Praying God's Wisdom Over Your Life: Intro

 New year, new study! I'm really looking forward to getting started on this one next week. Three weeks off is TOO LONG! Only God knows all that lays ahead of me this year, but at the very least I see my husband starting a new job (also next week) and my youngest son buying a house, making us officially empty nesters. Lord knows there will be health questions, there always are. There will probably be relationship issues and financial questions. Where do you go with all that? Do you let it take up space rent-free in your mind, distracting you from the present and stealing your joy? Or, do you take it to your Heavenly Father and lean on His wisdom and guidance? That's what I want to do this year, every year really.

 In this study, we're seeking to be intentional about incorporating prayer and scripture together. Praying God's Word back to Him positions us uniquely to be assured of His perfect answers. If He says it, we can trust it! Each week we'll have a different focus: relationships and family; decisions and life direction; anxiety, worry and emotions; your time and priorities; your purpose and calling; and finally, stewarding what God has entrusted to you. I don't know about you, but each and every one of these subjects resonates with me and I can't wait to dive in!

 If you want to follow along with this study, there's a few different ways you can join in. The most straightforward one is to purchase one of the journals on their website or Amazon. They also have a digital version available for half the price on their website if you're a tablet person. If, like me, you prefer to journal in your own notebook or on your computer (or on your blog), then you might be more interested in following along with their app which you can find on the Google or Apple stores, or in the YouVersion app if you already have that. At the very least, you'll be able to follow along with what I'm learning here on the Salty Zebra Blog, but I so encourage you to engage personally as well.

 What is it like to do a Love God Greatly Bible Study? There are a variety of different learning and interaction points. They post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on their blog related to the reading for that week. Each weekday, Monday through Friday, they give us a passage to read and a verse to focus on. With that focus verse, we use the SOAP method to dig in and see what God wants to teach us individually on that day. I love how I can study the same scriptures in different seasons of my life and learn completely different things! The SOAP method involves writing out the Scripture, thinking about what we Observe in it, pondering how it Applies to our lives today and finally lifting up what we've learned to God in Prayer, which I'm sure will be a huge focus during this study. I broke all this down more specifically in a post about this time last year if you'd like more insights.

Here's the Thing: However you interact with God's Word and seek Him in prayer, I just encourage you to DO IT! It's the absolutely most important thing in your day, your week, your year, your life. Your relationship with God is the most critical one in your life, both for now and for eternity. Invest in it accordingly!

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