My Favorite Books of Poetry

When I was 13, my family attended a seminar on Biblical principles. Profound principles to live by were explained. I am so blessed to have been exposed to these things so young. We attended this seminar at least once a year for quite a while, and that really helped to engrain much of what I had learned that first year.

Bill Gothard, the teacher of the seminar, spoke about reading Psalms and Proverbs every day. He had a daily habit, and had been faithful in it for decades, of reading 5 chapters of Psalms and 1 chapter of Proverbs every day. He would take the date and read that chapter in Psalms first. Then he read every thirtieth Psalm after that. The chapter in Proverbs is also the one numbered the same as that day of the month. The only deviation from this pattern deals with Psalm 119 and Proverbs 31. Those two chapters he reads on months that have 31 days.

There have been short seasons when I have let it slide, but for the most part I have been doing the same thing for years. We now include it in our daily homeschool time. Today we read Psalm 22, 52, 82, 112, 142 and Proverbs 22. I used to have the kids read them to themselves, but I have been reminded by the Lord how important it is to Speak Truth Aloud. So we read each chapter aloud together. At times we stop to discuss a verse, here or there. But more often than not, this time in our day serves to just wash our spirits in Truth. There is a power to declaring His written Word aloud that, I believe, accomplishes things in the spiritual realm that we cannot see. After all, 

Ephesians 6:12 says:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

I believe the Lord is building into the spirits of my children through this time in ways that will strengthen them for the tasks He calls them to. They are filling their minds with wisdom that will serve them well as He wields them in His service.