To celebrate the arrival of the new “Give Me Jesus” Journals in the next two weeks, we are going to intentionally take each day to share about our calling to be Well-Watered Women who abide in God’s Word. Each day, come back to read a new post on Bible study, quiet times, Scripture memorization, and prayer. We pray these next few weeks are practical guides and encouragement’s to equip you to dive deep into the “well” of God’s Word!
At the beginning of 2015, the Lord pressed on my heart a deep calling to be in His Word daily and to learn to abide in Christ as Jesus commands in John 15. The specific call was to “love God’s Word more than this world.” It still sets my heart on fire just for my fingers to type it! As I’ve shared about this desire and calling from the Lord, I have had countless women contact me asking how this is practically done. How do we actually love God’s Word more than the world? How do we rise in the morning and only desire Jesus? How do we live as a well-watered woman who is satisfied in Christ alone?
Hungering For Christ
Over the next week, I want to dig deep into these questions with you. In no way do I write and share as one who knows how to have the “perfect” quiet time or one who knows all the deep secrets of Scripture. I humbly admit to you that I am extremely flawed and live life out of the extreme grace of God found in Christ Jesus. I still have so much to learn! Instead, I write to you and will continue to share my heart out of a deep hunger for Jesus. In the morning, when I rise, I long to meet with Him before I meet with the world because I know that only He satisfies and sustains.I have learned over and over again that in order for me to be able to “feed” others through personal ministry and daily life, I must first be well-fed by the Bread of Life, Jesus. In order to eat, I must sit down and digest His Word each day. This is where the hunger comes in that makes my belly growl. I long for women to have this same hunger because I have tasted and seen that only Jesus satisfies.
Last May, I began selling the “Give Me Jesus” Journal. The vision for this journal came from the all-consuming hunger to know Jesus more. Around this time last March, I finished up a blank journal I had been using for my quiet times. It took me months to complete it because each day when I opened up my Bible I felt lost. I didn’t know what to write and needed some direction and structure as I studied, broke down verses, and prayed. I’ll never forget praying one day and asking the Lord a totally separate question – what did He want me to do with my business? That is when the Holy Spirit answered with an incredibly big idea – make a quiet time journal for you and other women to use.
That’s where the story began and continues to take shape. It did not come from my own mind or my own ideas or creativity. The journal came from the direction of the Holy Spirit, and with each new journal I make, I have to physically and spiritually place it at the foot of the cross for Christ to do His good work through it. I am continually amazed watching Him work in the hearts of women around the world, including my own.
The “Give Me Jesus” Journal is a quiet time journal that is composed of an initial “heart check” for women to answer carefully and honestly. Following, there are descriptions and suggestions of how to have a quiet time, or how to spend intentional time in God’s Word daily, as well as ways to be faithful prayer warriors. The rest of the journal is comprised of blank days with some guidance for you to use to fill in during your own personal study of the Bible each day!
Today, I want to share with you a glimpse into what my daily time with the Lord looks like. It is flexible and ever-changing with the natural changes in seasons of life, however, it is always centered around this – “In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus.”
A Well-Watered Morning
The lyrics to “Give Me Jesus” were originally an African American hymn that was sung during the days of slavery. They were never intended to be ideas written on coffee mugs or journals or prints. They were meant to be lived, breathed, and understood. They were sung out of a deep realization that apart from Jesus, there is no good thing. That is the core of why the journal is called the “Give Me Jesus” Journal. My prayer is that it reminds us that no other will satisfy our hungry hearts than eating from God’s Word and abiding in Christ alone.
Katherine McBroom Photo
Early in my high school years when I was learning what “Give Me Jesus” really meant, I made a decision to start having time with Jesus each day. I grew up in a Christian home and attended a Christian school for most of my life. Even with that kind of upbringing, I struggled to see how losing sleep in the mornings to read God’s Word would truly benefit me. I would have had to wake up around 5:45 AM to have time in God’s Word before heading to school at 7:00 (which is crazy early for a high school student!). I remember getting home late one evening from a basketball game at school and realizing that I would only get a few hours of sleep if I woke up at 5:45 to have my quiet time. I prayed and asked God to wake me up and left it at that.
The next morning, at 5:40, I sprang up out of bed. I remember looking at the clock and smiling as the Lord whispered to me that He longs to spend time with me and would give me the extra strength I needed to make it through the day. I don’t remember the exact date of that morning, but it changed me. The Lord used it to show me three things:
- He will replace the sleep I miss with His own strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
- He desires we meet with Him secretly before we meet with the world.
- The way I spend the first moments of the morning affects the rest of my day.
These three truths have proved true in my desire to spend time alone with the Lord daily. He will give me the strength I need (even when it means less sleep), He desires to meet with me and tell me “great and unsearchable things I did not know” (Jeremiah 33:3), and these moments affect there rest of my day. The same is true for you! You must learn this personally and privately as your seek to know God through His Word! The enemy will do everything to distract you from the necessity of being in God’s Word each day, but once we have tasted and seen God’s goodness in His Word, there is no turning back. No other will satisfy the hunger in our hearts.
Each day, my quiet time routine changes, mainly because my schedule changes with each season of life. I say this because there is no secret or exact layout for having a quiet time in Scripture. There is no hour that is better than another. Generally, I rise before dawn when the sun is still hiding and about to wake up the world (my favorite moment of the day!). This is usually between 6:30-7:30. The night before, either my husband or I will set up our coffee pot to turn on about 6:00 so it is ready when we come downstairs. I have loved this in the mornings! Having prepared the night before sets me up for waking up early. I will make a cup of coffee and go sit in my usual spot on our green couch. One rule I have made and God has been gracious to help me implement is not to have my phone with me when I open up His Word. This is a daily choice I have to make and I don’t always succeed. Just the presence of my phone sitting near me is distracting and I want to make sure our time is holy and set apart from the distractions of the world. So I will either leave it in our room or in the kitchen.
I keep my Bible, “Give Me Jesus” Journal, and any devotionals I am reading next to the couch, ready for me to open each morning. The first thing I usually do is fill out the first portions of my “Give Me Jesus” Journal. In the “Be Still & Know” section, I either write a prayer or a verse I want to meditate on and claim for that day. Then I will start reading. I have made it a habit to read from the Bible first before any devotionals so I don’t substitute the Word’s of God for the words of man. Usually, I go through books of the Bible at a time. Later in the series we will go through a breakdown of how ways to study Scripture. This is the main portion of my quiet time – studying, gleaning, praying, asking, seeking, knocking and finding. Some days I feel like I’ve found a pot of gold, others I find a small gem. Nonetheless, all mornings I spend with the Lord are the most valuable times of my day.
Ten Minute Challenge
How I spend my mornings affects how I spend the rest of my day. With this, I have learned that I cannot spend time on Instagram or Facebook before spending time in Scripture. This used to be a habit that took a lot of my time and stole a lot of joy. Satan used it to distract my heart and redirect it toward myself and the world rather than Christ. For a while, I had to delete social media from my phone to get rid of the temptation. How I spend the first ten minutes of my day affects the rest of the day. If I hit snooze 5 times, I have already lost precious moments alone in the Word. If I immediately check emails or Instagram, I am usually struck with an urgency to work or even worldly insecurities. If I scroll through Facebook, I waste time and feel distracted. But if I turn the alarm off and walk downstairs, my heart is focused and ready to spend time with Jesus.
Scripture Challenge _LLB
One challenge I have for you is to evaluate the first ten minutes of your day. How we spend our morning moments affects the following hours. I am about to be a momma in May and recognize that my mornings are about to change drastically! I have many friends who are momma’s to little ones and have changed their quiet times to be during nap times or night time. The Lord knows your schedule and your season. We can meet with Him anytime of day. But there is something precious and important about focusing first on Jesus so our schedules revolve around Him.
You will never leave hungry after spending time in Scripture with Jesus. You will never be disappointed by His Word. That is a guarantee. A quiet time is more than an Instagram opportunity, it is a holy moment of communing with God. Spend time in the secret with the Lord each day and commit your first ten minutes to Him. He is worthy of the first, worthy of the last, and worthy of every moment in between.
I would love to hear from you! When do you have your quiet times? What does your routine look like? How has it changed each season? Comment below so we can encourage each other and start up a conversation this week!
hungering after Him,
Gretchen
(Above photos by Katherine McBroom)
Hi Gretchen,
Thank you for sharing this! I do not have a set time that I spend with God each day. I desire my quiet time to be like what you described in your post but have been having so much trouble. Not knowing how to study God’s word…and struggling to wake up early has been some of my biggest struggles. And when I fail in the morning, I feel so discouraged. I desire to gain strength from God’s Word each morning and hope I will be able to do so! If you could pray for me, that would be great! I am looking forward to the other parts of these series. 🙂
I love that you are getting very, very practical. My Type A brain needs that:) I do my quiet time first thing in the morning at this point. I get up at 5:45 so I have an hour before getting my little ones up for school. When they were tiny, quiet time was at nap time. I will say that even though I get up for quiet time with Christ, when my alarm goes off, I check Instagram first, rationalizing it as a way to fully wake up before I get out of bed:/ I’m going to try clicking to a prayer or bible verse first, if I think I still need to do that.
Excited for this series!
My quiet times have changed numerous times due to the season of life I’m in. Right now I have a 16 month and its changed so much in the past 16 months, which is really hard for me because I tend to think that if my Jesus Time doesn’t look certain way then its not good enough. (The Lord is very gently but firmly teaching me how to have a relaxed love relationship with Him). With that being said, my quiet time is usually during nap time. I try to turn off all media and electronics. I am currently reading/studying through Colossians, doing a study with She Reads Truth and also following the #stayafloat2015 on Instagram. I would love to try and move quiet time in the mornings but its super hard to wake up before my little one. I’m gonna a try and work on it.
Nicole, I am about to enter into the season with a newborn as well! I know I will have so much to learn about being flexible! Thank you for taking time to share with me how your schedule looks now! It is so encouraging to hear. 🙂 I love the She Reads Truth studies and am going to look through that hashtag! That sounds like such an amazing community!
I could have written this post myself, it is exactly my experience and what God has been teaching me! I set my coffee pot the night before, get out my Bible, journal, and pen, and come downstairs early in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up. Spending time with Jesus first is crucial to the rest of my day. I am a stay at home mom of 3 little girls age 3, 2, and 5 months. So I want to encourage you, the early morning quiet time is do-able! I have never regretted an early morning spent with Jesus, even after waking up throughout the night with the baby. Sometimes it’s 10 minutes, sometimes it’s 30, but it is possible, and the more I do it the more precious it becomes.
Thank your for taking the time to encourage me, Megan! That means the world to me! I recently found a website called Hello Mornings and love what they are all about! (http://www.hellomornings.org) It is mainly for young moms and has a challenge to wake up early to spend time in the Word each day. I love hearing that you are doing this as well!
Thank you for sharing!!I can’t wait for the new Give Me Jesus journals. I was given one as a gift last year and have been wanting a new one for months now.
Thanks to a special dog that wakes up at 7 every morning no matter what time we go to bed, I am required to get up to let her outside. I use to hate this about her. Now, I’m thankful to have that little extra push to get out of bed and start my day.
After walking downstairs, I let her out and put out food for all the pets then start making coffee. I don’t know why, but I started lighting candles before I sit down to study the Word. There’s something about it that seems to help me slow down. Especially, when the sun has yet to rise and the house is still dark it makes me think of the early Christians and those around the world who must read in secret.
I start off with Psalms, although lately I’ve been starting with my Proverbs journible. Followed by writing down prayers and seeking wisdoms for the day. Then I delve in to a more specific study on learning God’s names.
Some days my routine is not followed because of daily demands. I use to beat myself up about it. But the last week I have learned that He won’t abandon me or cause bad things to happen just because I didn’t spend time with Him in the morning. He still pursues me through the day even on those off days. His love for us amazes me.
Alayna, I feel like I was able to witness your entire morning routine by reading this! 🙂 It is so funny how dogs can be a blessed wake up call! (My parents have two;) I love how you have started using this time to spend moments with Jesus instead of going back to bed. And what a beautiful picture of the early Christians! I know those moments are so holy. This makes me so excited to wake up early and spend time with Him!
Gretchen, this is EXACTLY what I needed to read today – thanks for letting Christ speak through your words. Such an encouragement & so convicting.
Praise the Lord! I am so grateful!
I loved this! I started doing this very thing in September and love this time. I agree 100% that our time with Jesus helps define the course of the day. As a mama of 2 (3 yrs and 1yr) life is busy and once the day gets going and the kids are awake, my alone time is almost none existent. If I don’t wake up before them (5:30am), I don’t get my time with God and I feel so frazzled! I’m not a patient mommy and don’t treat my children as the gifts that they are because I wasn’t first filled by Jesus. During the seasons of having a new baby in the home, this time was very difficult to keep because babies don’t always keep to the same schedule, as much as you try to get them onto one but my hope is that when we do have another one that I’ll be able to make it work because it makes me a better wife and mom to have spent time with God first before I face the world 🙂
I loved this SO much! Early morning quiet time is such a struggle for me because I am just not a morning person. I love to sleep in and since I don’t have to be at work until 11:00 I always have the choice of either getting up early to spend time with Jesus or sleeping in until I only have enough time to get ready and rush out the door for work. But the times I do get up with enough time to read my Bible and pray affects my day in the most positive way possible that nothing else could do for me. And there is just something about spending time with Jesus early in the morning; the stillness and quietness makes me feel more sensitive and vulnerable to the Spirit. I am so looking forward to this series! And I agree with Angela, my type A brain needs the practicality of this post. It is so encouraging to me! I just LOVE your ministry so much, I can tell it is directly inspired of the Lord, and it encourages me daily! Thank you so much, Gretchen!
Jessica, I love your honesty in this! And I love hearing how much of a difference it makes when we do set aside time to spend moments with Jesus. I am so grateful you took the time to share! Thank you for your encouragement, sister!
Thank you so much for this post! And I’m looking forward to the well-watered women posts of the next two weeks. 🙂 My quiet time happens right now in the afternoon. I’m a teacher and have to be up at 5:00 just to make it to school on time. 😉 And my day from there is a rush until I get home. I take time every afternoon (before the rush of dinner and chores and preparations for the next day begins) to have my time with God.
I love this Whitley! I am so glad you shared that you are able to have that time in the Word in the afternoon. 🙂 And I love that God meets with us any hour of the day! So many women are living this right there with you and I know this comment will encourage them!
I struggle with this so much… I have a chronic illness and am in pain 24/7. It takes me hours to *really* wake up in the morning and my brain is super foggy from all the medication. I really struggle with the fact that it takes hard work (god, but hard) to have a good relationship with God… and I feel like I can’t do what it requires. There are days where I can barely form a thought, so reading the Word is like math to me in those moments.I’m trying to trust Him and rest in his grace. Sometimes all I do is repeat the word “Jesus” over and over, which always brings so much calmness.
It’s very frustrating. I’m not a complainer, and I realize this comment can come across as whiney, but it is my greatest struggle and frustration so your blogpost just brought it all up I think.
I just know how sweet it is to be in God’s presence… and I hate how an illness can interfere with all this.
(To make it even more difficult for myself 😉 English isn’t my first language, so I’m hoping this doesn’t come across as an incoherent ramble, ha.)
If any one who reads this has any tips or guidance, please let me know 🙂
xo myreille
Just realized that I only rambled about myself and said nothing about your blogpost! I loved the way you shared your routine and all the little practical tips. It’s crazy how many distractions we have in our daily life… I love technology and am so thankful for it, but without discipline it can be such a hindrance in blooming where we’re planted and staying in our own path, living the life God has planned for us.
I’m looking forward to the next two weeks!
Oh friend. I am praying for you in the midst of your illness! God is so gracious in those moments of struggle. he knows. My grandma struggled with chronic illness, too. Her hands were so crippled she could barely turn the pages in the Bible. And yet she was the most joyful woman I have ever met! I wanted to share with you a blog post my mom recently wrote about how Mawmaw glorified God in her illness, even though He didn’t heal her. I pray it encourages your heart today! http://www.chasinggenuine.com/blog/2015/3/16/when-god-doesnt-heal
Thanks for the encouragement and prayers, they’re invaluable! Your grandma was an amazing woman… I’m inspired.I send you a little (well, not so little) email.
xo
Also, your English was wonderful! 🙂
I needed this post so badly! I am addicted to Instagram. I check it over a dozen times a day. It is the first thing I do when I wake up and last thing I do before I go to bed. I got the Give Me Jesus journal last week and have committed to spending real quality time with Jesus, but I always make excuses. I am a single mommy who works from home starting at 5 am. I set my alarm for 4 am so I have time in His Word, but snooze wins out most mornings, then I feel rushed and distracted all day while working and struggle to get my work finished. After your encouragement I am so resolved to get up at 4. Keep my phone out of sight, and know God will replace my tiredness with His strength. I love the journal and the words God speaks through you. Thank you!
This post makes me so excited to wake up tomorrow and be with Jesus. I love the meaning behind, “Give Me Jesus,” and how raw it is. Mhm! Good! Right now, I am in a season of busyness. So normally I get home from school at 3 and have quiet time around that time! I eat until I am full! My quiet times normally last about an hour and a half, because I am studying the book of Hebrews. “In the morning, when I rise, Give me Jesus,” sets my heart ablaze to wake up and dedicate my first moments to him. I tryed to this morning, but for some reason my heart just felt so anxious and fluttered. Pray that my heart may be stilled so I can be present with my Savior! Thankful for the body of Christ, and how we can be vulnerable!
Talia, I am just so thankful for you and your heart! I have loved hearing what you are learning in Hebrews! I am praying Isaiah 26:3 over you today.
Hello, Ms. Gretchen. I am a mother of a 4 years old. I have been having a hard time having a quiet time with the Lord, but I thank God because He make a one-on-one time with me in the afternoon when my little preschooler is sleeping and also in the morning when he was awake and playing, a little glimpse of his Mighty Word can change my mood and attitude for the rest of the day!. A must reminder that if we put God First when we wake up every aspect in our body and attitude will change. God Bless Sis Gretchen 🙂
Francess, I am praying for you this morning! I pray that the Lord will continue to give you so much grace as you mother your precious 4 year old and seek to be a woman of Scripture! I recently read a book by Gloria Furman called “Glimpses of Grace” and she talks a lot about how mothers can live out the gospel even in the mundane moments. I highly recommend it! Grateful for you!
This is incredible! It didn’t dawn on me until I read your post why I have not had a very calm and peaceful time while in the Word, or why some days I don’t even get to it. Social media and phone by me when I am trying to spend time with Jesus! I have no idea when I started doing this but it sure has been very distracting! I usually get my two kids off to school, make my coffee, hop on my GREEN couch and my puppy jumps up in my lap and falls asleep as I study my scripture, pray, journal, and listen to what Jesus has for me that day. It’s a precious time…and I am so thankful for your post! I had a major “AHA” moment! How amazing that we can fall into a bad habit and realize something is off but not be able to pinpoint exactly what is the matter! The Lord used you greatly! Thank you yet again Gretchen!
Isn’t is so amazing! I have to make a choice every morning to put my phone away before I open the Word and it is such a time of peace and stillness that I cherish. I also LOVE that we both do our quiet times on a green couch! 🙂 So grateful for you!
Thank you for sharing! This post is such and encouragement and motivation to start a CONSISTENT quite time with Jesus. Your words “No other will satisfy the hunger in our hearts [except the God’s Word]” is such a truth and inspiration to me. I need to go to the source (scripture), not just see what others have to say about the source. Like others, I cannot wait for tomorrow morning! You are such a blessing! Thank you for this series!
Sarah, this blessed me so much! I am praying that we all will hunger and thirst for the things that will satisfy us forever! Thank you for taking the time to comment and speak words of life to my heart!
Gretchen! This is so great! 🙂 Thank you for writing such encouraging words and allowing Jesus to work through you! You’re such a blessing!
Hello, I have been recently keeping up with your post. They are filled with such passion after God it has truly inspired me a lot. I usually will have quiet times when I have time to myself. I go to school and work. I’m usually out of the house from 8am-10:30pm, so it can be really hard to read and spend quiet time with the Lord. This post inspired me to stop pressing the snooze button. I always want to get up early, but I feel exhausted and just press the snooze button. I believe I will start to pray before I sleep about waking up early.
all I can say is that you!
I am a business owner so having time with God every morning before I start my day is vital! I usually arise at 7am get my kids off to school and then at around 8am I exercise and then do my daily prayer of 15-30 minutes with God. Just talking to him, asking for forgiveness and telling him how grateful I am for his love and compassion towards me and my family. Prayer is my meditation. I am trying to incorporate reading bible scripture with my mornings at least twice per week. I would like to do this every day though! So I will try to include this in my morning daily regimen.
Great post i loved reading it!
WOW!!! my heart is so overwhelmed, thank you thank you thank you!!!! I am so encouraged to get up and stop being lazy by rushing through my devotion time in the morning.
this blessed me so so much :)reading this i was all “she is so right” and wow, yeah, this has surely inspired me 🙂
i have a quiet time daily but right now, it is different everyday (at least when it comes to the length of it and the time when i actually have it…)
but no matter what it looks like – i definitely want to have it completely undistracted without thinking of the next thing on the agenda and rushing through precious time with my Love!
so thank you again, this inspired me once again to simply… f o c u s 🙂
be blessed xx
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Hi = When you did the Chronological Study and used Iva May – does she have a plan that you sign up for or did you buy the supplemental book? Can you share best practices?
I am really excited to have stumbled upon this blog, the Give Me Jesus journal, and this series. I just ordered the Give Me Jesus journal. I’m currently studying for the bar examination. My quiet time has been nonexistent, and I feel dry. I am so stressed out, so exhausted, so not me. Prior to this study period in my life I tried very hard to have quiet time with the Lord each morning. Then, studying for this test happened. I missed my time. I missed feeling full. I found this post, and I’m just so excited. My exam is in a week, and I am going to intentionally spend 10-30 minutes every morning with God, before I start my challenging days. I’m so excited to feel full, well-watered, and to bask in His love.
I should also admit that I was raised in a church that does not emphasize studying the bible. I’m been desperately trying to learn HOW to do this and how to have meaningful time with God each morning. I am so grateful for this series, this journal, and cannot wait to see how God reveals himself to me. Thanks Gretchen!
I read this for the first time this morning. I have been struggling with mornings for two months now…mainly because sleep is scarse. God took my teenaged daughter to himself. She was attacked by a shark while surfing with her dad. Myself and her two sisters were there. Just getting out of bed is hard enough. I need to start something like this and will try my best to focus on doing it
Julie, I am so so sorry! losing a child is the worst thing any of can through. I lost my 4 year old son to cancer 15 years ago. I can say that is only by the grace of God that I have been able to deal with the grief. I will be praying for you and your family. Matthew 11:28 says come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest. I truly believe that! Many prayers of comfort and strength!
Oh Julie, I actually think someone reached out to me when this happened and I prayed for you! My heart ached so much when I heard about this. I am praying for you right now my sweet sister. Know that in your weakness, sleeplessness, and heartache the Lord is with you and loves you. We don’t have to prove anything to Him. He knows we must grieve and created us to go through that. Even in the lowest, darkest moments, He is there and full of grace and hope. I am praying for your heart to be comforted and strengthened in Him today. I will continue to!
Love this post and have been making a commitment to be in the Word daily for the past two months. My quiet time is usually before bed, though, when I read from the Bible, journal, and add to my prayer journal. I know Scripture states the morning time is when we should go to Jesus, though. Should I change my day around?