This is the 10th of our 14-week program, where we provide Lesson #10, Becoming the Best Possible You. Given what we discussed in Lesson #8 (in understanding God’s unconditional love, the unimaginable is achievable), I’m sure it won’t be a surprise that the things I’d suggest in “becoming the best possible you” are rooted in our faith.
In Chapters 9 and 10 in my book, I provide a litany of things that not only help us grow in faith, but will lead to a life of peace, joy, and fulfillment. Today I’d like to talk about two. Although they may not appear overly “sexy”, they’ve changed my life. They include:
- Prayer
- Spiritual Reading
Give me a chance here. Let’s review each individually.
Prayer
First, if you struggle with prayer, know that you’re not alone. Almost everyone struggles with prayer. Second, you may struggle with prayer because you think you don’t get anything out of it. I was there at one time too. Here’s how I solved for it.
Rote Prayer – for a long time, I’ve said rote prayers, specifically the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. Since my conversion, I’ve added to that the long form of the Serenity Prayer and a prayer that I wrote in 2009. The difference as opposed to before, is that I now hang on every word of each of those prayers, praying through them very, very slowly. You’d be amazed what it does for your prayer life, your connectedness to God, when you do this.
Quiet Time – 7-10 (even 15) minutes in the morning, a great way to start your day. Eyes closed, in solitude, describe an issue to God. It could be a challenge or an opportunity. It could be something you want to examine about yourself or find insight in others. It can be anything. Describe it to our Lord, providing your thoughts and ideas, your fears and ambitions. Then sit in silence. Wait to hear what Jesus has to share with you. Although I’ve never heard the audible voice of God, He speaks to my heart….I’ve never left this prayer time disappointed. It’s also a great opportunity to journal.
Spiritual Reading
Scripture – the first that I’d point to is reading Scripture. I love the saying, “it’s one thing to know the Bible, it’s another to know its Author”. The only way to get to know its Author, God, is to read Scripture. In reading short passages, I’d suggest two things:
- Imagine yourself at the time of Christ; how do you see yourself handling the situation, reacting to what occurred?
- Pray through what the relevance is in your life today
Faith Based Books – ten minutes a day will change your life. As an author, it amazes how many people don’t read. It’s true, many don’t. Struggling with reading as a youth, for years now I read 30-60 minutes before going to sleep every night. It doesn’t have to be that for you. Just 10 minutes a day (night) will have a tremendous impact. There are so many great books out there, those which speak to the heart and the head. I know you can find some that speak to you. I list some of my favorites is in the back of my book.
Suggested Actions
This week’s suggestions are pretty simple (not always easy) and obvious, given the above:
- Pray
- Very slowly, say your rote prayers, hanging on and praying through every word
- Quiet time – share with our God what’s most on your heart
- Spiritual Reading
- Read and pray through some Scripture every morning (I’d suggest starting with the New Testament)
- Read faith-based books that speak to you
- Watch this Friday’s video on this same subject….it will be emailed to you.
Please join us next Wednesday for Week #11 when we talk about the Path to Peace. As always, please feel free to get to me with questions, comments, or concerns at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.
God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!
Mark Joseph
Week #1 – Being Overwhelmed
Week #2 – Earning the love of others
Week #3 – Lack of self-love
Week #4 – Fear
Week #5 – False gods, False happiness
Week #6 – Life’s Tragedies
Week #7 – Wounds, Resentments
Week #8 – Discovering God’s Love
Week #9 – Forgiveness and healing
Week #10 – Becoming the best Possible You
Week #11 – Path to Peace
Week #12 – Finding your Purpose
Week #13 – You were made for Greatness
Week #14 – True Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment