Make room.
Find a quiet place. Put your phone away. Invite God to commune with you; write where you are and the Scripture you are reading.
IT ALL STARTS HERE
TIME WITH GOD.
Before you lead someone else, draw close to your Father. Open His Word. Listen. Respond. Then carry what He teaches you into the day.
A RELATIONSHIP, NOT AN ASSIGNMENT
Begin with Him.
Jesus calls us to follow Him. Over the years I have taught discipleship, I have seen how hard it can be to spend intentional time alone with God. I have struggled with it myself. These are practices that have helped me and other men draw closer to our Father.
There is no one size fits all method. Find an approach that helps you show up, and keep coming back. The point is to spend time with Him.
HOW TO BEGIN
A simple way to start today.
Read a passage.
Walk through a book of the Bible, a short section at a time. A devotional can help too. Read slowly enough to notice what the passage says.
Write and respond.
Write what stands out, what God is showing you, and how you will respond. Pray about it. I use a small journal and often return to those pages later.
Carry it with you.
Write one question to think and pray about during the day. Encourage someone with what you are learning.
A journal can be simple: the date and passage, a verse or phrase, an observation, a practical response, a question to revisit, and a prayer. You do not need to fill a page.
THE YOU ARE THE MAN METHOD
CLOSE Draw close to your Father.
This is the method I put together for our discipleship journey. Use the letters as prompts, not as a test you have to pass.
CLOSE
C
Commune. Invite God to commune with you. In your journal, write where you are and the Scripture you will spend time with together. Settle your heart and welcome Him into that time.
L
List. Write the verse, phrase, or even one word that catches your attention.
O
Observe and obey. What does the passage say about God? What is He showing me to believe, confess, change, remember, or do?
S
Speak. Respond to your Father in prayer. Speak honestly; He wants to hear your voice.
E
Encourage. Who can I encourage today? Send a text, call a brother, or share with someone at home. At day’s end, ask whether you followed through.
FROM MY JOURNAL · PSALM 67
What CLOSE can look like
This is my September 16 journal entry, reset in readable handwriting. I recorded my place and passage under Commune; make an intentional invitation to your Father as you begin.
C — Commune
Bonus Room — Psalm 67
L — List
SHINE — “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us.” (v. 1)
O — Observe
The psalmist desires what I desire, that our Father would look upon us with grace and be proud of the men we are. I want to live up to the request in this passage. Two times the psalmist says, “Let the peoples praise you.” (v. 3, 5) So in other words ... SHINE! SHINE before the world and He will SHINE upon us.
S — Speak
Father, be gracious to me and bless me and make Your face shine upon me. I love You too! AMEN
E — Encourage
Who will I encourage today through the way I shine?
ANOTHER WAY TO JOURNAL
SOAP Scripture · Observation · Application · Prayer
Read a passage; write a verse, what it says, what you will do with it, and a prayer. Keep it personal and practical.
FROM MY JOURNAL · ROMANS 10:9–10
A SOAP entry
These are my own notes on Romans 10:9–10, reset in readable handwriting. Your entry can be just as direct and personal.
Scripture
Romans 10:9–10 — Salvation
Observation
Is your heart’s desire that others would be saved? Are you zealous for God and is this zeal based on relationship NOT knowledge? Paul simplifies Salvation and how to be righteous. It is confession with your mouth and belief in your heart that brings Salvation. Righteousness is your faith. Our Message is simple. It is our desire that we need to work on. Be zealous for God, desire that others know His Message and in turn know HIM!
Application
Be zealous for God by being zealous for others to know him. Change my heart’s desire to God’s desire.
Prayer
Father, align my will with yours. I pray I am zealous for you by sharing your word ... telling others about you. Help me to not complicate but to communicate clearly. Give my voice boldness and let others see my passion for you. I pray you will use me to bring others to salvation. I pray for your Glory and not my own.
I love You,
AMEN
ANOTHER WAY TO JOURNAL
CAMP Copy & Comprehend · Apply · Meditate · Pray
My pastor, DJ Horton, shared this method. Learn more about CAMP from DJ →
FROM MY JOURNAL · GENESIS 41:37–57
A CAMP entry
My August 6 journal entry shows how I write a challenging question to carry and pray over through the day.
C — Copy & comprehend
“Can we find a man like this, in whom is the spirit of God?” (v. 38) Pharaoh put his full confidence in Joseph. He gave him full control over his house and kingdom. It was not Joseph, but God within him. The world takes notice of men like this. Their light, impact, leadership is different.
A — Apply
Be a man like this, Be found!
M — Meditate
What impact do I want to make on this world? Am I a man like this?
P — Pray
Father, help me to be a man such as Joseph. A man whom your spirit lives. Let my love for you shine through me. Shine your face on my family today. Protect them and let them know they are loved. I love you too! — AMEN
WHEN?
Choose a time you can keep.
Jesus went to a solitary place to pray early in the morning (Mark 1:35). Morning works best for me because I am more alert before work and family demands fill the day. Your best time may be different. Make it a time when you can pay attention and return consistently.
I want to enter each day prepared to stand firm. The call to put on the armor of God in Ephesians 6:13 reminds me why I need time in His Word and prayer before I step into the day.
WHERE?
Find a place to focus.
Choose a quiet spot where you can disconnect, especially from your phone. For me, a cup of coffee, a Bible, a journal, and a simple prayer help me settle in. Just me and my Father.
Begin with a small passage today. Write a few honest lines. Then come back tomorrow.
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