7 Ways to Prepare Your Heart

Throughout your training, introduce one or more of these ways to prepare your heart to receive God’s Word. Jesus modeled the practice of silence, solitude, and sabbath.

1. Start by acknowledging who God is. Rehearse the four Gs: God is Great, Glorious, Good, and Gracious. Ps. 23 he makes me lie down by green pastures. Psalm 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God.

2. Record your state of mind. I.e. “I’m distracted right now”. “I’m tired and unfocused”. “I’m eagerly looking forward to spending time with you, God.” What you are doing is exposing your heart to God. You are being honest with him.

3. If you’re not quite ready and focused, take a few deep breaths, relax your body, and settle in. Thank God that he loves you fully no matter your state of mind.

4. Sing or listen to a worship song.

5. Use 1 Thess. 5:16-19 to guide your thoughts toward God. List something you can rejoice about, something you are thankful for, and then express these things to God in prayer.

6. Read James 4:6-9 and ask “What is God calling us to do in this passage?”

7. Close your eyes and recite Psalm 46:10a, “Be still and know that I am God”. Keep repeating the phrase but drop a word from the phrase each time you repeat it.