Promises and Books Read

As the year comes to an end and a promise of new beginnings illuminates my future, I have been pondering the changes I'd like to make. I've pondered myself right into a short list of promises I'm making to myself for the coming year. 

The first promise is to draw closer to God. I've said for years that I want to be close enough to God to hear His heartbeat. I've struggled with the how of that desire. But, I sense that I'm in a new season of my life and I hope to move closer to Him. I will nurture several disciplines this coming year in pursuit of that desire: Bible reading, Bible study, prayer, worship, silence/listening, etc. Now that I'm using Professor Horner's Reading system, my daily Bible reading has been both consistent and more meaningful. But, as meaningful as it is, it is not an indepth Bible Study so I want to set aside time for indepth Bible study using the Inductive Study Bible. Daily times of prayer, Monday fasts, First Friday Fasts (F3), and a few longer fasts are planned to keep me in communication with the Lord. Worship and times of silence and solitude will be aspects of my prayer time since prayer is as much (or more) about worshiping and listening to God as it is about asking.

The second promise is to follow the promptings of the Spirit to be actively involved in ministry through the Reaching Our Community Ministry, starting a teen Sunday School class, music ministry, and Intercessory Prayer Group (WIN). After almost 8 years of being hobbled at the former church, my spirit is more than eager to spread it's wings.

The third promise relates to two other Christian/spiritual disciplines: simplicity and frugality. I've been "moving toward" these but not consistently and purposefully as I wish I had. What is voluntary simplicity and frugality? It is making the conscious choice to reduce and/or minimize one's personal possessions and spending habits for the purpose of having more to use for the Kingdom. There is a quote that I think explains it well:

The bread you do not eat is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of the one who is naked; the shoes you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit. ~Basil of Caesarea

I've been reading and listening to audiobooks lately. They are building my understanding of prayer and who we are in Christ. I highly recommend the following: "How to be a Prayer Warrior" by Derek Prince, "Intercessory Prayer" by Dutch Sheets (audiobook), and "Lioness Arising" by Lisa Bevere (audiobook). I intend to reread the Prince book and take notes. I was so taken by Dutch's book that I listened to it twice and ordered the workbook. Lisa's book is so inspiring! I finished it today and started listening again. I intend to order the "Safari Guide" for that one as well. It felt like Lisa was speaking to me, to my spirit and my spirit responded with a "YES" and "AMEN".

I continue to read my 10 chapters each day -- it is just really a PITA to keep noting which chapters so forgive me for abandoning that aspect of the blog. The corporate fast starts January 2nd and I will be aiming at 20 chapters per day...we'll see how that goes!