Jesus says in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” If you look up the meaning of the word “sanctify” in a Vine’s dictionary, it says this: “The separation of the believer from the world in his behavior — by the Father through the Word.” We are separated from the world in our behavior by the Father through His Word. God’s Word will change our behavior to align with Him. When we talk about re-energizing our faith, we need to be reconnected to the truth, which is God’s Word. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. If we want to hear God’s voice, if we want to know what wants us to do, if we want our faith to be strengthened and to grow with Him, then we need to reconnect with God’s Word and make studying the Bible our priority. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
A lot of times we think of reading the Bible as a habit and that we need to do it so God checks it off in His grade book in heaven, but that’s not the case. The Word of God is powerful and it’s alive, meaning, it can show you new things each time you study. The Bible will speak to you through the Holy Spirit and give you the guidance that you need in given situations. Also, Hebrews 4 tells us the Word of God can divide soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of our heart. The Bible will also show you things about yourself that you may need to change or things in your life that you need to change so that you’re aligning with the Lord.
Many people when they break the habit of reading the Bible daily or are just starting the habit of reading the Bible daily usually start reading it from beginning in Genesis to the end in Revelation. There’s nothing wrong with that, but usually, people start to lose interest in Leviticus and get confused and bow out. My recommendation is start in 1 John and read through it, then move to John and really focus on how much God loves you. After reading through 1 John and John, move into the book of Ephesians and try to write down all the promises that God makes for us in the first three chapters. You’ll find like 75-80 at least. Then move into Philippians 4 and study what God says about prayer and about our needs and who supplies them. Then move into Colossians 3 and read about where your perspective should be. After that, find a devotional or focus on what you want to study. The Bible app has lots of free devotionals that are pretty good. Try one of those out!
Also, as you’re reading the Bible, don’t just read it like a novel. Read it with expectation that God is going to speak to you and show you things that are applicable to your life. James 4:8 says draw near to God and He will draw near to you. God wants a relationship with us more than anything. He wants to spend that time with you daily. Will you put it aside for Him?
Here’s my challenge for the week: Dedicate at least 5-10 minutes daily studying God’s Word.
This is part of a summer blog series to re-energize our faith in Christ. Choose the category “Re-Energizing Our Faith” to read more!