"There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 MSG
Have you ever heard someone say that the Bible is the “living, breathing word of God?” Ever really thought about that? Is that something that resonates with you when you read the Bible? Or does knowing where to start seem so complicated, you never get around to it?
Just like prayer, the Bible is access to power that can change our lives, but many of us don’t have a clue where to begin.
How many times have you sat in a service and felt that Pastor Jeff must have some sort of psychic powers because the message seemed like it was written just for you? Well, that’s not psychic powers. It’s not even Jeff. It’s God using one of his faithful servants to speak life into you because you chose to put yourself in a position to receive it.
Opening your Bible and reading it - a verse, two verses or a short chapter, is the same thing. You are choosing to put yourself in a position for God to use His own words - words He gave David thousands of years ago or Paul two thousand years ago to speak power into your life RIGHT NOW. That’s what makes the Bible different and that’s why “they” say it lives and breathes because God WILL use it to speak a perfect word to you at the perfect time and in the perfect scenario. And then, He'll do exactly the same thing for someone else whose life doesn’t look anything like yours.
Isn’t that amazing? Who doesn’t want a perfect word or a perfect promise from the Creator of the Universe spoken into their lives?
Reading the Bible doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are five easy steps to get you started:
Find 5 quiet minutes - Being free of distractions really help
Pray - Thank Him for loving you and ask Him to speak to you
Read scripture - It doesn’t have to be a whole chapter, focus on a verse or two - whatever works
Soak it in. Think about it. - Some call it reflection. Some call it meditation. Whatever you call it, the point is to ask, “What is God saying to me?"
Pray again - Ask God to help you truly believe His word. Then, keep praying - all day. Whenever you feel like it, think about it or have an opportunity.
If you’re really ambitious, you can write down your take-aways from this time. You might look back one day and be surprised by how much evidence there is in your life that He’s listening. And, if you really want to rock your prayer life, start praying scriptures that mean a lot to you.
Challenge: Find at least 5 minutes every day this week to read a verse or two and pray.
Tip: The YouVersion app has a bunch of great reading plans if you aren’t sure where to start.