There is great power for victorious living contained within the Word of God. It is so powerful and highly exalted by God that Psalm 138:2 states; "For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." Consider what this is saying. He has exalted His Word even higher than His Name, He's placed it above all, in first place. Why? Because that's who He is. Everything we need for victory and daily living is contained within the Word of God. Therefore, we need to treat it likewise and consider it above all, giving it first place in our lives.

The Scripture tells us in 2 Peter 1:3-4; "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

Is there any wonder why the enemy fights us so hard regarding a commitment to continually reading through the Bible year after year? By committing to the Word, we begin to take on His divine nature, or as the original Greek says, His divine natural production. Our minds are therefor renewed to a new way of thinking and faith begins to grow stronger and stronger because of His Word (Romans 10:17).

One of the most common desires I hear among Christians is that they want to know how to begin to hear the voice of the God. I usually respond by wanting to know if they are in the Word on a daily basis. This is the first step in learning to hear His voice. After all, if we will not take the time to "hear" what He has already given us in His Word, why should He speak in any other way?

I want to introduce you to an exciting Scripture Reading Plan that will take you through the New Testament twice, and the Old Testament once within a year's time. You will also be learning to hear the voice of God as the Holy Spirit begins to enlighten you through Scriptures that pertain to where you are in life right now. Think about that - we have the right to have a personal relationship with Almighty God; it is only natural that we would begin to receive in a personal way regarding our life's path and current situation.

As you encounter certain Scriptures that stand out, you will be recording these special nuggets of truth that are direct from the Throne of God to you. These will serve as a reminder as to what God has said to you personally when you refer to them at a future time. As you reflect upon them they will serve to build strong faith, dispelling doubt and fear.

Another benefit of journaling with this reading plan is that it can serve to build up your marriage as husbands and wives begin to enjoy the strength and unity of having this plan in common. You will be able to share the nuggets that you both have received throughout the week. Christian coworkers, friends, small groups, etc. will also be encouraged and energized by the strength that comes through everyone being on the same page of Scripture. Our entire church has adopted this and small groups are springing up as individuals become more and more excited to share what the Lord has given them. It is a real blessing.

When people get excited about the Word of God, growth takes place, healing takes place (both mental and physical), new ministries spring up because of people growing and being released into their gifting. The pastor's counseling load becomes smaller, and the church begins to grow as people begin passionately sharing Jesus in a fresh new light with unsaved individuals, and the Holy Spirit now has a healthy place to bring new families into! It's all so very exciting, people being all they can be in Him, living in wholeness, all because of the Word. After all, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life! Who is Jesus, He is the living Word of God (John 1:14).

Let's Get Started!

To start off, you will need to acquire a journal with blank lined pages. A spiral notebook will work just fine. I use the 6x9 size, but larger is fine. Label the first couple of pages as "Table of Contents." Label the next couple of pages after that as "Prayers and Answers."

As you begin to read through your daily Scripture reading, you will first ask the Lord to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Read through the passages. As you are reading underline anything that the Lord impresses upon you as a personal word to be applied to your life.

When the Lord has revealed something special to you, turn to a fresh page in your journal and record what God has shown you.

See example below.

Next, turn to the Table of Contents and catalog your entry by date, scripture, topic, title, and page. See the example below.

You can then conclude your daily devotional time by turning to the Prayer list and intercede for what you're believing God for, and add more requests if you desire. Keep in mind this is going to become a lifestyle, so you will be able to record the dates of when the prayer was answered, and if it's not answered by the time you start a new journal, you will be able to move the unanswered prayer request to the new journal. See below for an example on how to set up your prayer pages.

You'll find, having a running journal of the nuggets that God has spoken to you will be a great benefit to you especially when you are going through a trial. You'll be able to turn to the Table of Contents and go directly to the topic that pertains to your situation. I guarantee that those personal nuggets of truth that have already been revealed will bring about stability and calm to your stormy situation.

If you are ever called upon to present a devotion in a Bible study class or to write an encouraging word to someone, you will find that the personal word the Lord has revealed to you will serve to be a real blessing to others as well.

You may be wondering when is the best time for you to have your daily devotions, morning or evenings? The answer to that is, when you are at your best!

If you are a morning person, do it then. If an evening person, then by all means do it at night. The bottom line is that Jesus deserves our best, so we need to give Him the best part of our day!

For me, I enjoy reading and journaling before I start my day. I come into the office extra early when it's quiet and generally there are no interuptions at that time. That seems to work best for my schedule, and I enjoy thinking about the nugget the Lord gave to me throughout the day. Quite often He will expound on that nugget more and more throught the day! Many nights I will go over what I have read just before going to bed. There's nothing like meditating on the precious promises for a good night's rest, and great dreams too!!!

Understand that by implementing Journaling through the Scripture Reading Plan, you are making an investment into your life that will bring about great dividends in successful Kingdom living. You will grow in ways you never thought were possible. God bless you as you take this vital step in your own personal growth in Him!

Now, continue by proceeding to the Scripture Reading Plan

Scripture

Observation

Application

Prayer