“The longer the tea bag sits in the cup, the stronger the tea. The more God’s Word saturates our minds, the clearer our grasp on what’s important to Him and the stronger our prayers.” —Joni Eareckson Tada My sister Sophie came across this quote, and I quite liked it. If you don’t know who Joni Eareckson Tada is, after a diving accident when she was a teenager, she was paralyzed from the shoulders down. Since then, though, she’s lived a very full life. She has a beautiful singing voice, has written many books, paints with a paintbrush in her mouth, and is an advocate for the disabled.
Back to the quote: I love hot tea. And I like my tea strong. I let my tea brew for a good long while. We need to do the same thing with God’s Word. We need to be letting God’s Word saturate our minds by reading it (every day, if possible!), and also thinking on it. The more we read it, the closer we grow to the Lord, and, like Joni Eareckson Tada said, “the clearer our grasp on what’s important to Him and the stronger our prayers.” For several years now, I have started my day by reading my Bible while drinking a cup of tea. I started doing this after watching my mama do it. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started reading more, making a prayer list and praying through it, journaling, and sometimes reading another devotional book during this time in the morning. It’s become something I truly enjoy doing, not just something I do because I think I should. And I’d like to encourage you to read the Word, too. If you already have a daily time set aside for Bible reading and prayer, then keep it up. If you don’t yet, then make time. Here’s what Elisabeth Elliot has to say about it: “Having a quiet time with the Lord every day is absolutely essential if you expect to grow spiritually. But you have to plan it. It won’t ‘just happen.’ We’re all much too busy. Early morning is best, and there are plenty of scriptural precedents for that (Jesus rose ‘a great while before day’; the psalmist said, ‘In the morning shalt Thou hear my voice’). If you meet the Lord before you meet anybody else, you’ll be ‘pointed in the right direction’ for whatever comes. God knows how difficult it is for some to do this, and if you have a reason you can offer Him why early morning won’t work, I’m sure He’ll help you to find another time. […] At any rate, plan the time. Make up your mind to stick with it. Make it short to begin with – fifteen minutes or so, perhaps. You’ll be surprised at how soon you’ll be wanting more.” (– Elisabeth Elliot in “Keep a Quiet Heart”). What about you? How has having a time set aside for Bible reading and prayer helped you? Have any tips or encouragement? Always remember, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it,” (1 Th. 5:24). All for Him, Savannah Jane
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Hi! I'm Savannah Jane...I'm the author of several books for children and young adults with a passion to encourage young people to live for Jesus. The third born in an amazing family of seven children, I was homeschooled all the way through. This is where I share encouragement for Christian girls, updates about my books, writing tips, book and movie reviews, and assorted other tidbits. Archives
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Quote"When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds."
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