There are so many different devotional books that you can use in your quiet time with Him. I’ve used quite a few different ones throughout the years. Steve gets me a new devotional journal book every year so I can study Gods Word and also read a Bible study teacher’s insights, and write down prayers and thoughts in it that the Lord gives me as we spend time together.

Some of the books I’ve used are “Streams in the Desert”, Experiencing God Day-by-Day”, “A Gentle Spirit Devotional Journal”, “The Experience… A Devotional Journal”, “Daily Light Journal”, and more, but my favorite that I’ve used several times is “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. You can order any of them on Amazon.com (through our web site) or by going to a Christian bookstore. This year though, I’m going through the One Year Bible (even though it will take me more than one year) and I use the commentaries from the New Life Application Bible in conjunction when I’m reading. The New Life Application Bible is my favorite as far as the commentaries go.

Don’t get bogged down in being so religious as far as the amount of time you spend or the amount you read. You can get so caught up in trying to read as much as you can and overlook the fact that the important thing is finding time each day to sit quietly before the Lord and reading SOMETHING in His Word (even if it’s just a few verses). Ask God to show you how to make the time and it’s amazing how He will show you that you have more time than you’d think.

I have a prayer book that I put together (that contains some of my favorite verses and inspirational writings, etc that I read through at different times) and on the front of it, the following guideline is written in big letters: STOP, LISTEN, AND STAY UNTIL YOU HAVE CONNECTED WITH GOD. That’s what’s important. It isn’t the amount of time, (although quantity of time is important sometimes as well), but the knowledge that you have stayed until you have connected with your Heavenly Father, His Son, the Lord Jesus, through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it’s just a few minutes and sometimes it’s longer. You will know. God will show you. Just don’t let the enemy of our faith make you feel guilty about how much time you do or don’t spend. We serve a God of grace. Just love Him and look for the time when you can and you’ll do fine.

When our sons were younger, I had an open Bible setting out on a counter all the time. Many days all I had the time for was to read snatches of verses here and there. But it became my food. And when I could spend more time, I did. God ministered to my heart in so many ways.

Now I have more time to sit and listen and it is precious to me.

As far as books about anger issues, there are many of them that you could read (with the one mentioned earlier, being one of them). You will find you will learn as God teaches you, precept upon precept, through that which you reach out to read and learn through. A book I just finished reading is “Mad About Us” by Gary and Carrie Oliver. Another book that I just ordered that I heard was really good is “Soul Healing Love” by Drs Beverly and Tom Rodgers. It’s about forming healthy relationships and dealing with the childhood wounds that can affect our adult relationships. It provides methods for individuals and families to begin healing. It’s been highly recommended for me to read.

Our web site has a LOT of articles in the communication sections that could help you as well as you prayerfully read them one at a time, asking the Holy Spirit to teach you. I’m sure others could recommend some books as well. But these would be good ones to start with. Then ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to additional ones when you are ready, that you could read that would help you to grow in this area of your life.

I pray this helps. Again, I’m so proud of you Lynne. God is working in a mighty way in your life. Just keep in mind that when you stumble, just confess what you did wrong and get up and start again with the Lord’s leading. What’s important is that you don’t give up. God doesn’t.

I have one question if you have any advice though. I need to be more disciplined in my learning and not just learn about things in general, but learn about things through Christ. Do you have any suggestions? I would also like to read more about anger issues with in a marriage. Any suggestions for that too? Thank you so much you’ve been a blessing love ya. Love, Lynne

It warms my heart to know that even though you are struggling with so many issues … just like me and every other human being on this earth (because we all have our issues we need to work on), you are leaning upon the Lord to grow in Christ — not only live your life, but to learn through the many avenues which living provides. And then when you pass along to others, that which Christ is and will teach you, it’s even more exciting (and helpful to others, I’m sure). You’re helping the Lord to poke holes in the darkness that the enemy of our faith tries to surround us with. Living with and AS natural-born sinners, brings all kinds of trials. But as we continually lean upon the Lord to help us work through our issues, we benefit, and so do others around us as well as. But the benefit is to the Kingdom of God. Praise God! I want to encourage you to keep pressing on. I’m praying for you (and so are others).

As Paul said in the Bible in Philippians 3, which should be true for all of us as Believers, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ.” That doesn’t mean that you can’t look backwards at different points in your life at what has been “hindering” your forward progression, it just means that you do what it takes to gain victory over your past hindrances so you aren’t dragging them along with you for the rest of your life. You strain “toward what is ahead” — that which the Lord can teach you and empower you to do. As I’ve seen you write: “You go girl!”

Also, one last thing that comes to mind before I close this and do other work for Marriage Missions, there’s something else that comes to mind that might help you. There is another book that I just ordered for Marriage Missions that has come HIGHLY recommended by several people to us. It’s Stormie Omartian’s newest book titled “Praying Through the Deeper Issues of Marriage.” It looks EXCELLENT! You might think of ordering it sometime in the future as well because I think it would help you to pray even more for your husband and for your marriage.

I really love this verse though Ephesians 4:26-27. I never really looked at it very closely (if at all at) before reading this article. I really love this portion of the article: "The key word is resides; the fool lets the anger abide in him. The implication is that those who are wise will see that anger is quickly removed. Anger was designed to be a visitor, never a resident in the human heart."

I really, really love it. I think I’ll have to check out this book. Love, Lynne