Here at City Church we have a Bible reading program called SHAPE. Shape is created to bless and encourage you to find joy in Jesus. It leads you to obey, listen, rest and help you grow in your walk with God. It’s not created to be a strict law to follow but rather a practical way to meditate and spend time with God each day.
We all desire a deeper relationship with God that’s alive and enjoyable and this is a great tool to use.
It’s like the Psalmist said :Instead, his delight is in the Lord ’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. Psalms 1:2 CSB
SHAPE is a way to help you in your daily formation as you read the Bible and grow in your knowledge of who God is and His story and the plans and purposes he has for you.
How do you do it?
S – Scripture: Start by finding the sections of the Bible for the day and read them. There’s a handy included Bible reading plan below. You can either read all the passages or just one. Ask God to highlight 1-2 verses that He wants to use to initiate conversation with you today. As something sticks out to you, write that verse or couple verses down.
H -Hear: Meditate on the verse. Read it over, really understanding it. Next, take time to hear from God what He has to say to you about this verse. Write down what you believe the Lord is speaking to your heart. Write it out in the voice of God. When we read the Bible it is God’s divine word and we expect God to speak to us. Start with “My child whom I love, today I want to tell you…” and write it as if God is speaking directly to you.
A -Apply: Ask God how to specifically apply what he’s just told you and write it down and commit yourself to obedience.
P – Pray: It is good to seal this commitment in prayer to God. Take some time to write out a prayer to God of what is on your heart. Ask God to help you, encourage you and strengthen you to follow through on your commitments and desires for the day.
E -Exalt: As you close, refocus on who God is and how you can exalt him today. We want to take time each day to praise God and to be thankful for the blessings we have received.
If you miss a day, don’t be discouraged, just pick up the next day and keep going.
By doing this, God speaks to us on a day to day basis and we grow our hearts for the world and missions by greater learning the heart of Christ.
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