"Jennifer, how do you do your devotional time?"

I was asked this, this week and here was my response to that question.

I sit down with my pen, my prayer journal and Bible. I begin
writing in my journal what is on my heart....usually with a 'Good morning Lord, thank you for pulling me out of bed'...and then I write down the woes, concerns, or grateful words that are on my heart....I share with Him, exactly what is on my heart.

I often ask him to forgive me for _______fill in the blank______, whatever sin that is apparent to me, ie: struggles w/ people in general, unreasonable people, disagreements with my husband, or lack of patience with my kids...I confess the sins in my life...and then usually engage in asking God 'why is this still a struggle for me STILL?'....'what can I do to stop...show me Lord....what I am I NOT doing that this is still a struggle?'

And depending on what it is, I'll sometimes turn to my concordance and look up a word and study all the verses about it, for example: anger....there's a lot of good ones on that. It's my way of correcting my attitude toward people by putting the truth of how God sees anger. And I'll sit and think about what is in me that is making me deviate from fulfilling what God calls me to do.

Either in that morning devo time, He may show me....or over the next day or two...but I am constantly talking to the Lord...in the car on my way somewhere...I always have my worship playing. Seldomly, am on the phone in the car...I'm usually singing along with the kids, talking to the kids...praying with the kids. Keeping my mind focused on the Lord outside of just my devo time keeps me sensitive to Him speaking to me throughout the day.

I am constantly open to God correcting me. Showing me where I am not walking in the spirit, where I am walking in the flesh: anger, fear, discouragement, etc.

The word says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens. I know this is truth, the truth. So when I come to something that I respond: "I can't...." I sit and contemplate on why I believe I can't...and then I'll look up scripture that disagrees with that feeling.

Our feelings are products of our limited perspective and circumstances. I aim to make decisions and live according to the truth of the Word of God...and when my feelings don't line up with the Word, I ask the Holy Spirit to help me decipher my feelings...what is at the root. Then, when I figure it out by God's help, I really ask God to rip it out of me..."Prune this ____fill in the blank_____ out of me, please God. Remove anything that sits in opposition with the Word of God out of me!"

Daily I am reflecting on where my life is lining up with the Word and where it is not.

I call it: LIVING THE DEVOTIONAL LIFE.

....and I am humble to recognize where I am failing...yet I am confident in my identity in Christ that I can overcome the struggles in my life!!!! I really believe what God says about me more than what I think or others say about me.

God is my Creator...and God doesn't make junk!!!!!