Step 1: (Preparation)
Turn it off, we're taking a mini-vacation from counting our
"likes" on Instagram. Let's silence our phones, and lay them on a
surface with screens facing down. This step is for anyone, like myself, who may
twitch at the sound of an alert.
·
You may also want to clear the area around you in
case this is distracting for you as well. Find a quiet place, and close the
door if you can.
·
If you have a favorite devotional book, you can
pull it out to read a small portion, or follow the one I will provide in this
challenge. Pull out your Bible too.
Step 2: (5 minutes of prayer)
Close your eyes
and tell the Lord why you’re taking this “break” from distractions. Take as
much time as you need to tell Him if there are any troubling thoughts, worries
or concerns on your mind at the moment.
You may find
this takes more than 5 minutes, and that is perfectly fine. In fact, open
communication between you and the Lord is worth the time spent, so don’t rush
the conversation. Ask Him for clarity, peace, and wisdom as you begin to listen
to what He has to say in His Word.
Step 3: (10 minutes of
reading)
Read John 1:1-18
Read John
16:16-33
Read 1 John
3:1-10
·
Underline
what stands out to you.
·
Write
down any connections you make.
Step 4: (5 minutes of
reflection)
Take a minute to
comprehend the plan of God, aside from thinking about your own life. Try to
understand the perspective of His will and Christ’s work for the world and for
believers. Now, bring your own life to the table.
·
How
important are your plans compared to God’s?
·
Whose
plan have you been working to accomplish?
·
How
big is God’s plan of salvation? How much did He choose to love you?
·
And
what do you think you might do about that today?
Congratulations
on completing the 20-minute challenge! By now you have probably realized that
the time spent in prayer, reading and reflection went quickly because you have
tasted and seen the Lord’s goodness. It becomes less of a challenge to avoid
distraction and more of an annoyance to keep a 20-minute time frame. But before
you open the door and grab your phone, remember that feeling of quiet rest and
make a choice to come back soon. It could be the same day, tomorrow or the
next, but know that it is never wasted time to be refreshed by the Spirit and
the Word. And when you do come back to this place of rest, good luck keeping it
at 20 minutes!
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