So, you’ve probably already started seeing your friends and family brag about their New Year’s resolutions; ya know, health improvement, spending more time with loved ones, and reading that massive pile of books. While all of that is praiseworthy, I’ve got a challenge for my readers. What if you invested more time in your walk with Jesus? What if you made it a point to prioritize Bible reading and prayer? Well, I’ve got some tips on how you can do that. I’ll also be linking a few resources that can help you get started.
And just a little secret...I’ll be doing these things too, so you’re not alone, and it holds me accountable knowing that there will be others joining me!
DISCLAIMER: These links are either my own work (self-published) or they are affiliate links with an external company.
BIBLE READING
A few years ago, I read through the entire Bible. Granted it took me three years total because I’m easily distracted, but I still got there. It was a wonderful feeling not just knowing I’d completed a goal, but knowing I’d drawn closer to the Lord during that time.
Here’s a tip: don’t make Bible reading merely a part of your to-do list. Center your life around it. Make everything else you do that day revolve around God’s Word.
If you have trouble focusing, there are tons of resources out there to help you. Commentaries, devotionals, and online sermons are all available to grow your faith. In recent years, journaling Bibles and general study Bibles have also become very popular. If you’re a beginner, I highly recommend getting your hands on these tools.
To get started reading your Bible daily, do these things:
Choose a reliable and easy translation
Schedule your reading and stick to it; mornings are recommended, but not a MUST
Find a reading plan to follow if you don’t know where to start
Journal what you’re learning
Pray before and after you read
PRAYER
Communication with God doesn’t have to be this mystical, mysterious thing that only the most revered saints were able to do. Prayer is much more than kneeling at an altar and repeating a holy paragraph out of a book. It’s being open and honest with the God who created you and loves you.
Follow models such as the Lord’s Prayer or the prayers found in Nehemiah and Daniel. The Psalms are full of petitions and praises that we can also align our own prayers with. You’ll find that the writers were ordinary people just like you and me, but they served an extraordinary God. They were confident that God would answer in His own time and in His own way.
Tips for prayer:
Find a quiet place to get alone with God; if such a place is not available, your heart is all He requires
Play some prayerful, soothing music to help you focus and calm your body; instrumental hymns and worship songs are at your disposal on websites such as YouTube, Itunes, and Spotify
Pray for others, yourself, and the needs of your country
Be still and listen for God’s voice. Prayer is two-way, so listening is vital to knowing God’s will
Be open, honest, and use prayers in Scripture to help you pray
SERIOUS EDUCATION
It’s one thing to casually sit and learn about the things of God, but it’s quite another thing to be serious about it. Most Christians are far too comfortable reading a five-minute devotional and thinking that’s going to satisfy that spiritual hunger that we all have. There’s much more to it if you want to really know God on a deeper level.
While the majority of us are probably not going to sit under the finest teachers in seminary, it’s wise to give ourselves that kind of education. It’s all at our fingertips and you have to know where to look.
Invest in commentaries. Commentaries are useful in Bible study, and they’ll open your eyes to things that you may not be able to find in a surface-level study.
Read Christian authors. I’m not talking about feel-good fiction. I’m talking about meaty content that will challenge the way you live your life. Theologians and pastors throughout the centuries have written wonderful books on God, faith, and Christian history. Pick up a few of those books and you’ll really be surprised at what you learn.
Dive into theology. As mentioned earlier, seminary may not be for all of us, but it’s wise to get a basic understanding of theology and why it’s important for our faith. We all have different church backgrounds, so be sure you can find your own theological beliefs and study them to find out why you believe what you believe.
EVANGELISM
I can already see a few of you squirming at the thought of evangelism. It conjures up images of tent meetings and street preachers. But it’s more than that; it’s simply spreading the good news about Jesus. All of us have a mission field:
If you’re a mom, your mission field is the home and your children.
If you’re a businessman, your mission field is the office.
You catch my drift, right? No matter your walk of life, your life will touch someone else’s when you live the way Jesus lived and tell them about how He changed you.
Not everyone can stand behind a pulpit, but here are a few ways you can tell someone about Jesus:
Start at home. There’s always someone in your home or in your neighborhood that needs to hear about Jesus. Even a friendly smile towards your mailman will do.
Post Bible verses to your social media accounts. While that doesn’t earn you a ticket to heaven, it will spur someone to think about the way they’re living.
Invite someone to church. A simple invitation will show someone that you care about their soul.
Pray with someone. Whether it’s a friend, a veteran, an officer, or that little old lady at the store, someone will appreciate the time you took to pray with and for them.
~ ~ ~
Hopefully, these faith ideas will inspire you to draw closer to God in 2022. If you have any ideas you’re trying out this year, feel free to let me know in the comments or on the Living Hope Facebook page!
RESOURCES FOR BIBLE STUDY:
Linktree (Links to my published ebooks and social media)
NASB Inductive Study Bible (affiliate)
Inductive Bible Study Pens (affiliate)
コメント