Bible Reading for Spiritual Impact
Something that’s vitally important to me as a follower of Jesus is that I live each day in light of the reality of God’s grace. I want to grow in my understanding of who God is, what He has done, and live accordingly!
One habit I’ve established to sharpen my faith in this regard is daily Bible reading. I spend time each morning, 5 days a week, reading a passage of the Bible and praying over the day before me. I’ve found this routine to be incredibly helpful and transformative in its effect on the way that I go about my day.
Most of the time…
To be candid, there are days when I approach my morning routine as if reading the Bible is simply an item to check off my “To-Do List,” rather than an exercise through which I’m aiming to encounter the living God and be changed by His word. Some days I zip through reading the Bible in a distracted rush. I fail to actually engage my heart. When this happens, my time in scripture is more of an intellectual exercise than a discipline of faith. In my lack of patience, I short-circuit some of the work God might have done if I truly engaged with Him.
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” - John 17:17
A few years ago, I read Donald Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life - an awesome resource that explains different habits that followers of Jesus can implement to grow their faith and live a God-honoring life in response to experiencing His grace. One of the habits Whitney discusses has made a particularly profound impact on me when it comes navigating the challenge I laid out earlier in this post: the discipline of “Meditation.” (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Chapter 3)
Whitney’s not talking about Meditation like you’re thinking about it – someone sitting cross-legged on a mat, trying to clear their mind while sipping green tea – but Meditation as the practice through which followers of Jesus take in God’s word, reflect on how the truth in it might come to bear on our lives, and then pray about how God might transform us by it.
I find that when I sloooowwww dowwwnnn in my times of reading the Bible and actually think about what God is saying (first to the original audience and then to me) and then come to Him in prayer and ask Him to apply that truth to my life, it changes the impact of that time entirely.
Since reading about meditation, I cannot say that have always included it as part of my daily Bible study and prayer routine. I can say, however; I always notice a difference in my ability to remember what I have read and also in how the truth takes root in my heart and influences my attitudes and actions when I take the time to meditate on it and pray that it would come to bear on my life rather than simply “checking off” the box of reading it.
God speaks to us through His word.
He will impact our lives in a profound way when we make taking in His word, by faith, a regular part of our lives.
Have you made a commitment to practicing a regular time of Bible reading in your own life?
Let me encourage you: Take the next step. Make the most of your time in God’s word. Take in the words of life and truth. Reflect on what they mean for your life. Pray that God will transform you by them.
