Category: blog

This article is written by Shemeca Richard for the Deeply Rooted Devotional series. To submit a guest blog, click here.

Searching through the dark, I stubbed my toe as I reached for the small lamp on the desk.  It is 4 am.  I am searching for my Bible, notebook, and pencil bag.  It is time to connect with God through quiet time. 

Quiet time is that special time that is set aside to fellowship and connect with God.  Building a personal relationship and connecting with God is important.  It is through our personal relationship that we can observe miracles, signs, and wonders.  Connecting with God through quiet time is the foundation to building that relationship.  It is through quiet time that we can get deeply rooted in the Word of God.  We can connect with God through quiet time through praying, praising/worshiping, meditating, and/or reading the Bible or devotionals.  

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 

Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

I start my quiet time by waking up an hour or two earlier.  I know that some of you may be laughing right now, but I have found this to be the most effective way for me to have quiet time and get connected with God.  There is nothing like being alone with God while the rest of the world is sleeping.

It is through quiet time that we can get deeply rooted in the Word of God.

Shemeca Richard

Connect with God by Reading and Studying the Bible

Why read the Bible?  The Bible is our Book of Life that tells us the do’s and don’ts about life as a Christian.  Through getting connected with God’s word through the Bible we learn about his commands and instructions.  The Bible teaches us to desire God more and to sin less.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

Reading the Bible provides encouragement and refreshment for the soul.   

 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,     but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:4 (ESV)

When reading the Bible during quiet time, take your time and meditate.  Take your time and get an understanding of the scripture. Remember you are getting instructions on how to live and lead your life. 

How to meditate on scripture

Write out the verse(s) that stands out to you. Ask yourself, “What did I learn? How can I apply what I learned to my life?”

Pause and listen to the Holy Spirit for a revelation of the scripture.  Use the reference section of the Bible to help you get a better revelation of the scripture.  

To start reading the Bible, start by reading one book at a time.  If you do not know where to start, a great place to start is with the book of John and then Psalms.  Ask God for guidance from there. Daily devotionals and topical studies are a great way to get connected with God and get deeply rooted in the Word of  God as well.

Praise and Worship the Lord in your quiet time.

Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing. 

Psalm 100:2 (ESV)

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! 

Psalm 150:6 (ESV)

Praise is an expression of love and glorifying God for who He is.  Worship is remembering God for who He is and what He has done in your life.  Praise and worship are the gatekeepers to access the presence of God.  Praise and worship are great ways to connect with God on a daily basis.

Communicate with God through Prayer

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

Daily prayer is essential to our relationship with God.  Prayer is how we communicate our praises, thoughts, requests, needs, hopes, and worship to the Lord. Prayer is a great way to connect with God, as prayer consists of us speaking, meditating, and listening. During prayer allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you during the moment.

The key to connecting with God is the consistency of fellowship (spending time with God in prayer, meditation, and praise/worship. Try to keep your routine consistent throughout the week. 

My quiet time has become a habit and part of my life. There are some mornings that I may only get through a few verses.  Some days I do not get it right.  Some mornings I am a mess and cannot focus. There are few mornings that my quiet time may be a silent tear-filled prayer with soft worship music. But the beauty of the whole process is that I am able to spend quality time to fellowship and connect with God.  We serve an awesome and loving God who sees our hearts and longs for fellowship and connect with us.

This article is written by Emily Darnell for the Deeply Rooted Devotional series. To submit a guest blog, click here.

We know that growing deeper in grace and truth means coming to God’s Word with a desire to learn.  We say “yes Lord!” when we read: “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” (John 8:31). Today I want to look at a few passages that will encourage you to continue in His word.

Turn with me to John 5:39-40 for a moment:

 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”  

This is the very same attitude Adam and Eve displayed in the garden.  They were tempted by the idea of obtaining the knowledge of good and evil apart from God.  Without much thought, they ate the fruit that would, so they believed, remove their need to depend on Him.

Here in John 5, this same situation is expressed in the search for knowledge leading to eternal life.  We too can be swayed to seek knowledge without having to depend on Him.  We can try to master techniques, or idolize a particular teacher, or try to keep a daily routine, without realizing we’ve been trying to do all of this apart from Christ.     

There is a way to read and study that will lead our hearts and minds astray.  There are also ways to come to Him “that we may have life,” to delight in His words, to abide in His words, and become more deeply rooted.  Here are just a few ways to ensure you are coming to Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, while you search the Scriptures.  

1. Remind yourself seasonally that you do not have understanding apart from Him. Come back often to the portions of Scripture that will remind you of all that He does in you while you abide in His words. (1 Cor 2, 2 Cor 4, John 15, Ephesians 4-5, Colossians 2, 1 Timothy 4, 2 Timothy 3, for example.) We have “received the Spirit who is from God, that we may know the things freely given to us by God.” (1 Cor 2:12)  A natural man, apart from the indwelling Spirit, cannot know these things.  So we do not set about learning on our own, we depend on Him abiding in us.  
2. Write Psalm 119:18 where you can pray it before your times in the Word.  I write it in my journal when I begin a new one; I have it written on a sticky note placed just inside my Bible.  Perhaps you could write in on a bookmark?

3. Schedule times to feast on the Word.  In John 6:56 and 63 Jesus taught that one must “eat” using a word that means continually.  This is not a bite, this is a feast.  While we will have our daily times to read and pray and reflect, growing deep roots means including weekly times for more in depth study.  To help with this, buy a commentary for the book you’ll study, invest in a good concordance, and if you can, join a Bible study offered at your local church.  

4. Do not separate portions of your spiritual life.  Keep prayer and Bible Study together.  Pray without ceasing as you read, study, question, journal, etc.  Jesus taught His disciples in John 15 to abide in His word, and then ask.  Let your prayers be shaped by His words.  When I am struggling, I turn to Ephesians 1 and 3, or to a favorite Psalm.

5. Have a plan, but be flexible.  Different seasons of life will call for different ways of setting aside time, so be willing to scrap your plan and make a new one.  If you set out to read the Bible in a year, but take 15 months, you have not failed.  The goal should be more about feasting on His word, rather than about beating the clock.  Make use of spare moments, perhaps even listen to Scripture while you iron or fold laundry, or drive to work.   

6. Memorize portions of Scripture, so that you can meditate on them throughout your days.  When I take the puppy out in the early morning or late at night, I often run through a passage in my mind, and pray.  While at the chiropractors office, laying on the table for ten minutes hooked up to the electric stim machine, I turn my mind toward a passage I’ve hidden in my heart.  

7. Let your prayers echo Jesus’ desire for you found in John 17:3,  “O that I might know YOU more, the One True God!”  O that we would all grow deeper in our abiding, deeply rooted in the knowledge of the One who loves you. 

Be patient with yourself, knowing this growth does not happen all at once.  He is Fountain of Living Water, the source of all your soul craves and needs.  Drink deeply, often, and with the mindset that you do not do this on your own.  We come to Him that we may have life, that we may learn and grow, and that we may have the mind of Christ.  

This article is written by Michelle Mackey for the Deeply Rooted Devotional series. To submit a guest blog, click here.

Spring is finally here! Winter has broken, the snow has melted, and flowers are sprouting. While I’m excited to spend more time outside in the warm weather and sunshine, I also know it’s time to clean up all the dead leaves and plants from last year to make way for new growth. 

As I tend to the flowerbeds around my house, I also take the opportunity to cultivate my spiritual life. You can too. 

Evaluate

Now that winter is done, it’s time to evaluate your flowerbed’s condition. Take a few minutes to observe your spiritual flower bed. What kind of state is it in? Do your spiritual flowerbeds need a touch-up or a complete overhaul? Are there old dead plants? Weeds or other plants sprouting already? Or Is it a clean bed of dirt, ready for planting? 

“When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent,”

Psalm 4:4

Clear dead stuff

First, clear away the dead stuff and weeds planted in your heart and life. This dead stuff hinders our growth, much like a thick layer of leaves kills grass. Ask God to show you what to let go of and what to pull. Just like the dead growth from last year. 

• What isn’t working for you?
• Where are you going through the motions?

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you,”

James 1:21

Identify and Pull weeds

Part of cultivating a new flowerbed is to clear out all the unwanted items. Every spring I struggle to identify what’s planted in my gardens. Ask the Father to guide you in weed identification. Practice patience as you wait to determine what is a weed or plant. The Father knows what will bear fruit. Bathe this process in prayer and a listening spirit. 

• Are there habits or thoughts growing that aren’t supposed to be there? 
• “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice,” Ephesians 4:31.

Pray for courage to pull the weeds God leads you to. Then throw the dead stuff and weeds in God’s compost bin. He is faithful and just and will transform those items into beautiful compost!

Pray for courage to pull the weeds God leads you to.

Michelle Mackey

Don’t Compare

Not all plants are meant to grow in all locations. Plants need the right amount of sun, soil, and water. Do not judge the flowers God asks you to grow with the flowers your neighbor grows. Conditions in each garden are different. Just because your neighbor can grow tomato plants, does not mean you’ll be able to. 

Do not judge the flowers God asks you to grow with the flowers your neighbor grows.

Michelle Mackey

For example, my neighbor grows beautiful tomato plants, and I cannot because of the black walnut tree in my backyard. Optimistically one year I bought 6 tomato plants and planted them. My total tomato yield was 5 marble sized tomatoes for the entire season. Why? Walnut trees produce a chemical which inhibits the growth of nearby plants. Lesson learned. 

Instead, work with the garden you’re given and compare only your past to your present. Those hopes, dreams and joys that are uniquely yours. 

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well,”

Psalm 139:14

Compost weeds and dead stuff

Only a gardener could see a pile of old leaves, twigs and apple cores and be excited about the possibilities. Most people see those things as useless, however, those things when mixed and given time, process into compost which enriches the soil. 

When you have weeds such as fear, worry, resentment, bitterness, or gossip, throw them into God’s compost bin. He transforms them into beautiful, life-giving compost to enrich your roots in Him.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,”

Romans 8:28

New Plants

Putting new plants in is fun. You literally plant hope in the ground. Hope for warm weather and sunshine. Hope of beauty in the flowers to bloom. 

Arranging new plants amidst already established ones brings new life to your spiritual garden. If you have spiritual disciplines you practice on a regular basis, try a new spiritual discipline. Look at the following list to try something new. 

Spiritual Disciplines: study, prayer, fasting, confession, worship, fellowship, rest, celebration, service, generosity, chastity, or disciple-making.

For example, if you study and pray, try fasting. 

Experimenting with new spiritual disciplines allows you to grow new roots in Him and experience a deeper relationship. 

Michelle Mackey

See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being, I announce them to you,”

Isaiah 42:9

Water and Watch Grow

You’ve done a lot of work on your spiritual garden. Time for a rest, a sabbath. Time to savor the labor put in and wait for the sunshine and rain to grow the seedlings God planted in your heart.

• Read the word to allow God’s Son to shine on your heart. 
• Spend time with Him to let his Word soak into your thirsty heart. 
• Pray to allow hope for new growth to flourish in your garden. 

Allow the sunshine and water of His presence to bless your soul as you become deeply rooted in Him!

This article is written by Zamy of Beautiful Blisters as part of the Deeply Rooted series. To submit a guest blog, click here.

Has your walk with God become a vicarious thrill? You try to pray but the words seem too heavy for your lips to mutter. Let’s be honest, seeking God can get hard at times especially when we have to deal with grief and pain.

But what do we do when we are faced with the option of conforming to our past, doing life without God, and following God forward as he transforms us into his fullness despite the hard place.

We can ask the question “how do I seek God?” and sometimes it won’t feel enough except we dive deeper to knowing why we seek God in the first place.

When I can’t see what I seek

Most times we stop seeking God not because he is no longer worthy or glorious enough to captivate us but that we have become complacent. There is a potentially great evil embedded within ease and comfort which poses a great threat to our pursuit of God.

Man is prone to wander when something other than God becomes his wonder. He no longer seeks life from the fountain of life but resorts to not just drifting away from God but hewing out a broken cistern; a temporary distraction for his misery as described in Jeremiah 2:13.

Christ indeed died to secure our salvation eternally but this reality doesn’t whisk away the reality of the difficulty to be encountered on the path of righteousness. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (see Matthew 7:14 NKJV)

The path of righteousness is not without the pangs of righteousness and many times we find it difficult to pursue God when we come face to face with adversity. It’s as though the flame that once burned bright is now reduced to an ember our eyes can barely see.

Pause. Reflect. Check your heart. What are your priorities? Could it be that something other than God sits on the throne of your heart? Idols are tricky. Something as good as family, relationships, success can become an idol when God is no longer at the center.

Disconnect to connect.

In this era of buffet information, we’ll find ourselves in a flux of knowledge and if we’re not careful enough to sift out the lies from the truth, the external noise is bound to drown our faith. What you feed grows. If you consistently stuff yourself with life-giving content, your faith responds with growth.

More than ever the instruction to guard our hearts stands as a sure means to protect the treasure of our faith.

If you consistently stuff yourself with life-giving content, your faith responds with growth.

Zamy Jay

What are you listening to? Are you listening to love or the voice of fear? Are you feeding your faith or your flesh, the part of you always wanting to negate God?

It will be unwise to desire God and not desire his word. The best way to feed your faith is to listen to Love. Listen to God through his word. As you approach God via scriptures, prayerfully engage with your friend and teacher, the Holy Spirit. We have an assurance of God’s promise to draw close to us when we intentionally make efforts to draw near to him. (See James 4:8)

If you have to cut back on social media to hear God clearly, please do not hesitate. 

There’s Ample Grace for the Humble

Your walk is precious to him. He delights in your process and may I announce to you, your struggles are very much a part of the process. He saw this moment even before you hit a wall.  Don’t you think it would be somewhat silly to exclude God from your struggles, acting like he’s unaware of the difficulty you’re facing chasing him?

God always resists the proud but you know he does to the humble? He gives ample grace! (See James 4:6)

Who are these humble people on whom God bestows favour and grace?

Those who are honest with where they’re at in their journey of faith. Those who recognise, embrace and surrender their weakness to God as a canvass for him to display his strength.

Those who lean not on their wisdom but set their hope fully on the grace that is supplied by the Spirit of God indwelling them. These are the humble one’s. They are able to remember God in their valleys of pain and discomfort as much as they do on the mountains of influence and success.

There’s no other better way to show humility than to approach God in prayer. Engage him in your process. The hard place provides us with an invaluable opportunity to be deeply rooted in God. In God’s purposeful hand, nothing is wasted. Make room for him in your struggles, he is more than willing to supply grace to you.

The hard place provides us with an invaluable opportunity to be deeply rooted in God.

Zamy Jay

Seek, you will find!

Worship is one sure way to remind yourself of the magnificence of God. When we extol God in worship, hope rises and our faith is strengthened again. Feeling weak? It might be the best time to turn on some worship music and revel in the goodness of God.

Paul says in Philippians, the one who has begun this work in you is faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6) He chose you, he called you, he equipped for this life and when you’re falling, his mercy waits at every end to hold you up.

Reach out to him when it’s hard to trust. When the voice of fear gets louder than the voice of faith, may you remember the God who is able to help your unbelief.

And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV

This article is written by Jennifer Yates as part of the Deeply Rooted series. To submit a guest blog, click here.

Our property is lined with pecan trees that have stood for almost a century. Several generations have called this farm home. But over the years, the trees have grown old. They haven’t been pruned or fertilized. And for the last several years, they have begun to bear less fruit. Rather than gathering nuts, we have mostly been gathering broken limbs. 

After several hurricanes and severe flooding in our area, several of the trees have been completely uprooted. Even though these trees have stood many years, after much neglect they are slowly dying and creating more labor than bounty.

As followers of Christ, we are called to grow, flourish, and bear fruit for the kingdom of God. But without being deeply rooted in the Word of God, we will struggle to produce good fruit. Rather than bearing love, joy, and peace, our spiritual lives will grow empty and stagnant. 

As followers of Christ, we are called to grow, flourish, and bear fruit for the kingdom of God.

Jennifer Yates

Just as a new baby needs to be nourished in order to grow, we too must feed our spirit so we can grow and mature in the Lord.

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good”

1 Peter 2:2-3, NIV

I know from experience. When I first became a follower of Christ, I was single, in college, and in love with Jesus. Coming from an unchurched home, I knew nothing of the Bible. Once I got into the Word, I couldn’t get enough of discipleship class, asking questions, studying, and growing in my understanding of truth.

A couple years later, I started my first job as a teacher and got married, all in the same year. Suddenly, many things were vying for my attention, and it became harder and harder to stay committed to daily time in the Word. My joy turned to grumpiness; my peace became anxiety. Because I had neglected my spiritual growth, I grew frustrated and empty.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

Out of desperation, I finally surrendered to the truth in John 15, that apart from Christ, I can do nothing. I committed myself to daily time in the Word, no matter what. As I got back in the pages of Scripture, I began to hunger once again for those life-giving words. Slowly and steadily, my joy and peace returned. 

The truth is that our soul will always have to battle between the flesh and the spirit. The flesh wants comfort and convenience. Our spirit desires communion with God. But we will convince ourselves we can make it on our own. Just a little devotional reading and a prayer here and there will suffice. But it’s a lie from the enemy.

Just as those pecan trees needed pruning and fertilizing, our spirits need to be nourished with the Word. The Word of God is living and active. The Holy Spirit uses those Words to bring conviction and instruction, discipline, and encouragement. We can’t grow unless our roots go deep, and that requires time and focus.

As women, those two commodities are often hard to find, but with a little intentionality and strategy, we can make it work. It’s not about perfection or ritual or duty; it’s about the heart and the desire. If we start there, God will do the rest. 

Once we take responsibility for our spiritual growth and commit ourselves to daily time in the Word, the Holy Spirit will fuel our hunger for more. That’s why I encourage women to start with just fifteen minutes a day. Just taking that step can make all the difference, as long as we are intentional about it. 

Once we take responsibility for our spiritual growth and commit ourselves to daily time in the Word, the Holy Spirit will fuel our hunger for more.

Jennifer Yates

In fifteen minutes, we can read a chapter in its original context. We can then ask, “What does this Scripture teach me about God?” We can journal our thoughts and respond to God in prayer. As we do, the Holy Spirit will use that Word to teach, correct, and encourage, and we adjust our lives accordingly. That is how we nourish our spiritual growth. 

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God”

Colossians 1:9-10

Have you been struggling lately to walk in the peace and joy of the Spirit? Maybe like me, you have tried to get by with Sunday church and an occasional devotion. Don’t let the enemy keep you too busy or distracted to spend time in the Word. Decide right now that you will commit fifteen minutes a day to invest in your spiritual growth.

Don’t let the enemy keep you too busy or distracted to spend time in the Word.

Jennifer Yates

Let your roots go deep in God’s Word, and watch Him produce the fruit of it in your life. Pretty soon, you’ll be growing and thriving, and others will see that bounty as evidence of a faithful God.