From time to time I like to go on walks and take my little spiral index card notebook with all my scriptures written inside. (I’m pretty sure I started doing this more regularly with Beth Moore when she started posting about it on her blog with the scripture memory team she started.) I haven’t gotten to go in awhile, for various reasons, but tonight, the kids were in bed and there was still plenty of daylight and I decided to go on a walk with God.
I have mentioned before that I like to pray the Scriptures. That is what I like to do most on these walks with God. Tonight, the first verse I opened to was Philippians 4:8-9.
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about these things…and the peace of God will be with you.”
I started praying that God would help me to think on these things and not the negative things that I so often dwell on. God began showing me that to think on these things, I need to be prepared (with a list) of what these things are for me. And what can I expect when I choose to dwell on these things?? Peace.
{This list may look a little different for you…but I challenge you to make your list of things to think on so that when you are tempted to be negative, you will have your arsenal of these things to think on!}
I need to think on these things…
What is true?
- God’s Word
- God’s love for me
- God’s forgiveness
- God’s mercy…new every morning
What is noble?
- God’s Word
- King of Kings
- Prince of Peace
What is right?
- Loving God
- Obeying God
- Loving my family
- Cherishing my husband
- Unconditional love for my children
- Practicing forgiveness
What is pure?
- Conversations with God
- God’s Word
- God’s love for me
- Intimate worship
- Being still before Him
- Jesus entire life
What is lovely?
- My children
- Our family
- My marriage
- The character of God
- The love of the Father
- heaven
- surrender
What is admirable?
- Integrity
- My hard working husband
- Remaining true to your spouse
- A loving mother
- Honesty
- Christ-likeness in an un-Christ-like world
What is excellent or praiseworthy?
- God’s love
- Creation and the Creator ~ beautiful oceans, glorious mountains, fresh flowers on my table
- His majesty
- His plans for my life
Thank You, Father, for showing me these practical ways to dwell on You, Your Word and all things true, noble, lovely…Help me, God. I need Your help, Your discipline, Your grace to think on these things.
Candace, I love this. Thank you. We are trying to memorize this as a family and listening to it in song form from the Seeds Family Worship CDs. It’s one thing to memorize the verse and another to really understand it and put it into practice. I think your list will help me to do that and I’m printing it out!
I love, love, love that you wrote this out in this way. I have so much to learn, so much to read and understand from the Scriptures. It doesn’t matter that I grew up in the church, went to a Christian school during childhood or a Christian conservative college… I still feel so clueless. Thank you for sharing.
love this post! you are lovely, gal!
Thank you for sharing the link to this post on Scripture Dig. We are all glad you have found us … and look forward to connecting with you as we seek to know Him and make Him known.
Teri Lynne
http://www.scripturedig.com