First Light

Summary of Study...
A morning quiet time is not simply a chance to glean a few
choice words of wisdom to help you through your day, but
rather an opportunity to spend time with your precious
Savior. As you faithfully look for Jesus Christ in the Word,
meditating on His person & works, the Holy Spirit will
illuminate the Scriptures, enliven your prayer life, and
reveal Christ to you. This morning time will eventually grow
until your prayers and meditations are “all the day,” and
Christ’s constant presence is a joyful reality in your life.
If your time in the morning is limited, prepare the Scripture
passage ahead of time so that the few moments you have
before you begin your day can be spent in meditation and
prayer. Actively seek to streamline your morning routine so
that you can enjoy a time of fellowship with the Lord before
you meet the trials and temptations of the day.

Ideas for future study...

New/Busy Believers - Take careful notes during your pastor’s

sermon, and use the same passage for your devotions during the
week. Be sure to record any definitions, cross references, and
Bible stories /characters he mentions during the service to help
your own study. As you grow, use the passage for the upcoming
Sunday instead.

For those seeking to establish a regular quiet time

John & Colossians are both rich pictures of Christ. The Psalms
&Lamentations are the meditations of godly men on the glory
and grace of God, so some of the work is already done for you. For God, who commanded the light to shine out
Produced by:
of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give
Open Bible Baptist Church
Ascutney, Vermont
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
www.obbcvt.org the face of Jesus Christ. ~2 Corinthians 4:6
 A Brief Introduction Notes & Thoughts
A morning quiet time does not have to be...
• Intensive Bible Study · Devotional Books
• Intercessory Prayer · Scripture Memory Plan
These are all disciplines that lead to growth(2 Tim.3:16,17)
but are not critical for the morning time of fellowship.

Our Goal: To establish an intimate relationship with God

(Jer 9:23,24)
God’s Desire: To provide wisdom, literally, the mind of Christ
(Prov. 8:14-20, 32-34; James 1:5)

How different, when the soul is refreshed and made happy

early in the morning, from what it is when without spiritual
preparation the service, the trials, and the temptation of the
day come upon one.
~George Mueller, Soul Nourishment First

L
ook: Begin by reading a passage of Scripture carefully.
Look for Jesus Christ. Don’t stop reading until He is
revealed. Re-read the passage if necessary.

A
sk: Remember to keep the passage in context. Note an
attribute of Christ for further contemplation.

M
editate: After you have carefully defined the attribute
you are meditating on, spend time to think through each
question. It is not uncommon to spend more than a day
on one question. Smaller, richer passages will bloom like a
flower. Larger passages will often boil down into surprisingly
sweet truths. Some passages are as beautiful (and hard!) as a
jewel and will reveal their beauty as you gaze on each facet.

P
ersonalize: As you meditate on a passage, your heart will
naturally flow back & forth from meditation to prayer. A
few key questions have been included to help you search
your heart.
 Bibliography

Berg, James. Changed Into His Image. Greenville: Bob Jones

Look
Rom 10:17, John 5:39, Luke 24:27, 32
University Press, 1999.
The devotional method in this booklet belongs to Dr. Berg although the
Passage:____John 1:14____________________________
LAMP acronym is original. His explanation is on pp. 124 - 127 of the
book.
What does this passage reveal about Jesus Christ?
Hession, Roy and Revel. We Would See Jesus. Fort Washington:
Christian Literature Crusade, 1997. He was God in the flesh, God’s glory was seen in HIm, He was
A set of devotional essays reminding us that “the reason for which we full of grace & truth.
are to get right is not that we might have revival, or power, or to be
used of God, or have this or that blessing, but that we might have 2 Pet 1:3 - According as his divine power hath given unto us all
Him.” things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
Mueller, George. Soul Nourishment First. 1841.
This booklet is widely available on the Internet, and can be read in
about 5 minutes. It is arguably one of the most powerful booklets
ever written on the motivation for and the mechanics of having a Ask
morning quiet time. 2Tim 2:15

Murray, Andrew. God’s Best Secrets. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 5 Questions to clarify the passage...
1979.
365 short meditations on Scripture with the purpose of knowing Christ.
From the introduction: “It has been my aim in writing this book to help  Who wrote this book of the Bible? John
Christians to see the absolute necessity of fellowship with the Lord
Jesus....When once this truth has been accepted, the believer will  To whom was it written? Unbelievers (Jn. 20:31)
perceive how indispensable it is to the spiritual life of a Christian, to
take time each day with God’s Word and in prayer, to wait upon God
 What was the author’s goal/purpose? Bring belief & life
for His presence and His love to be revealed.

Pettit, Steve. How to Pray 30 Minutes A Day. Pembine: Heart  How is Christ portrayed in this book? As God
Publications, 1996.
Dr. Pettit owns the copyright to the PRAY acronym. He includes a  What attributes of Christ are given in this passage? Pick
comprehensive list of the names of God as well as a list of common
one for meditation. Grace & Truth
sins identified in Scripture which are valuable meditation aids.

Although I did not use Pastor Jason Janz’s book, Alone with God, in
preparing this devotional, it is an excellent resource for those who
wish to learn several different methods of meditation. His passion,
like mine, is for Christians to pursue a personal relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ through their daily quiet time.
I believe that many who find that “nothing happens” when they
sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that
the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way
through a tough bit of theology with...a pencil in their hand.
~C.S. Lewis, On the Reading of Old Books
Meditate
Psalm 119:97, I Chron 16:8-12
To get the full flavor of an herb, it must be pressed between the
fingers. So it is the same with the Scriptures. The more
familiar they become, the more they reveal their hidden
treasures, and yield their indescribable riches.
~ John Chrysostom, AD 347-407
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth. `John 1:14
What is the Biblical definition of this attribute?(Is 55:8-9)
Grace: Undeserved kindness Truth: God’s reality revealed.
John uses the word “truth” this way almost 50 times in the NT.
Full: Complete, perfect, thoroughly permeated, filled up
What else do I know or does this passage show about this
attribute of Christ?(Acts 17:11)
How does the world display this attribute? How is that
different from Christ? (Prov. 12:10)
Who in the Bible experienced or demonstrated this
attribute of Christ?
Is there another of Christ’s character traits that seems to
be in opposition to this one? (Jer. 9:24)
I began therefore to meditate on the New Testament...early in
the morning. The result I have found to be almost invariably
this... though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to
meditation, yet it turned almost immediately into prayer.”
~George Mueller, Soul Nourishment First
Personalize
Psalm 19, 2 Corinthians 3:18
How have I seen God demonstrate this attribute in my own
life or in the lives of others?
Have I allowed Christ free reign to demonstrate this aspect
of Himself in my life?
If this attribute has been lacking in my daily contacts with
people, what have others been seeing in me instead of the
_______ that would have demonstrated a Christ-filled life?
Morning Prayer of Surrender
Praise: What attribute of Jesus did I meditate on today
for which I can bring adoration?
Repent: What areas in my life do not exhibit the attributes
I saw in my Lord’s life? Do I have sin that needs
to be confessed?
Ask: Who (including myself) particularly needs the
attributes I studied today? What situation or
persons are heavy on my heart today and will pull
my mind away from communion with the Lord?
Yield: What situations do I know I’m going to face today
that will tempt me to walk in the flesh instead of
the Spirit?