment

“ The LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night” (Psalm 121 v 5-6).

We all need a place of refuge. The world can be difficult and lonely. Pray that when life is hard for your child—when they experience a broken heart, a difficult illness, or a painful consequence—they will turn to the Lord and find comfort in him.

4. Keeping them from harm

“The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life” (Psalm 121 v 7).

While we want to keep our children safe, we know we are often powerless to protect them from skinned knees, harmful gossip, and their own mistakes. Pray that the Lord will use the trials they endure to draw them closer to himself, and that he will keep them from all that he sees is harmful.

5. Protecting their future

“ The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121 v 8).

Our children make choices each day. As they grow, these choices increase in significance. Pray that the Lord would guide your child in the future as they choose what to study, which church to be part of, who to marry, or what job to pursue.

About the Author:

Melissa Kruger is the author of Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know as well as several books for adults. She blogs at Wit’s End, hosted by The Gospel Coalition. Her husband, Mike, is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary, and they have three children.

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5 Things to Pray for Your Kids

Our culture says that the most important things for children are education, good health, treats, entertainment, and material things.

Yet as Christians, we know that children’s spiritual health is the most important thing. So we need to pray for them, but where do we start?

This little guide is both deep and easy to use. Melissa Kruger takes us back to the Bible to show us what God’s will for children is, so we can pray in line with it.

She selects 21 key areas of spiritual growth and character development. For each one, there are five short prayer prompts drawn straight from the Bible.

When was the last time you tried to memorize Scripture?

The Bible teaches that there is value in hiding God’s Word in our hearts, but it’s an undertaking many of us don’t attempt very often.

Psalm 119 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.”  And Deuteronomy 6:4-9 goes even further by saying believers must bind God’s law on our foreheads, teach it to our children, talk about it wherever we go, and make it an integral part of our lives.

There is no question, memorizing Scripture is important—but it’s also intimidating. For this reason, we sat down with Karen Heimbuch, best known for memorizing and performing the entire book of Revelation. We asked her to give some practical advice on how to learn God’s Word by heart.

Karen also gave 12 simple steps for us to practice the valuable discipline of memorizing Scripture:

1. Choose a familiar portion of Scripture; a passage that has already been a blessing to you.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Truth—to help you “hide God’s Word in your heart.” Also ask for pure delivery. After all, you want to accurately convey God’s heart and “inflections” when you present His Word.

3. Re-format the text as necessary. Investing time in this step can easily cut the time needed for memorizing in half! Most Bibles are formatted for two columns per page, which does not always allow for ease in Scripture memorization. Re-formatting a text makes it much easier for the eye to retain whole phrases. For instance, compare a traditional two-column format with its re-formatted version:

“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the
word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty,
sixty or even a hundred times what was
sown.”

“Others, like seed sown on good soil,
hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—
thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

4. Consider color-coding, especially when you recognize patterns.

5. Always read aloud when memorizing. Once the accuracy of your interpretation is confirmed, try rehearsing it that same way every time.

6. Visualize what you are reading. Discover the connecting dots. See the big picture.

7. Memorize a verse like you eat a sandwich: Bite by bite, phrase by phrase.

8. Look for key words, especially verbs and nouns.

9. Be sure to chew each bite! Look up any words you don’t understand in a concordance or Bible dictionary.

10. Use acronyms, rhythms or rhymes, even tunes, when memorizing lists.

11. Sustain flow of delivery by using gestures and inflections as needed.

12. Review what you have memorized during the day before you go to sleep at night.

“Karen’s Simple Suggestions” © 2010 by Revelation Media International LLC

 

The Revelation with Karen Heimbuch

In a two-disc CD set, this best-seller features the entire book of Revelation, as read by Karen Heimbuch, set to an original score by Michael Harriton and recorded by the world-renowned London Symphony Orchestra. Once you start listening to this dramatic reading with a powerful background, you will not be able to stop. This is the perfect gift for those who know Christ as Savior and those who haven’t yet met the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Revelation is a worship encounter like you’ve never experienced before.

A tiny hole in the curtain allowed us to view the packed house beyond the stage. It was my first theater production and I had the first line. Palms wet with sweat, I kept imagining myself stumbling over my lines and staring blankly into the dim faces of the audience without anything to say.
But when the curtain was finally drawn, I walked out and faced my fears. All the practice leading up to my performance paid off, and I nailed every line. I am no longer an actor, but now I have a new ambition: I want to memorize Scripture.
I long for the ability to recite Psalm 42 while doing dishes or driving to the store or walking to the mailbox.
So, finally, I’m going to take the challenge. And I want you to you join me.
I’ll be following a simple plan laid out in the book His Word in My Heart, by Janet Pope. In it, she offers an easy-to-follow guide for memorizing Psalm 1 and all 3 chapters of Titus.
Sound intimidating? Keep reading.
Psalm 1 is a wonderful passage to start with because it immediately motivates the reader to memorize God’s Word:

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…

Titus was written by the Apostle Paul and is filled with rich practical and theological insight. It’s a total of 46 verses, making it short enough for a beginner to memorize, yet substantial enough for anyone to be proud of.
Pope writes that before memorizing Titus, she would have never been able to summarize it to anyone, even though she had read it several times. After memorizing it, though, she is convinced that she will never forget the content, even if she forgets the word-for-word text.
Still not sure you want to take the challenge? Take a look at Karen Heimbuch’s 12 Simple Steps for Memorizing Scripture. And I’d recommend getting a copy of Janet Pope’s His Word in My Heart.
When you commit to memorizing Scripture, you’ll quickly find that it’s easier than you think and the benefits are endless. I invite you to join me and countless others in this noble challenge of memorizing God’s Word. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.
You can learn more about Janet Pope here.
 
Corum Hughes works on the production team for HAVEN Today and is the managing editor of the All About Jesus blog. His passions include running, biking, reading, watching movies, and seeking Jesus in places He is seldom sought. Corum lives with his wife in California.
 
 

The Bible is not the easiest book to read. In fact, it can be extremely difficult for someone new to its contents.

For example, if we read, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'” (Jeremiah 29:11) by itself, we will just see a motivational Bible verse. We would miss the significance behind the promise God makes to His people as they are conquered, captured, and thrown into exile.

If we take the time to look carefully at the Bible, that’s when we begin to understand what God is really saying to us through His Word.

Here is a concise step-by-step guide to reading the Bible for all its worth:

1. Understand the Context
Who wrote it? When? Who was the intended audience? Build a bridge from Biblical times to the 21st Century so that you can understand what the author is saying and why. You can do this by consulting a good Study Bible, or by researching what experts have said about the passage you are currently reading.

2. Read Carefully
Howard Hendrix once said that we must read the Bible like we are reading a love letter: word-by-word, and over-and-over again. If you read the book of John as carefully as you read your note from Susie down the street, you’ll have a better understanding of who Jesus is than you ever have before.

3. Make Connections
Right now, you are reading an article on the All About Jesus blog. The whole reason we have this name is because we have come to understand that all of Scripture points to Jesus. Use John 1:1-18 as your framework to understand how God interacts with His people throughout salvation history.

“In the beginning was the Word [The Word refers to Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3)

Now go read Genesis 1 with this passage in mind.

4. Discover the Meaning
You are now prepared to begin drawing out what the text means. Use what you learned about the author, the time period, the audience, and the context of the verses to find out what God is saying to His people. This will also propel you down the path of understanding what it means for us today.

5. Find out Why it Matters
This is the part of the process where all the things you learned moves from your head to your heart. 1 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” We need to discover how the truths of the Old and New Testaments apply to our daily life.

6. Read it Again
If you don’t quite understand what you’re reading, read it again. If it’s still unclear, read it again. Sooner or later, the pieces will fall into place, and you’ll know more about that passage of Scripture than anything you’ve ever read before.

If you are a new Christian and you want to know where to get started, read the article How Can I Know God? by Tim Keller. If you want to learn about how Jesus is at the center of all of Scripture, even the Old Testament, consider listening to this podcast on how to read the Bible through the Jesus Lens. And if you want to find out how to take your Bible reading a step further by memorizing Scripture, you can listen to this podcast on Scripture memorization tactics or read Karen Heimbuck’s 12 Simple Steps For Memorizing God’s Word.

There are countless ways you can connect to God in His Word. What passage will you read next?

A tiny hole in the curtain allowed us to view the packed house beyond the stage. It was my first theater production and I had the first line. Palms wet with sweat, I kept imagining myself stumbling over my lines and staring blankly into the dim faces of the audience without anything to say.
But when the curtain was finally drawn, I walked out and faced my fears. All the practice leading up to my performance paid off, and I nailed every line. I am no longer an actor, but now I have a new ambition: I want to memorize Scripture.
I long for the ability to recite Psalm 42 while doing dishes or driving to the store or walking to the mailbox.
So, finally, I’m going to take the challenge. And I want you to you join me.
I’ll be following a simple plan laid out in the book His Word in My Heart, by Janet Pope. In it, she offers an easy-to-follow guide for memorizing Psalm 1 and all 3 chapters of Titus.
Sound intimidating? Keep reading.
Psalm 1 is a wonderful passage to start with because it immediately motivates the reader to memorize God’s Word:

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…

Titus was written by the Apostle Paul and is filled with rich practical and theological insight. It’s a total of 46 verses, making it short enough for a beginner to memorize, yet substantial enough for anyone to be proud of.
Pope writes that before memorizing Titus, she would have never been able to summarize it to anyone, even though she had read it several times. After memorizing it, though, she is convinced that she will never forget the content, even if she forgets the word-for-word text.
Still not sure you want to take the challenge? Take a look at Karen Heimbuch’s 12 Simple Steps for Memorizing Scripture. And I’d recommend getting a copy of Janet Pope’s His Word in My Heart.
When you commit to memorizing Scripture, you’ll quickly find that it’s easier than you think and the benefits are endless. I invite you to join me and countless others in this noble challenge of memorizing God’s Word. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.
 
Corum Hughes works on the production team for HAVEN Today and is the managing editor of the All About Jesus blog. His passions include running, biking, reading, watching movies, and seeking Jesus in places He is seldom sought. Corum lives with his wife in California.
 
 

Janet Pope has been memorizing scripture for decades. In this video she shares how the pursuit of memorizing entire books of Scripture has changed her life, and how this practice will change your life too!
 

 
Most of us want to memorize Scripture, but so many other things become our priority. So we daily strive without doing the most important thing, the best thing – putting God’s Word in our hearts and minds.
The good news is YOU can do it. In this updated classic, Janet Pope will share practical tips and strategies – including how to use technology – to help you to start memorizing the Living Word today.
A diligent student of the Bible, Janet Pope’s passion is to lead others to the oasis of God’s Word. She has memorized over 120 chapters of Scripture, including 14 books of the Bible.

You’d think that because I’m a pastor, reading the Bible regularly would be easy.

And by reading, I don’t mean studying, which I do every week for the morning and afternoon services at my church. I mean reading the Bible for the pleasure of hearing again the story of redemption, for the joy of seeing my triune God’s character revealed page by page.

That kind of reading has become more difficult than it used to be. And that is because I am now the father of one extremely active little girl and have a wife who technically works part-time as an ENL teacher (though no teacher works part-time).

That means that all the freedom I never realized I had to simply pick up the Bible any time of day has vanished beneath my daughter’s schedule, my wife’s schedule, and my own limited energy levels. So to all those out there who begin the day thinking, “Today I’m going to read my Bible,” but who find that time slips away from them under the other demands which our Lord has placed in your life, let me say: I understand.

And I think I can help you.

Here is what I have learned to do so that I can read the Bible regularly.

1. I get up at 5:30am.

I do this because that is when my daughter, whom I love with all my heart, is not up and is not likely to be up for at least an hour—and when our Lord is being especially merciful to my wife and I, two hours.

I also do it early because in the evening, I’m too tired to enjoy the Bible (and I really want to enjoy it while I read). I have also found that when I’ve stayed up until midnight to catch my second wind, my daughter’s rise-and-shine approach to each day means I will lose my first wind the next day.

2. I eat breakfast, read a bit of the paper, and pour myself some coffee.

I do this because it wakes me up so that I can actually enjoy the Bible. Sometimes, I’ll skip breakfast and workout for a half-hour because it accomplishes the same thing. My goal is to be alert, so I always drink coffee when I read.

3. I pray briefly and follow my reading plan.

Prayer is of course important because we all want the Lord to bless his word to us. My prayer is usually short, just a sentence or so, asking the Lord to fill me with a great knowledge of him and his word. Then I embark on my reading plan.

I’ve been following the Bible in 90 Days program, but any reading plan will do. I follow a plan because without one I’ve found that I spend a significant portion of my reading time wondering what I want to read rather than just reading.

4. I try to give myself 21 minutes of uninterrupted time.

Why 21 minutes? Because it takes the average person seven minutes to read the average length chapter of the Bible. So, my usual goal when not reading the Bible in 90 days is to read three chapters at a time. Sometimes I get more and sometimes less. When I get interrupted (say my daughter decides that 6:00 a.m. is a great time to get up and my wife is exercising), I will go and take care of my daughter because I know that I can find seven minutes for the remaining chapters throughout the day. During her newborn days, that was actually how I did it: I would use seven minutes of her mid-morning nap to read one chapter and then seven minutes of her afternoon nap to read another, and seven minutes in the evening just before dinner, while I was still awake.

Obviously people’s schedules are different, but I’m certain that if you look at your calendar you have seven minutes in various portions of your day to fit in Bible reading.

My only advice is this: Read it when you’ll be likely to actually enjoy it.

5. I don’t worry if I miss a day or two.

I try to not miss more than two days so that I don’t fall out of the habit, but if it happens, it happens. The reason why I don’t worry is because reading the Bible is a means of grace and communion, not a way that makes the Lord pleased with me. I don’t read the Bible to create communion with the Lord but to grow my communion with him.

That’s why I’ve worked hard to make reading the Bible a priority, not because I have to. But because it encourages my soul and my prayers.

Reading the Bible for a sermon is always geared to the church—What does the Lord have to say to my people? Reading the Bible for myself is geared to my soul—What does the Lord have to say to me?

The message is always the same, but my own posture of listening is different. In sermon preparation, I find I am listening for others; in private reading I find I am listening for myself. Someday those two things may become one. Right now, though, they are not. So I read with the freedom to miss a day because my real goal isn’t to complete a reading schedule (though I like checking off boxes).

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So what’s my secret? Is it getting up early? Drinking enough caffeine? Not really. My secret is that my real goal is to listen to the Lord and grow in my love for him—not win his favor by reading his word.

I hope that, too, is why you’re reading the Bible—not to check off a box but to grow in your knowledge and love of the one who first loved you.

Happy reading.

About the Author

Matt Barker is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastor of Grace Reformed in Walkerton, Indiana. He married up to a wonderful wife who gives happiness and wisdom, and has a wonderful daughter who encourages fun and vigilante prayer.

If you’re a reader, there may come a point in your life when you realize that you’re in a dry spell and not gobbling up books as you used to. Or maybe you’re not a reader and wish that you were. Either way, reading can often take some discipline. It most of all needs to be a habit, and that’s especially true when it comes to the Bible, the most important book we’ve been given, as the Lord has given it to us as a way to be with Him.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” – Matthew 4:4

But sometimes we need help making the reading of the Word a daily habit. Here are four ideas:

• Journibles
  Journibles are journals plus Bibles (get it? Journible?), with each one focused on a book, or multiple small books of the Bible. There are pages where you are supposed to write out the scripture passage for the day, and then pages for you to write out your thoughts on the passage. There are a few questions sprinkled along the way to help spark your thinking, too, but mostly it’s a journal dedicated to helping you soak up the Word.
• The Bible in 90 Days by Ted Cooper Jr.
  For those who want to zip through the Bible, and maybe go through it twice in one year, there’s The Bible in 90 Days. The book gives you 12 pages of the Bible to read each day.
• YouVersion’s Bible App
  A Bible app can be a great way to make sure you’re spending time in the Word. This app by YouVersion can alert you each day to the passage you’re supposed to read, depending on which plan you sign up for. Checking off each day’s reading is a pleasure of it’s own. It can also adjust the reading plan if you get behind. And let’s not forget how handy it can be to have your daily reading in hand when you’re riding the subway or waiting in line at the doctor’s office.
• An hourglass and a favorite chair
  A conference speaker that I heard, Elizabeth Fitch, shared this idea. She has a comfy chair with an hourglass on the table next to it, and disciplines herself to sit in the chair each day while the sand sifts, reading the Word and praying.

The Word is how God speaks to us, feeds us, cares for us. It is his daily gift to us, part of our daily bread, that helps sustain us. Let us care for ourselves by caring for this gift He has lovingly bestowed, cultivating a habit of being with Him each day. Not for the purpose of being a “good” Christian, but for our good and His glory.