Are you using one of the Heart Training books – spending daily time reading God’s truths, memorizing verses, and praying – and find that you now crave even more meditation on God’s Word?
Do you plead, “Show me your ways, LORD… guide me in your truth and teach me” (Psalm 25:4a,5a NIV)?
This is like music to our heavenly Father’s ears! Hear God’s wisdom lavished on King Solomon: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV). One way to apply this is to combine your weekly Heart Training study with BRAN – Bible Reading Action Notes. BRAN provides a simple, meaningful method for you to dig deeper into your Bible reading so you can grow in godliness.
Do you remember your school days, trying to learn information from a book’s passage? Most likely you didn’t read it once and catch everything important, remember the content, and then immediately be able to apply it. You had to read it a few times, take notes, and practice using the information.
Reading the Bible needs similar attention. Because it is inspired by God, and living and active, God reveals truths to us based on our spiritual need at the time. We can reread Bible passages all our lives and get fresh insights from the Holy Spirit. Amazing! We serve a caring, personal God.
Meditating on a chapter in the Bible – rereading it and pondering it – helps us learn God’s truths and apply them. With BRAN, a chapter in the Bible is read for several days and thought about in various ways over that time period.
To use BRAN with a Heart Training book, the weekly chapter read is the chapter of the weekly focus verse for the Heart Training book you are using. As with any Bible study, begin with prayer in humility and praise to God, and ask him to help you understand his truths. For even more impact, join with at least one other person regularly to discuss the readings, to share truths learned, to pray, to practice verses, and to hold each other accountable for training in godliness.
For example, to use BRAN with Keep on Track:
Day 1: Read the chapter related to the verse of the week. Do the Keep on Track ‘Warm-up.’
Day 2: Reread the chapter. Do the Keep on Track ‘Stretch.’
Day 3: Reread the chapter. Write a two sentence summary. Do the Keep on Track ‘On your mark!’
Day 4: Reread the chapter. Write one impactful ‘take-away’ from the reading. Write one verse that impacts you and why it does. Do the Keep on Track ‘Get set!’
Day 5: Reread the chapter. Write as a prayer one verse that is meaningful to you. Add to that prayer as desired. Write one question you have related to the chapter. Do the Keep on Track ‘Go!’
BRAN can be used similarly with Follow and Lead. And, if you are a parent using Do LAPS! with your child, BRAN can enhance this devotional for yourself as you dig deeper into the content.