HeritageBuilders

It all begins with you! You can not give what you do not have. So, you must develop the discipline of
"unhurried time" with God. It is during this time that He will teach you his promises and principles and
how to apply them. Your life becomes the example for your kids. During this time, you will learn how to
research life's issues and apply God's Word. Then, you will feel comfortable researching issues you
want to teach your kids to help them in how they relate and apply it in their lives.

It all starts with "unhurried time." If you try and squeeze God into your schedule, you will find that you
are more concerned about the time frame than God's words to you. Back your day up to begin at a
time when there is no rush. Set aside enough time that you can truly focus on His Word. If you think
getting up earlier will not work because you will be too tired, ask yourself, "cannot the God that made
you sustain you for spending time with Him?" The first fruits concept applies to our time as well as our
money!

So to get you started, the following is an effective process:

Start with Prayer: invite God to clear your mind of all its distractions and ask that He would make His
heart known to you this day to prepare you for what is in store.

Read God's Word: It all starts by getting into God's Word. We speak to God in prayer, but one of the
primary ways He speaks to us is through His Word. The Holy Spirit is put in place to help us know the
heart of God through the Word of God.

A couple thoughts: First, to get the maximum impact, begin by researching issues that you are dealing
with such as; change, anger, lusts, friendships. Use a contemporary concordance to locate the issues
and their associated verses, then read the passages. Or, if you are not struggling with any issues,
pick a book and begin to study it. Understand that God's principles are either stated, as in John 3:16,
implied, as with the parable of the talents, or illustrated, such as in the story of Noah. Read to find
the promises and principles.

Let us give you an example. Jim Weidmann shares. "I was in the middle of a job change and I needed
guidance and confidence to pursue God's will. Therefore, I would get up brew a pot of coffee and
head to my "quiet place" to read about leaders in the Bible that went through changes. My desire was
to study their interaction with God to learn how they knew and would follow His will. I looked for God's
character qualities in relating to them and His conversations with them. From Moses, I learned that
part of God's miracles are in the timing.
- From Joshua, I learned to be strong and courageous.
- From Daniel I learned to be uncompromising.
- From Paul I learned to be sensitive to God's leading pray for the opening and closing of doors.
- From all, I learned that God will never leave me nor forsake me as I walk in obedience and He is
directing me to what is best."

Write down the specific verses or principles as you study the verses. Once you read a portion of
scripture looking for verses or phrases that pop out, go to a commentary and understand the principle
from this situation. Write them down, God is speaking to you! As you journal, you will find God is
writing you a love letter in the format of Proverbs! He is enlightening you to His truths of scripture as
they apply to your life.

Reflect or meditate on the truth. What is God trying to tell you? How does this apply to your life? Ask
yourself, "Do I need an attitude change, do I need to stop doing something, do I need to pray for
strength and courage, do I need to apologize to someone, do I need to take a certain course of
action at home or work? It will be obvious and it will relate to your situation. If it does not hit you
that day, He may be building on truth to get you to a level of confidence where you can take action.

Adjust: Take the action. Don't wait for another encounter with God, this is the encounter and God
just gave you guidance. "The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord!" You may feel that
God is not moving in your life. Again ask yourself, "did I do what God asked me to do in obedience?" If
not, He may be waiting for you to take the first step, because the other truth in play is "the prayers
of a righteous (obedient) man are powerful and effective." Our prayers are tied to our obedience. So,
go back to the last time God ask you to do something that perhaps you ignored and do it. Richard
Blackaby states: "What you do to adjust says more about what you believe than what you say."

Pray for great wisdom and discernment in understanding and applying these truths. Have confidence
that God will give you wisdom (as He promises in James 1:5), grace, and courage to deal with
whatever life throws at you.

Watch as God uses the truth in your life. This is one way you know God exists! He validates His
presence through answered prayer and divine movements.

Listen again to Jim Weidmann. "In one of my quiet times, I asked God to prepare me for my day. I
knew that I was expecting a decision on a large gift to the ministry. The Principle I wrote in my journal
was: A faithful servant is someone who follows no matter what the outcome. To my dismay, I did not
get my funding, yet I will stay faithful to my calling. (God has been faithful in providing manna!)

Begin to get serious about your relationship with God. Just like your relationship with your spouse or
kids will take an investment of sacrificial, quality time, so will your relationship with God. And when
you do, you will wonder what took you so long to get so serious!