The 5-Minute Bible Study Journal for Moms by Barbour Books

This Journal Belongs to

Dena Dyer

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Print ISBN 979-8-89151-281-8

Text previously published as The 5-Minute Bible Study for Moms, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

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Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® . niv® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Scripture quotations marked nrsv are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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INTRODUCTION:

If you’re like many moms, you find it hard to make time for Bible study. You have the best intentions, but busy days turn into packed hours, and before you know it, another week has passed. You know God has treasures stored in His Word for you, but you’re also realistic about the demands on your time and energy.

To help make your intentions reality, this book provides a simple and practical way for you to open the Bible regularly, dig into a passage, and journal your thoughts—even if you have only five minutes!

Here’s how to use each entry:

• Minutes 1–2: Read the scripture passage for each day’s Bible study slowly and carefully, asking the Holy Spirit to guide and teach you.

• Minute 3: Understand. Ponder a couple of prompts designed to help you apply the verses from the Bible to your own life. Then journal your answers in the space below so you’ll be able to look back on them at another time. Prayerfully consider these prompts throughout your day as well.

• Minute 4: Apply. Read a brief devotional based on the day’s scripture. As you read, think about what you are learning and how to apply the scriptural truths to your own life. Jot down any thoughts or questions that come to mind so you can go back to them when you have more time.

• Minute 5: Pray. A prayer starter will help you to begin a time of conversation with God. Remember to allow time for Him to speak into your life as well.

The 5-Minute Bible Study Journal for Moms is created to help you to establish the discipline of studying God’s Word. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and dive into the riches the scriptures hold.

You will find that even five minutes focused on scripture and prayer has the power to make a huge difference. Soon you will want to make even more time to be in God’s Word!

SWEETER THAN HONEY

Read Psalm 119:89–176

KEY VERSE:

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:103 esv

UNDERSTAND:

Think of several words to describe the taste of honey. Have you ever thought to describe scripture like that?

How could you increase your appetite (and your children’s appetite) for the things of God?

APPLY:

There’s an ancient Jewish tradition in which a child is brought to the synagogue for the first time and given honey as they are instructed in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) by a rabbi. It’s believed that a child who tastes honey as they are introduced to the Torah will grasp the concept of God’s Word being as sweet as the bees’ nectar.

The psalmist wrote chapter 119 out of an immense love for God’s Word. To him, it was sweeter than honey. Have you ever thought about making the Bible enjoyable for your children? Do they see you loving the Word or laboring to cross “read scripture” off your daily to-do list?

This week, search out kid-friendly scripture songs, videos, books, and questions. We live in a marvelous time in which abundant, affordable resources are available to us online. Go on a Bible adventure as a family, and perhaps you’ll say together: “How sweet are Your words!”

PRAY:

Lord, thank You for Your living, active, and powerful Word. As my family and I move through our days, help us savor scripture and feast on Your promises. Remind us to pause for praise during busy seasons. May we say with the psalmist, “Your words are sweeter than honey!”

THE POWER OF WORSHIP

Read 1 Chronicles 16

KEY VERSE:

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

1 Chronicles 16:29 niv

UNDERSTAND:

Reflect on attributes of God’s character that deserve praise: His mercy, patience, forgiveness, love, etc. Spend some time thanking Him.

How quick are you to worship and praise God during the day?

List a few distractions that draw your attention away from the things of God.

APPLY:

Walking through life as busy moms, we can live distracted from the things of God. Between our kids’ schedules, our family’s daily needs, and our work inside and outside the home, all our energy gets expended on just living, and we fall into bed wondering where the day went.

However, we don’t have to live in a fog. We have a gift from the Creator that can center our hearts and lift our gaze and thoughts to heaven: worship. Nothing gets our mind off our ever-changing circumstances and onto our never-changing God like praising Him for who He is and what He’s done.

This week, worship God alone and with your family members by first picking a couple of verses to daily repeat out loud together. Second, begin a family list of answered prayers. Third, keep worship music playing as you do errands or housework—and notice how your spirit lifts.

PRAY:

I confess I often forget to worship You, Lord. Forgive me and create in me a heart that rushes to praise You. Help me be creative and diligent to worship You during the day and as I fall asleep. I know that as I orient my mind and heart around Your goodness and mercy, my spirits will lift and my family will notice the difference.

PEACE IS A PERSON

Read Ephesians 2

KEY VERSE S :

But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.

Ephesians 2:13–14 nlt

UNDERSTAND:

Picture a peaceful scene. Now list several words to describe that scene. How do those words compare to the words you would use to describe your life?

Since Jesus brought reconciliation between us and God, as well as (in today’s verse) between Jews and Gentiles, we can come near to our heavenly Father in confidence. How might that fact give you peace this week?

APPLY:

Life is stressful. Whether we’re single or married, young or old, or the mom of one or six children, we need peace. However, peace is elusive because our circumstances keep changing and uncertainty is a fact of life. The car breaks down just as we paid it off; the principal calls from the school where our child is being disciplined; our husband gets laid off after we moved cross-country for the job.

But Jesus, in His very last conversation with His disciples before He was crucified, said in John 14:27 (amp), “Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]”

Notice our Savior didn’t tell His followers that peace was available for just a few circumstances but in every circumstance. He longs for us to believe this promise and trust in Him fully.

PRAY:

Jesus, thank You for the promise You gave Your disciples before Your death. I know Your own relationship to the Father gave You courage and strength to face the unthinkable. I now surrender my fears and stress to You, trusting that You are the peace I need for every situation.

SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE

Read Colossians 3

KEY VERSE:

Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth.

Colossians 3:2 net

UNDERSTAND:

What “things above” might Paul the apostle be referring to in today’s key verse?

In what ways could you remind yourself to lift your gaze to God and His promises and provision more often during the day?

APPLY:

The Greek verb in Colossians 3:2 is in imperative form, which is why it’s translated in the NET Bible as “keep thinking.” Paul was encouraging the church in Colossae to continually set their minds on heavenly things.

As moms, do we train our brains to think eternally important thoughts about our relationship to God and Christ, heaven and the gospel, the church, and how we can impact the world for Him? Or do we instead get caught up in momentary middle-schooler meltdowns, teenagers who talk back, and financial frustrations?

One way we can “keep thinking of things above” is to use technology. Set a reminder on your device to pray or praise as the hour changes. When the alarm goes off, pause and say a quick prayer of surrender or thanksgiving. Reorienting our thoughts will pay off in more peace and a kingdom perspective.

PRAY:

Father, I long to keep my mind on eternal things instead of earthly ones. Show me how to shift my focus from the daily grind of life to the heavenly future You have waiting for me. As I lift my thoughts to Your kingdom, change my perspective and unite it with Yours.

MADE TO WORSHIP

Read John 4:1–29, 39

KEY VERSES:

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:23–24 niv

UNDERSTAND:

Jesus debated theology with a woman most people ignored or shunned. That was scandalous for several reasons—among them, because rabbis often didn’t talk to women who weren’t their wives.

She was also a Samaritan, and her people group was despised by the Jews. Why did He engage with her?

Where we focus most of our thoughts and attention reveals what we treasure most or “worship.” If you’re honest, what are a few things you might “worship” instead of Jesus?

What’s one simple and practical way you could encourage yourself and your children to worship Jesus this week?

APPLY:

Mom, the truth is: We were made to worship. The question is: What are we worshipping? Approval of others? Our children? Netflix? Spouse? Alcohol? Money?

The story of Jesus meeting the woman at the well shows that she was more focused on the how and where of worship ( Jews and Samaritans believed differently about the place they should worship, which caused turmoil between them) rather than the who of worship. Truly, when we see Jesus for who He is, we and our children will be transformed, just like the Samaritan woman was. . .and we will then begin to transform the world around us like she did.

Jesus drew the woman at the well—and He wants to draw us—out of isolation and into community, out of shame and into freedom, out of a shallow poverty of spirit and into the riches and depths of His mercy, out of striving and into rejoicing.

PRAY:

Lord, forgive me for so often worshipping other things rather than You. Thank You for making worship more a matter of the heart than of where and how we worship. Help me to see You for who You really are and to show my kids Your character by the way I live. Bring us out of striving and into rejoicing.

EVERY GOOD GIFT

Read James 1

KEY VERSE:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17 nkjv

UNDERSTAND:

List several “good” and “perfect” gifts God has given you. Now list several delightful gifts from nature, such as monarch butterflies, mountain streams, giraffes. . .

What might James have meant when he wrote that God has no “variation or shadow of turning”? What does that mean to you as a mom?

APPLY:

When we’re raising kids, it’s easy to get distracted. We run from sports practice to school meetings, grocery pickup to our job—and we try to find time for church, our husband, friends, and extended family. No wonder we often keep our focus on to-dos.

What if, for just this week, you instead focused on “ta-das”? Think about those moments God powerfully showed off: with a long-awaited answer to prayer, sweet moment with a child or your husband, or gorgeous sunrise on your commute. By bringing our thoughts around to the goodness of God and His perfect, timely gifts, we reset our minds. Eventually, gratitude for our generous, faithful Father and His good gifts will become the habit of our hearts. Our family will pick up on this as well, and we may find our home a more joyful and peaceful place.

PRAY:

Holy One, I get so caught up in my list of things to do that I forget to notice the small and large blessings all around me. Thank You for the perfect gifts You give. Change my perspective so I can behold Your light, love, and creativity.

LEAN INTO JESUS

Read Matthew 11

KEY VERSES:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28–29 niv

UNDERSTAND:

What specific things about motherhood make you feel stressed and/or weary?

What life situations feel particularly heavy right now?

APPLY:

One of the most comforting aspects of Jesus is that He was fully human as well as fully divine, which means He knew all too well the struggle to keep hope afloat while dealing with weariness, stress, and suffering.

Because Jesus knew weakness, we can approach Him when we keenly feel our own frailty. We can cry out honestly to Him when we feel overwhelmed or running on empty, and He will give us strength to be the patient mom our children need. Even as we pray for job situations to change, financial stress to ease, or loved ones’ hearts to soften, we can bow to His will. As we parent, He teaches us endurance and shows us His mercy. Day by day and moment by moment, He builds our faith in His sovereignty.

Leaning into Jesus is the key that unlocks soul-deep rest. As we cling to Him in faith, our children witness our journey toward acceptance and surrender. Who knows how their lives will be changed as a result?

PRAY:

Father, I feel weak and weary so often. Life can be chaotic, and I start to keenly feel my limitations and frailties. Help me to focus on You and cling to Your promises. I lean into You, knowing You will strengthen me and help me endure.

KEEP PRAYING

Read Luke 18:1–8

KEY VERSES:

“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

Luke 18:7–8 niv

UNDERSTAND:

Do you feel as though God views you as a pest when you keep praying about something? What do you think has caused you to believe this?

Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow and contrasted God’s character with that of the judge. List some comforting attributes of God’s character. How could those characteristics sustain you?

APPLY:

Whether our children are toddlers or teens, they can wear us out with persistent requests and rule breaking. As moms, we may give in out of simple frustration or fatigue.

In today’s passage, a persistent widow asked a corrupt, hard-hearted judge over and over to grant her justice, to no avail. However, he eventually gave in to the widow’s pleas. Jesus said His Father is the opposite of the judge—just, compassionate, and fair. He encouraged His followers to continue to make petitions, even when answers are not evident or immediate. He related the story to urge His disciples (that’s us) to “pray and not give up” (verse 1 niv).

Take this truth to heart today: God isn’t like us, and He doesn’t grow tired of our requests. So let’s not become weary in praying. If we are praying according to God’s will, He hears us and will answer in His time and way.

PRAY:

I confess that my humanity colors my perception of You, Lord. Help me to see You as You are. Thank You also for Your Word, which teaches me about Your true character. I will keep praying for those things that remain unanswered. I know You’re listening, and I praise You for the way You will answer in Your perfect timing and grace.

SURRENDER YOUR FUTURE

Read Luke 2

KEY VERSE:

[Anna] began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. Luke 2:38 nlt

UNDERSTAND:

When you feel grief or loss, do you turn away from God or toward Him?

Think of one situation in your life that feels heavy and hard. How could you choose worship instead of worry? What difference would surrendering make?

APPLY:

Widowed after only seven years of marriage, Anna devoted herself to worshipping God night and day at the temple and held on to hope that she would see the Messiah before she died. When Joseph and Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple to be dedicated, she was so close to God that she immediately recognized Jesus as the Promised One, and she spent the rest of her life telling people about Him.

Anna endured eighty-four years of waiting, worshipping, and trusting. Instead of wallowing in grief after her husband died, she held fast to God’s promises. Instead of worrying about how she would make it through life as a single woman without resources, she surrendered her entire life to God—and God rewarded her faithfulness.

Friend, no matter how difficult your current circumstances are, God is for you. Resolve to daily surrender any anxiety about the future to the Father who loves you. In doing so, your faith will impact your children—and generations to come.

PRAY:

God, help me to hold on to my faith patiently and joyfully, no matter what life brings. I pray for such a close relationship with You that I immediately recognize You when You are at work around me. May I daily live that faith so winsomely that everyone sees You in me.

YOU ARE CHOSEN

Read 1 Peter 2

KEY VERSES:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9–10 net

UNDERSTAND:

Do you struggle with jealousy? How does it affect your parenting?

Does social media affect your mindset as you compare your real life to other women’s highlight reels? If so, how could you adjust either your mindset or your social media feeds (or both) to help yourself with this struggle? Pray about your use of social media, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal whether it is healthy or not.

APPLY:

Are you ever jealous of other moms? Do their curated social media feeds cause you to wonder if you’re doing something wrong? Satan knows that he can use insecurities and doubts about our worth to tempt us to jealousy, envy—even self-hatred. He plants menacing thoughts in our heads: I’ll never measure up. I’m a terrible mom. My children deserve more.

When we succumb to lies like those, we lose sight of who God has created us to be and what He has specifically called us to do as mothers. However, when we know how much He loves us and remember all that He has given to and planned for us, we can rest secure and cheer others on. We don’t have to feel envious or jealous of others’ success.

Beloved one, because of who Christ is, we are chosen, holy, called, accepted, and royal. Your children are blessed to call you “Mom,” because God chose you just for them.

PRAY:

Lord, forgive me for being jealous of other moms. Thank You for choosing me to be my children’s mother. Let me daily renew my mind with Your Word so I can internalize the truth that I am worthy, chosen, called, and accepted because of Your work on the cross.