“May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.”—2 Peter 1:2 (NLT)

When I first became a Christian, the Bible was my source to guide me on how to live. While that is still how I use the Bible, now as I have grown spiritually, it is also another way for me to get closer to God. It is a way for me to connect with Him on a daily basis. Isn’t this how you become best friends with someone? You learn as much as you can about them. Jesus is our best friend. He will not ever leave us or forsake us, so isn’t that someone you want to get to know better? I know I do.

Weekly church and Bible study are all positive and important things to help your faith walk, but the only true thing that draws me closer to God is spending time with Him daily, not just 1-2 times a week.

I have shared The Bible Recap daily reading plan I am doing. It has been the biggest blessing. Reading the Bible is a challenge, especially the Old Testament. The reality is that the violence, moral depravity and plagues then aren’t much different than what is in our world today. None of what is happening in our world is new to God. 

I cannot stress enough how much this Bible reading has helped me center my day. From scripture reading to listening to the podcast, it only takes about 15 minutes. That’s less than 2 hours a week. I know there are many days where I can easily spend that amount of time just scrolling through my social media. As I pour myself into God, I am able to put my worries behind me.

By the end of this year, I will have read the entire Bible in chronological order. I plan on doing it again for next year. It is as if I am reading a history book when I read it this way. You can jump in anytime of the year, but October 1st, is the start of the New Testament. You can join in for that on Thursday and starting January 1st, if you feel led, dig into the Old Testament and read the entire Bible in a year!

The New Testament is a good place to start a Bible reading plan. I will be the first to admit, that there has been some tough reading in the Old Testament and probably not the best place to begin. As a new believer, I know I wouldn’t have made it very far had I done that. 

As I said, it is important to hear God’s Word through sermons and devotions, but we also need to be able to understand it.  This Bible reading plan has helped me with that. I won’t ever totally understand it and each time I read it, something new is revealed to me. That is the beauty of scripture. God speaks to me differently each time I read something a second, third, fourth…..time.

Reading God’s Word gives me a much better understanding of His grace and mercy. It restores my sense of direction and gives me peace. God’s Word tells me in 2 Peter 1:2 that as we grow in our knowledge of God and Jesus, He will grant us more and more grace and peace. I want that don't you?

 Dear Lord,

Thank You for all of the ways that help me grow in my faith walk. I praise You for leading me to resources in which I can dig deeper into Your Word and get to know You better. For those who are reluctant to read the Bible, I ask for You to fill them with a confident spirt that will enable them to take that step to learn more about who You are and what Your Word says. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen. 

September Memory Verse

Have you been able to make Proverbs 3:5-6 a part of your daily prayer life the past few months? I know I have been trying each day to repeat, Lord, help me to trust in You with all of my heart and not lean on my own understanding. I know when I seek You first in all I do that You will show me what path to take.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.— Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.