Mala bubbled with enthusiasm. “I’ve finished reading the Bible once through.”
“Terrific!”
“Yes...but I have often wondered, when I listen to inspired speakers...where their eloquence comes from! God’s Word seems to gush from their lips like a fountain. How do they find the right Bible verse for every situation...how do they memorise...how do they remember?”
“Man reaps what he sows. If he sows sparingly, the harvest is meagre. If he sows generously, the harvest is bountiful. We reap the fruit of our labour. God will bless abundantly the labour of our hands.
“We must be familiar with the Bible both in our mother tongue and English. There are plenty of Bible study books, Bible dictionaries and concordances in English. The New International Version is excellent. When you read the Bible, keep yourself alert to hear God speaking to you. Read it prayerfully and you will hear the words of counsel, comfort, reproof or admonition that you need at that moment. Memorise verses whenever you can - atleast one verse a day. Start with your favourite passage. I began with the Sermon on the Mount.
“Don’t hesitate to underline or write notes on your Bible. The dirtier your Bible gets, the cleaner you become! You can always get another copy. Studying it earnestly is the most important thing.
“Come upstairs. I’ll show you uncle’s Bibles. Seeing is believing!”
Mala’s eyes widened with astonishment as she leafed through the pages, crowded with red lines, cross references, footnotes, comments, etc, etc. I passed the entire collection of my husband’s Bibles to her.
“I never dreamed of reading the Bible this way. But I do want to now. Thanks so much. I enjoy reading the Bible but when I get down on my knees my troubles begin...”
“Troubles?” I queried.
“My wandering mind...I seem to have no control over it.”
“Actually, prayer must be spontaneous - like a conversation. You must feel free to talk to God anytime anywhere. But it is helpful to follow a discipline and set apart a time for prayer. Choose a time that suits you. May be 5.30 to 6.30 in the morning and 10 to 10.30 in the evening. When the clock strikes the hour, get down on your knees. That will keep you from many pitfalls.
“Don’t bury your face in your pillow when you pray....you may go to sleep...”
“Are you talking from experience?” She quipped with a giggle.
“Don’t pray in your bed. When you wake up, brush your teeth, wash your face, comb your hair, and then sing a song. Then read your Bible and pray.”
“Uh?! God needs so much make-up ya?”
“It’s not for God, it’s for you, so that you’ll become really awake and feel fresh....Pray aloud! That should keep your wandering mind on a leash! Don’t be vague. When you pray, be very specific. You can even write down and number the specific topics for your prayer. If you suddenly recall some important chore that you had forgotten, just jot it down so that you can attend to it, immediately after prayer. That will set your mind at ease. Keep your Bible near you, in case God prompts you to look up a verse.
“To begin with, praise God - first for His greatness and glory; then count your blessings and give thanks; then examine yourself -acknowledge the sins that you committed, pray for pardon.
“Next, present your requests. Pray for the salvation of your family. Pray for important issues in your life. Pray for guidance in dealing with your daily matters. In the evening, remember to pray for lost souls, for revival and for missionary work.
“Sweet Hour of Prayer is not always our experience. The Devil knows that failure in prayer means failure in life. So he would stop at nothing to destroy our prayer life. Therefore pray without ceasing. Pray fervently. Pray trusting that God hears you. If you fall asleep, pray as soon as you wake up. If you feel sleepy, walk while you pray. Never give in, whatever the reason.”
“One lifetime is not enough to know God,” she sighed.
I smiled and nodded in agreement.
“I’m broke most of the time. Dad is not very generous...he drops a coin or two, grudgingly, when I hold out my begging bowl. But most of the time I know what to expect...that hateful word, No!”
“Agreed...that’s very frustrating. But we must learn to put up with these annoyances and frustrations. You grumbled about your Christmas clothes too. I was impulsive to speak to you right then. But I was afraid you might think I was nagging. Money, clothes, comforts...they are necessary but not worth fretting about. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Grumbling is sin against God. Be happy and satisfied with all that God has given you.”
But she was still calculating....that little materialist! “Yoo, hoo. I have a good idea. I’m going to keep a piggy bank and buy a Bible out of what I can save!”
“Good! Make sure at least 10% is given to God.”
“You’re grabbing even my dream piggy bank!” She protested rolling her eyes in mock horror.
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
Mala bubbled with enthusiasm. “I’ve finished reading the Bible once through.”
“Terrific!”
“Yes...but I have often wondered, when I listen to inspired speakers...where their eloquence comes from! God’s Word seems to gush from their lips like a fountain. How do they find the right Bible verse for every situation...how do they memorise...how do they remember?”
“Man reaps what he sows. If he sows sparingly, the harvest is meagre. If he sows generously, the harvest is bountiful. We reap the fruit of our labour. God will bless abundantly the labour of our hands.
“We must be familiar with the Bible both in our mother tongue and English. There are plenty of Bible study books, Bible dictionaries and concordances in English. The New International Version is excellent. When you read the Bible, keep yourself alert to hear God speaking to you. Read it prayerfully and you will hear the words of counsel, comfort, reproof or admonition that you need at that moment. Memorise verses whenever you can - atleast one verse a day. Start with your favourite passage. I began with the Sermon on the Mount.
“Don’t hesitate to underline or write notes on your Bible. The dirtier your Bible gets, the cleaner you become! You can always get another copy. Studying it earnestly is the most important thing.
“Come upstairs. I’ll show you uncle’s Bibles. Seeing is believing!”
Mala’s eyes widened with astonishment as she leafed through the pages, crowded with red lines, cross references, footnotes, comments, etc, etc. I passed the entire collection of my husband’s Bibles to her.
“I never dreamed of reading the Bible this way. But I do want to now. Thanks so much. I enjoy reading the Bible but when I get down on my knees my troubles begin...”
“Troubles?” I queried.
“My wandering mind...I seem to have no control over it.”
“Actually, prayer must be spontaneous - like a conversation. You must feel free to talk to God anytime anywhere. But it is helpful to follow a discipline and set apart a time for prayer. Choose a time that suits you. May be 5.30 to 6.30 in the morning and 10 to 10.30 in the evening. When the clock strikes the hour, get down on your knees. That will keep you from many pitfalls.
“Don’t bury your face in your pillow when you pray....you may go to sleep...”
“Are you talking from experience?” She quipped with a giggle.
“Don’t pray in your bed. When you wake up, brush your teeth, wash your face, comb your hair, and then sing a song. Then read your Bible and pray.”
“Uh?! God needs so much make-up ya?”
“It’s not for God, it’s for you, so that you’ll become really awake and feel fresh....Pray aloud! That should keep your wandering mind on a leash! Don’t be vague. When you pray, be very specific. You can even write down and number the specific topics for your prayer. If you suddenly recall some important chore that you had forgotten, just jot it down so that you can attend to it, immediately after prayer. That will set your mind at ease. Keep your Bible near you, in case God prompts you to look up a verse.
“To begin with, praise God - first for His greatness and glory; then count your blessings and give thanks; then examine yourself -acknowledge the sins that you committed, pray for pardon.
“Next, present your requests. Pray for the salvation of your family. Pray for important issues in your life. Pray for guidance in dealing with your daily matters. In the evening, remember to pray for lost souls, for revival and for missionary work.
“Sweet Hour of Prayer is not always our experience. The Devil knows that failure in prayer means failure in life. So he would stop at nothing to destroy our prayer life. Therefore pray without ceasing. Pray fervently. Pray trusting that God hears you. If you fall asleep, pray as soon as you wake up. If you feel sleepy, walk while you pray. Never give in, whatever the reason.”
“One lifetime is not enough to know God,” she sighed.
I smiled and nodded in agreement.
“I’m broke most of the time. Dad is not very generous...he drops a coin or two, grudgingly, when I hold out my begging bowl. But most of the time I know what to expect...that hateful word, No!”
“Agreed...that’s very frustrating. But we must learn to put up with these annoyances and frustrations. You grumbled about your Christmas clothes too. I was impulsive to speak to you right then. But I was afraid you might think I was nagging. Money, clothes, comforts...they are necessary but not worth fretting about. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Grumbling is sin against God. Be happy and satisfied with all that God has given you.”
But she was still calculating....that little materialist! “Yoo, hoo. I have a good idea. I’m going to keep a piggy bank and buy a Bible out of what I can save!”
“Good! Make sure at least 10% is given to God.”
“You’re grabbing even my dream piggy bank!” She protested rolling her eyes in mock horror.
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
