A few months ago I heard someone on a podcast refer to their time with God as the “daily office”.  I loved this so much that I have adopted it.  “Quiet time” and “devotions” can both be valid, but time in prayer, bible study and meditation are truly the work of the Christian life.  And my daily office is a top priority for me.  I must confess that it usually doesn’t happen in a quiet house in a cozy chair while drinking my coffee from a pretty mug.  That is – at this time in my life – a romantic dream.  And it doesn’t always happen at one time for me.  I try to attack prayer and scripture meditation before I leave the house in the morning and prayer again before I go to bed.  Key word being TRY.  And there are often short arrow prayers shot up throughout the day.  And my time reading scripture?  It sometimes happens on the treadmill or waiting in the pick up line at school.  I have two part time jobs, 2 busy kids and a house to maintain.  So I choose to make it a fluid part of my day.  It’s what works for me.

It can be challenging to stay connected and engaged when the most important part of my day is often sliced up into bite sized chunks.  But I have a feeling some of you might relate to a harried schedule.  So I’m sharing my favorite Bible study tools.

1.  My Christian Planner.  I use the calendar pages to write out scriptures I want to memorize, to jot down prayers and to praise God for the thing I am most thankful for that day.  It also gives me pages for sermon and bible study notes and anything else I need to write down that’s important.  You can find one like it here. 
2. The Echo app for my phone.  This prayer tool allows me to record requests, descriptions, add an image and add a reminder of when to pray (such as a surgery or doctor’s appointment date).  It also gives me the ability to mark a prayer answered or simply delete and has a prayer timer to help with this discipline.
3. The Devotable App.  I have had the privilege to write daily devotionals for this handy instrument.  For days when time is running really short or I’m on the go, a short scripture, perspective and prayer keep me in line.
4. The Blue Letter Bible App.  The capabilities of this tech make me a much better student.  I can search for scriptures by simple terms or exact phrases.  It also contains a concordance, explanation of original word language, translation comparison, text commentaries and cross references.
5. NIV Quest Study Bible:  The Only Q and A Study Bible.  This new tool may become my favorite.  I was gifted a copy by the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid and am amazed by all it offers.  1000 people where asked, “What questions do you have about this portion of the Bible?”  Focus groups decided what questions should be included alongside the biblical text.  As an example, the margins beside Proverbs chapter 22 contain the answers to these questions:  “Why does God make some rich and others poor?”  “What is the explanation for God-fearing people who are poor or unhealthy?”  “Will good training guarantee that children will not rebel?” And it designates for us the top 100 most asked questions.  This Bible’s study helps include beautiful color maps, a dictionary concordance, subject index and prayers, promises and perspectives from the Bible.  Order one here to pump up your study time. 

What are your favorite tools for time with the Lord?  Comment below.  One of yours might become my NEXT favorite!

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