More of God: Six Months to a Closer Connection with the Savior

By Stephanie Davison

More of God: Six Months to a Closer Connection with the Savior offers twenty-seven weeks worth of daily devotions that immerse the reader in Gods Word, providing guidance to lead one to draw closer to Him, to feel His presence, and to know the peace and joy He offers.

By focusing on weekly themes in crafting these devotional studies, Stephanie Davison presents reflections that, in five to ten minutes each day, will foster closer connections with the Savior, Jesus Christ.

When you take More of God with you as a companion on your daily walk of faith, you will experience the vibrant Christian life for which you long, realize the life-transforming power of Gods Word, understand more about Gods character and nature, enrich your knowledge of the Bibles teachings, and explore Christianity and its claims in a non-threatening way.

By making the six-month commitment to read More of God: Six Months to a Closer Connection with the Savior and to bring yourself and your life into conversation with God and His Word, you will deepen your faith and fortify your devotion to the Savior. In the end, this collection will help you enjoy precisely what the title promises.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490895062

Stephanie Davison

Stephanie Davison earned her bachelor of business administration degree fromWichita State University, Wichita, Kansas. She served her church as its directorof financial administration. She has taught Sunday school for more than twentyyears. She and her husbandand son live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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SECTION 1:

BIBLE LISTS

HEART, SOUL, MIND, & STRENGTH

Mark 12:30 — And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

HEART – WEEK 1

HEART – DAY 1

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Jeremiah 17:9 — The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

➢ Jeremiah’s statement refers to the heart of every person. Can you name some ways in which your own heart has been deceitful and wicked?

➢ What is the answer to Jeremiah’s question: Who can know the heart?

Matthew 5:8 — "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

➢ According to this verse, what type of heart is required in order to see God?

➢ If a person’s heart is naturally deceitful and wicked, from where do you think he can get this pure heart?

Psalm 34:18 — The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

➢ What additional information does this give you about how God views the heart?

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Pray that the Lord will show you ways in which wickedness and deceit might be lurking in your own heart, preventing you from seeing Him.

Realize that we don’t always know what is in our own hearts. Ask God to guide you in searching your heart and understanding what you find.

HEART – DAY 2

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What types of wickedness and deceit exist in people’s hearts? List the ones you find in these verses:

➢ Proverbs 16:5 — Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.

➢ Matthew 15:19 — "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

➢ Mark 7:6 — He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.’"

➢ James 3:14 — But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.

➢ Do you think God is pleased with these things in our hearts?

Psalm 44:21 — Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.

➢ Can you hide from God any wickedness or deceit that may be in your heart?

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Consult a dictionary or Internet search engine if you do not know the meanings of any of the words in your lists above.

Allow God to speak to you about dealing with the wickedness that may be in your own heart. (Warning: This can be an uncomfortable process!)

HEART – DAY 3

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Proverbs 20:9 — Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"?

➢ According to the above verse, can we clean our own hearts from our sin, from the wickedness and deceit that God says is found there?

Psalm 51:10 — Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

➢ According to this verse, who can clean our hearts and make them pure?

➢ What would be the actions of a person who truly believes that only God can cleanse his heart?

➢ Are these your actions?

Romans 6:17 — But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

➢ What do you think this verse might have to do with the verses above?

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Realize that, if sin is in our own hearts, our determination to clean up our act will not work! What does work is obedience to the Lord, starting with daily prayer and Bible study, and learning to listen to and follow Him. He will then actually change your heart.

Thank the Lord for providing purification for your heart.

HEART – DAY 4

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Proverbs 4:23 — Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

➢ Once God cleans our hearts at salvation, are we relieved of any further responsibility concerning them?

➢ What does the verse above say we must do with our hearts?

James 4:8 — Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

➢ What responsibility concerning our hearts is found in this verse?

➢ Are drawing near to God, cleansing your hands, and purifying your hearts one-time events, or are they ongoing processes?

Psalm 86:11 — Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.

➢ What additional teaching about the heart is found in this verse?

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Accept responsibility for the ongoing condition of your heart. Avoid circumstances that are detrimental to your heart, and move toward the Lord instead.

Ask God to reveal to you the ways in which you might be double-minded (one mind for the Lord and another mind for the world) as mentioned in James 4:8.

HEART – DAY 5

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Hebrews 4:12 — For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

➢ According to this verse, what is it that reveals to us the deceit and wickedness in our hearts?

➢ Why do you think it is important for us to know this?

Psalm 66:18 — If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.

➢ What do you think it means to regard iniquity (iniquity means sin or wickedness) in your heart?

➢ What do you think the Lord will not hear?

Ecclesiastes 7:4 — The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

➢ What additional information about the heart does God reveal to us in this verse?

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Understand that God wants to reveal our deceit, wickedness, and iniquity to us, not to make us ashamed or defensive, but in order that we might confess and forsake it. These items, when kept in our lives, are barriers to a vibrant relationship with Him.

How earnestly do you desire that God would hear your prayers? Enough to discover and root out any iniquity you are regarding?

HEART – DAY 6

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Psalm 19:14 — Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

➢ What effect do you think the meditation of your heart has on the words of your mouth?

➢ Are your words and meditations acceptable to your Lord?

Psalm 119:11 — Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

➢ According to this verse, what is the best way to correct any wayward words and meditations you may have?

➢ Is enough of His Word hidden in your heart to influence your words? To prevent you from sinning?

Psalm 37:31 — The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

➢ How is this verse similar to Psalm 119:11?

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Pray that God would give you an understanding of what He considers to be acceptable words and meditations. (Don’t assume you already know—ask Him to tell you!)

God gave us His Word for our benefit, but it cannot benefit us if we do not know it or use it! Determine to place more of a priority on the learning and study of His Word. You may have to rearrange your schedule in order for this to happen.

HEART – DAY 7

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Jeremiah 29:13 — And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

➢ Are you finding God on a regular basis?

➢ If not, which part of your heart are you withholding from Him?

Matthew 6:21 — "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

➢ On what treasure have you set your heart?

➢ Keeping in mind all you have learned about the heart so far, is it always best to follow your heart to the treasure it desires? Why or why not?

Psalm 119:2 — Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!

➢ What additional heart information is provided by this verse?

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Even the most mature Christians still suffer from divided hearts. Identify an area of your heart that is not yet wholly His, and determine to make decisions to demonstrate that, despite your desires or feelings, He is your treasure in that area. Soon, your heart will follow.

Pray that God would give you guidance in searching and seeking Him with your whole heart. He will accept nothing less!

SOUL – WEEK 2

SOUL – DAY 1

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Matthew 10:28 — "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

➢ Who is the Christian commanded to fear?

➢ What is the difference between the soul and the body?

Ezekiel 18:4 — "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die."

➢ According to this verse, who is the owner of all souls?

➢ What will happen to the soul who sins? Why do you think this is so?

Proverbs 8:36 — "But he who sins against Me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate Me love death."

➢ What additional information about the soul do you find from this verse?

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Pinpoint the fears you have in this life. Are they fears on behalf of your (or others’) bodies or fears for your (or others’) souls? Why would a fear for a soul be more important?

Scrutinize the actions you performed and decisions you made yesterday. Were they to the benefit of your body and its desires or to the benefit of your eternal soul?

SOUL – DAY 2

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Psalm 41:4 — I said, "LORD, be merciful to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You."

➢ What two things does the psalmist ask from the Lord?

➢ Why does this verse say he needs these?

Psalm 23:3 — He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

➢ Where does God lead you after He has restored your soul?

➢ According to this verse, why does He lead you there?

Psalm 107:9 — For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

➢ What does this verse have to do with the verses above?

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If it were not for the Lord’s mercy, the eternal destination of every soul would be hell! Thank the Lord for this wonderful gift.

The reason that the Lord must lead us in paths of righteousness is that we cannot find them ourselves. Ask the Lord to identify to you any path you are taking in which He is not leading.

SOUL – DAY 3

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Proverbs 19:16 — He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.

➢ What must one do to keep his soul?

➢ Who is it that will die? Why do you think this is so?

Matthew 16:26 — "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

➢ According to this verse, which is more profitable to possess in the long run, the whole world or one’s soul?

➢ What do people sometimes give in exchange for their souls?

Psalm 19:7 — The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

➢ What additional information is provided about one’s soul from this verse?

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Identify an aspect of your life in which you have been careless of your ways as mentioned in Proverbs 19:16 above. Pray and ask God what He would have you change. (The knowledge of what He would have you change is good, but only by obeying it will you then be considered to be careful of your ways!)

Christians are not saved by being good or doing good works, and no human has ever kept the Ten Commandments without breaking one or more of them. In what sense then can Proverbs 19:16 be true?

SOUL – DAY 4

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1 Peter 2:11 — Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

➢ From what are Christians to abstain?

➢ What do you think fleshly lusts are, and why, according to this verse, should we abstain from them?

Isaiah 55:2 — Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

➢ Do you think this verse is talking about literal food and eating? Explain.

➢ According to this verse, what must one do in order to have one’s soul delight itself in abundance?

Ecclesiastes 6:7 — All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied.

➢ What does this verse have to do with the verses above?

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Examine the fleshly lusts you may have succumbed to in the past, and