Have you ever walked into a room and forgot why you were there? Sometimes at night, I find myself making multiple trips up and down our stairs at home because I have forgotten to set the coffee, and pack my lunch, turn down the heat, grab my chapstick . . . The list goes on.
This happens from (1) breaking routine and/or (2) being overwhelmed.
When I have a different routine I forget things. If I put my wallet in a different spot I forget to grab it and then freak out halfway through the day because I think I left it at home. Oh and then there’s my schedule. When my days are filled to the brim with meetings, activities, and tasks I feel like butter spread across too much toast.
When my routine is flowing and I have the right boundaries in my schedule I become super productive and effective – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
A key part of my routine is prayer.
Here’s an honest confession from a pastor. One of the first things to get bumped in my routine is prayer and scripture reading. Like I seriously stink at the whole Bible App streaks thing. LIke I have 67 days in the Bible App but only 4 perfect weeks so far this year. (I’m currently on a 10-day streak and my best 2019 streak is 41 days)
Prayer is one of the top topics that Jesus talked about a lot. He even taught the disciples how to pray, while modeling how to pray in front of them.
God wants to be a part of your everyday life. A life of supernatural power is promised to ever Christian (Acts 1:8), but it takes work.
Today, be intentional about being filled with the Holy Spirit. Don’t face life on your own. God has given us His Spirit of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
“A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.” Proverbs 27:7 NLT
Never shop when your hungry!
That’s the lesson I’ve learned over the last 16 years of buying my own food. Whenever I go to the grocery store hungry everything sounds good, I overbuy and become distracted from the purpose I went to the store with.
The same rings true in our spirit, only with much larger consequences. When you are full of the Spirit of God (Ephesians 5:18) there isn’t room for anything else. The sweet, tempting things in life are unappealing.
As you begin every day say this prayer:
“God fill me with your Spirit. Holy Spirit lead me. Give me supernatural power to minister to the people I meet. I surrender to your will.”
A truth that transcends every socioeconomic class, every culture, every ethnic group, is that fulfillment is found in the process of looking for God completely and living God’s way. It is in those two acts, looking and living, that we find what we most desire. Joy, peace, meaning, and value.
Jesus said is simply like this:
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 NLT
Start with prayer, ask God to fill you with His Spirit, to give you His power, wisdom, peace, comfort, conviction, and discernment.
“Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
And match your prayers with scripture, take time to read what God has for you. His word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) ready to bring life to your soul.
Find time to read John chapter 14, 15, 16, and Acts chapter 1. Jesus teaches us about the Holy Spirit and what He brings when He comes upon us, dwells in us, and is with us I all situations. Test this out
Lastly, pray for God to give you the power of His Holy Spirit.
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A great tool is YouVersion. It is the Bible app that lets you connect with friends and find great devotional to help you get started. You will also have access to a large variety of translations to help gain understanding and determine the meaning of scripture.