Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."// Isaiah 14:27 "For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?"
Let's start the new year strong with God! Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Our relationship with God should continue or grow to be number one, always. God gave us life and we should live our life for Him and in a way that glorifies Him. Maybe you haven't had the best relationship with God this year and life distracted you from the ultimate goal. Instead of continuing to let distractions lead you, let God lead you instead. Maybe this year your resolution is to have a better prayer life with God, to study more often, or to memorize more Bible verses for use on your path with God. Either way, these are all things I'll be touching on while I give ideas to find inspiration this new year.
The first thing I would recommend is Pinterest. You can find many Christian blogs to read, Bible reading plans, Bible verses, etc. on this site. I love reading others' Christian blogs and what others have to say. Writers have a way with words, and Christian blogs are one place I see that. This inspires me to write more Bible studies, but I also think about God's Word as I read it. It's also a source of encouragement when knowing that others love God and are striving to follow Him like me too. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."// Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works..."
Another thing I have seen is something called a 'War Room'. Make a place just for God and you. You can get a curtain and set up a little place in the corner of a room. You can clean out your closet and make that your place. You can have a shelf in your kitchen or dining room dedicated to your Bible study things; while you eat your breakfast or drink your coffee in the morning, your Bible things are conveniently right there for you. You can make post-it notes of your favorite verses and decorate your space with them. You can also hang up Bible plans, goals, or quotes that inspire you to read your Bible more often. I haven't yet made my spot yet, since my family and I are about to move; but I plan on reserving a spot in my future room or just making my War Room the space around my bed. Ephesians 6:14-15 "Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace..."
Bible reading plans inspire me and are good to search for when gathering study topics. There are many different ones you can find. Anything from reading the Bible in a year to monthly scripture writing plans. Some plans have one certain topic that is discussed throughout the month like loneliness, worry, or fearlessness. I think you get the point... basically, there are so many to choose from! You can even create your own if you want and share it with others. I'm currently trying to read the Bible in a year. It may take me longer, though, because I'm doing my own studies and my devotional book! Some ideas from me to you for Bible plans: read the bible in chronological order, Psalms and Proverbs, people in the Bible, and major events in the Bible. (You can just search on the internet and there might be a plan already made that you can follow along and do.) Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."// Romans 15:4 "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."// 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."// John 15:7 "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
This one I do constantly: make a list of all the topics I want to study or write on. I have this list on my phone since it is with me most of the time. Whenever I have a question or something I want an in depth answer on, I write it down. I sometimes even add controversial topics. I'll share a few off my list, in case you are interested in some of these: translated words from the Bible (example: 'amen' means 'so be it'), how to avoid being a stumbling block, anxiety, confidence, encouragement, contentment, forgiving others, gossip, and women and their works at church. Some of these will be topics I will later post. Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."// 1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. "
Bible journaling is another idea that excites me just to think about it. You can buy a Bible just for Bible journaling. What you do is illustrate a verse of the Bible on the page of the Bible from which it comes. You can use pastels, colored pencils, crayons, watercolor, or pretty much anything to decorate the page. Now if you don't want to buy a Bible journaling Bible then I have another idea. You could get a piece of paper and illustrate on that instead. You could cut the paper down to fit inside your Bible as a bookmark too. There are also Bible journaling printables online that you could print off. They are basically coloring pages, but still something that can help inspire you and make you think of the Bible as you are coloring it. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
This last one is a pretty obvious one, but still needs to be on this little list. Church can always be a place for inspiration. Look in the newsletter or bulletin your church provides to find topics you may want to further study. Also, the sermons and lessons from church can help give you more to study on later for yourself. During the sermons and lessons you can write down the verse's book and chapter, then the next day study on the sermon or lesson you had attended. This is so important to study what your preachers and teachers are saying. God has said in the Bible to be wary of false prophets, so take your soul in your hands and don't trust whatever any man says. Remember that your soul is the most wonderful gift God has given you, and you should keep it dear to your heart. Proverbs 28:26 "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."//
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