to him, about him

Good morning + happy Monday, friends!

It has been downright remarkable studying Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians (the “Go Eat PopCorn” books, as Kacia calls them so she can remember their order) with you these past nine weeks. Our community is growing daily, and with it, your involvement has become more dynamic and more inspiring than ever before.

We sure do like y’all – and everything you contribute to SheReadsTruth. You make it, girls! We’re thankful for you!

Speaking of being thankful, we have a small handful of things we want to nail down with you this morning. Shall we?

1. Thanksgiving! We are beginning our 13-day Thanksgiving plan today. Click here to find it on YouVersion, OR feel free to follow along right here on our site, OR have it delivered to your email. So many options! This is going to be a great plan with a lot of worship and working through things. We are praying that the Holy Spirit will use our feeble human efforts to bless and challenge and change you all. It has us.

2. SheShares – We’re going to be breaking from SheShares from now through the end of the year to make room for other things. Of course this doesn’t mean you should cease to share how God is changing you! You are welcome to link up on our Facebook page, in the comments of the daily posts, or you can tweet with the hashtag #SheReadsTruth.

3. Advent – You guys. (I say y’all about 98% of the time. But when I’m really feeling emphatic, my Northern roots show and all I can say is, “you guys!!!”) So… You guys!! Advent. I want to weep just thinking about it. Forget about us and all the things we want to do to make those 28 days special for you – this plan (The Plan), it just wrecks me in the best way. We will be using (with permission) the Advent scripture selections from the book “The Christmas Spirit”. And, beginning the 4th Sunday before Christmas (December 2nd), we will walk together through the advent of Christ, beginning with the fall of man in Genesis, all the way to the present Church in the New Testament. It’s the Big Picture. The Rescue Plan. It is who and why and what we are.

We would love for you to start thinking about Advent now. (Yes, we realize you’re just now getting ready for Thanksgiving.) This year, let Christmas be Christ. Let December be a time to prepare and quiet your heart for what is happening. Plan now to read this plan aloud at dinner every night with your family, or with friends or loved ones. Do this plan in community (however big or small) if at all possible.

And if you like (and we cannot emphasize enough that you do not need this to do the plan), there is a beautiful Advent Calendar available in the Naptime Diaries Shop that can be hung in your home to work alongside the plan. (We are telling you this two weeks in advance of the plan beginning so that, if you want it, it will be at your home and ready to use in time for the Advent Plan to begin on December 2nd.

And now, onto Day 1 of Thanksgiving!

Day 1: To Him, About Him

{Text: Psalm 95:1-7}

There are lots of different types of prayers in the Bible. Prayers of sorrow, repentance, victory, petition and more. Each one of them actually tells a part of The Story, but they also teach us how we can talk to God.

In Psalm 95, David sings a song of praise to the Lord. And you know what I love about it? What I learn from it? David doesn’t praise the Lord by talking about David. David praises God by talking about God.

Do you know that it is your job to glorify God? We are created specifically to bring Him glory – to reflect Him. That’s why he made us. And in this prayer, David does his job. He glorifies God by recounting what the Lord has done. He talks to Him about Who He is.

So often I pray thanks to the Lord for protection, for my family, for His good gifts and for provision – for the things I have. Of course, this gives Him glory. But what if we turn the focus from ourselves totally and completely? What about a prayer to the Lord that is all about Him? Prayer is meant to change us. And when our prayers are focused on Him, we will most certainly be transformed.

Take time today to study David’s prayer. Then, quiet yourself and pray a prayer today that is free from petition or repentance or sorrow (you can, of course, pray those prayers later!). Pray to the Rock of Salvation, calling out His names to Him and naming His great works. Let today’s quiet time equip you for the noise of the day to come. And let this full-focus on our Maker give you a security that only He can give.

For his glory!