[Don’t miss the free cheat sheets and journaling guides at the end!]

When you read scripture, do you read it to yourself, or do you ever let God read it to you?

Growing up, did you ever have someone invite you to sit beside them and read together? That warm invitation with a pat on the chair to come sit with them. Then the shared experience of delving into a story or a passage, it’s a memory many cherish. But for some, like me, that experience was more imagined than lived. Instead, love was often equated with performance – a pat on the back for meeting expectations. It took me a while to understand that God’s love is more about a ‘pat on the chair’ than a ‘pat on the back’.

A pat on the back relationship with God was all about me reading His word, taking notes of the dos and don’ts, and then performing to those standards. That’s what I knew about love growing up, so I ‘performed’ for God’s love as well.

When I shifted from reading scripture to myself to letting God read it to me, everything changed. Letting God read to me became a personal dialogue, a nurturing of our relationship. It wasn’t about education; it was about intimacy.

So, what’s the difference between reading scripture to myself and letting God read it to me?

One is for growing in knowledge – the other is for growing in intimate fellowship.

We are created to enjoy intimate fellowship with God. A ‘pat on the chair’, ‘come sit with Me’ intimate relationship.

And Jesus replied to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

Matthew 22: 37-38

In Matthew 22:37-38, Jesus emphasizes loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind. But it’s when we let Him read to us that these words truly connect with our heart and soul. It becomes personal, a message just for us, nurturing our relationship with Him.

How?

Imagine God, with His Word open, inviting you to sit with Him. It’s not about rushing through a reading list; it’s about embracing the journey of conversation through the pages.

Now think about reading a book to yourself for school. You read it to gather knowledge and information. Most often you’re making notes to prepare for a test where you ‘perform’ to prove you gained knowledge.

When I stopped reading to myself and let God read to me, my journaling changed as well. It stopped journaling like a book report of what I’d just read and transitioned into conversations, like letters being written to a cherished relative – or letters written by a bride to her husband and even from the husband to the bride.  

Therefore, my fellow believers, you too died to the Law through the [crucified] body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

Romans 7: 4 AMP

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

Revelation 21:9 AMP

For me, letting God read Matthew 22:37-38 to me looks like this:

Tami, love Me with all of your heart and soul and mind. Tami, do this first and foremost – before all the other things you have on your checklist of things to get that pat on the back. First and foremost – love Me. Come sit with Me. Love me and learn how much I already love you.

Try it!

Put your name in the scriptures and read them aloud. Feel the warmth of His invitation, calling you to sit with Him and engage in intimate fellowship. Let His words wash over you, speaking directly to your heart and soul.

And remember, the joy is not just in reaching the end of the story but in the beautiful journey of conversations with Him along the way. So let’s not hurry! Instead, be ready to engage in nurturing conversations with Him as we let Him read His Word to us, personally and intimately.

This is the the foundation of a weekly series I’m starting called Sit with Him Sunday.

Every Sunday I’ll share a verse and a conversation/journaling guide designed to help move from reading scripture to ourselves and more into letting Him read it to us.

Sit with Him Sunday

This week, sit with Him and enjoy a conversation over Matthew 22: 37-38

Day one:

Write the Word

• Explore different translations of the featured verse.
• Write several translations of the verse that speak to you.
• Meditate on the written scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to bring your attention to what He wants to talk about.
• Circle words that stand out to you, call to you, or speak to something you want to hear more about from God.

Day two:

Explore the Word

• Using a bible resource, like biblehub.com, explore the words and phrases that you highlighted yesterday.
• Look up definitions of key words.
• Look up key or highlighted words in the original language.
• Explore original language meanings
• Write out related verses from other chapters in the Bible.
• Make note of context or setting

Day Three

Learn From and Apply the Word

• Meditate on the verse(s) and ask God to nourish you with His thoughts, insights and wisdom.  Answer each question as it applies.

1. What does this word tell you about God?

2. What does this Word tell you about how you’re created, how God sees you, or what God wants you to know about who you are in Christ?

3. How is this Word speaking into your current situation?

4. What questions does this word stir up? Journal any new thoughts or insights revealed to you as you talk with God.

Day Four

Conversations in His Word

• Write it as from you to God using personal pronouns.
• Write it as from God to you using your name. This is God reading it to you.
• Write it as a back-and-forth conversation between you and God.
  • This is simply going back and forth using the 2 conversation styles above – inserting your name to hear God read it to you / inserting pronouns to respond to what God just read to you.

Just as you would with any other conversation between loved ones, ask questions, share concerns or fears,  and let the His word guide the answers.

Day Five

Continue the Conversation

Today, review any journaling you did for the last 4 days. Read the verse aloud again as God reading it to you.

• Sit with it.
• Listen to hear anything else God stirs up for today’s conversation.
• Journal and/or speak a prayer of gratitude for His word and the conversations you’ve had.

Printable Guided Conversations Journaling Pages

Let me help with this week’s conversations!

I’d love to email you a printable document to help guide you through 5 days of conversations this week. Complete this short form and I’ll send it to your email.

Click the image to grab it!