Sense: To Be Aware Of; Comprehend

For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand 

the things freely given us by God.

(1 Corinthians 2:11-12 ESV)

We perceive the world around us with the five senses: sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell. Carving pumpkins is one of those activities where all five senses can be engaged. The smell of the pumpkin when you slice open it's lid. The feel of the ooey, gooey "guts" cold in your hand. The sound of giggles, as we witness each other's creative attempt at various faces. Tasting the roasted pumpkin seeds harvested from the "guts." And the delight of watching the candle light up each face once the sun goes down.

God gave us our senses to engage with His creation. He gave us his Spirit to help us comprehend the things freely given to us, especially the spiritual truths in the Word and in nature. A favorite book that I used to read to my kids around this time of year was The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs

In 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time, Pam Farrel asks us to engage with the Bible using our five senses:

Look through the Bible and note the smells, like Jesus being called the "Rose of Sharon."

Gather up a few treats from the Song of Solomon...listen to a recording of Hebrew music while you eat.

Watch a travel video of the Holy Land...

Hang a nail from you Christmas-tree branches as a reminder of his death on the cross. 

You might try incorporating a traditional Jewish holiday into your family traditions. Attend a Passover Seder or set up palm booths ... and celebrate Purim and read the story of Esther.

Use color to rev up your quiet-time experience. Use colored pencils to mark verses so you can find them more readily. 

©Pam Farrel from 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time (IVP). For more devotional books by Pam www.Love-wise.com

Adding color to my quiet times has taken on various forms over the past several years. First, I found the book Praying in Color that encourages you to doodle and color while you pray, giving you focus. Some may think doodling is distracting, but it actually helps me to concentrate. Then after the coloring is done, the image gets imprinted in my memory. When I see the image it reminds me to pray for the person or situation I was concentrating on at that time.

A prayer doodle using a Sharpie pen and  watercolor pencils.

As I have become more interested in mixed-media art and collage, I have been incorporating those practices into my devotional time. The joy of creating and playing with color and texture gives me a more tactile remembrance of my time with God. You could even incorporate Scriptures or a word that describes your relationship with God into your art work.

Dream

Another resource, I just found at a women's conference, is You are Loved! A Doodle Devotion by Marsha Baker. You can get the journal and read more about her doodling philosophy at Blessinks: Drawing People to Christ

A page from the doodle devotional workbook.

I would love to hear the creative ways

 you engage your senses in your devotional times.