SUM 11: Day 30

Matthew 14:13; Psalm 46:10; John 6:15

Refuel: Stop. Have you ever dazed off during a car ride, reached your destination and realized you had no memory of the turns, stops or landmarks you encountered during the drive? This same experience often takes place in our spiritual walks. We clutter our lives with so many tasks that, at the end of the day, we are left exhausted in bed wondering how we got there. During each day, our souls thirst for God; however, if we rush through life without being mindful of Him,we attempt to drink cheap substitutes without even recognizing it. What do you do when your body craves a cold glass of water? You stop what you’re doing and quench that thirst! We should not treat our souls any differently! Taking time throughout the day to pause and seek the Lord is a beautiful, essential act for our spiritual well-being. It refocuses us on our purpose and unites us with our Creator. God doesn’t want to be part of your to-do list; He wants to be the center of it!

Read: Matthew 14:13; John 6:15; Psalm 46:10

Pray: Ask God to forgive you for the times you’ve focused more on your daily schedule
than on Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to hold you accountable throughout the day and remind you of the necessity of stopping to refuel. Thank the Lord for being a God who desires continual communication with you!

Do: The act of stopping is not something that comes naturally. Our flesh will automatically try to satisfy thirst with cheap substitutes. Practicing spiritual discipline is an act of worship, though, and God will honor our diligence. Take time to think about your daily routine and create purposeful “stopping points.” Use those times to stop and recognize the Lord’s presence, power and purpose in your life. Allow Him to refuel your soul with His living waters!

SUM 11: Day 10

John 10:27

Let there be light! Have you ever woken up in the wee hours of the night, compliments of a full bladder? Ugh. The last thing I want to do when that happens is unwrap myself from my warm cucoon of a bed and stumble around in the dark, just to stub my toe as I scramble for the bathroom light switch. Wouldn’t it be so much more convenient to have an “easy” button that somehow took care of that situation in the middle of the night for you? Your toes could be spared and you wouldn’t have to try to recreate the perfect sleeping position after doing your business. I know it’s far-fetched, but it would be nice.

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re stumbling around in spiritual darkness? Go with me on this. You’ve made the decision; you’ve shown your commitment; you know the routines; but for some reason, you still seem to wobble your way through life, arms stretched out in front of you. Knowing God’s Word is liking flipping on the light switch. It may take a little bit to get in the groove and flip the switch completely, but once it’s flipped, your life is illuminated completely.

Read: Check out Psalm 119:97-105. Reread verse 105 and spend some time focusing on it. How does God’s Word light up our path? Pray: Ask God to help you flip on the light switch. Ask Him for a hunger and thirst for His Word. Tell Him how thankful you are that you don’t have to stumble and stagger through life in the dark, thanks to Him. Ask for His help in knowing His Word.

Do: Dig deeper. Read all of Psalm 119, jotting down anything that talks about an effect of God’s Word in our lives.

SUM: Service and Notes: Day 8

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalm 119:11
Why memorize Scripture?


How many brain cells does the average brain have?


Thoughts from Discussion:
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Why memorize Scripture?


Purposes and Verses
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My verse this week:


Challenge: How will I use my brain this week?


Thoughts:

SUM 11: Day 7

Psalm 141:1-2
Connecting with God in All Situations. Sometimes when I pray, I know the only reason I’m stopping to do it is because I need something from God. I’m not trying to connect with Him. And usually, I don’t offer much to God in return.

Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you’re only praying because you really want God to come through for you on your math test you didn’t actually study for. Or maybe, you just want to get accepted into that one college. Have you ever felt like you want to pray, but God’s just not there? Or maybe He just has better things to do than listen to you. Do you ever find yourself praying only when life is difficult and stuff seems out of control? Because I do. I’m guilty of doing it a lot.

The Bible is full of people who asked God for a lot of things. When I look at the Psalms, I can see it’s obvious that King David asked for a lot. He often screamed out to God, “Where are you? Because I don’t think you’re here.” Even though King David sometimes felt like he was talking to the walls of his palace, he knew that God was always there, listening and guiding his every move. He was connecting with God.

God wants you to connect with Him, too. We have to remember to pray when times are good or bad. King David did; he let God into every aspect of his life—including when he messed things up big time. Just saying a quick prayer to tell God how awesome He is or thanking Him for a sunny day is connecting with Him. Praying while you’re doing laps in gym class or when you’re bored is connecting with Him. You don’t have to be “super spiritual” to connect with God. You just have to pray.

Pray: Tell God some of the things you’re thankful for. Ask Him to help you focus more on connecting with Him.

Do: Write God a quick note telling Him how awesome He is and why you’re thankful for Him. Keep it in your wallet as a reminder to connect with Him in every situation.

SUM 11: Service and Notes: Day 5

Psalm 5:1-3
What can we learn about saturation praying from David?

The Bible commands us, as followers, to pray and to pray often. We can see
this through every book of the Bible, as every character of every story cries
out to praise God or to ask for His provision and guidance. We can learn from
the lives of men like King David, the apostles Paul and James, and of course,
Jesus, the Son of God.

Discussion Questions:
1. When you think of the phrase, “saturation praying,” what do you think of?
Does it seem like something that you can do?

2. Take a moment to open your Bible to the book of Psalms. Read a few of
the short chapters that you see. What sticks out most to you about the verses
you’re reading?

3. What do you think of when you hear “pray without ceasing?” How is it
possible in today’s world?

4. Read Matt. 7:7-8 and 1 Thes. 5:16-18. What do these verses have in common?

5. What can you do to live a life of “saturation praying?”

Challenge: Set an alarm to remind you to spend time talking to God this week
about your deepest thoughts. Tell Him your hopes and dreams, ask Him to
guide you in the right direction. Consider praying silent prayers

SUM 11: Day 3

Psalm 119:9-16

How can a young man, or woman, keep his way pure? By meditating
on God’s Word.

There is a teenager in India who is said to have been meditating for the majority of his short life. He is said to sit in the bottom of a hollowed-out tree, where he receives no food or drink. Instead, as it is said, he receives nourishment from the universe as he meditates.

How about you? How much time to you spend alone with God’s Word? How often do you ponder what God’s Word means? Psalm 119:9-16 says the only way to keep your way pure is by meditating on God’s Word. A simple way to describe meditating is “thinking about something.”

Pray: Thank God for His Word. Ask Him to help you develop a desire
to continually meditate on His Word.

Do: Think about God’s Word often today. Find ways to keep God’s
Word on your mind!