On September 11, 2001, I found myself near the bottom of the Twin Towers in New York City.

Back in 2001, I was a 19-year-old student attending New York University, who had walked away from the Lord. Despite my rebellion against God, the Lord mercifully saved me and called me back to Himself through the tragic events of September 11, 2001. That morning I found myself running from both towers and spending the day serving alongside New York City’s firemen. This personal testimony video was partially filmed on-site at the 9/11 Memorial in New York.

In God’s providence, it was directly because of what happened on September 11 that I met on the same day the only two pastors that I would serve under to date. At an outreach in Union Square Park, a few days after the towers fell, I met, for the first time, Pastor Lloyd Pulley of Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in New Jersey. After I graduated from NYU, I was invited to join CCOB’s staff and served there as the youth pastor for eight years. It was also at this same outreach that I met Brian Brodersen of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. I’ve had the privilege of serving under him as the director of Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, California. I love serving the Lord, and that God orchestrated for me to meet the two pastors I would eventually serve under on the same day, is a reminder to me that God is always working behind the scenes, even in terrible situations. He used this devastating event to call me back to Himself and into the ministry.

I couldn’t have gotten through that day without the Lord’s help. If you would like to know more about having a personal relationship with God, watch a video explaining the good news of Jesus Christ!

As I tell you my story of God’s mercy, I do not forget that there are still thousands of stories of pain and loss. Please join me in continuing to pray for God’s comfort on those who lost loved ones years ago.

“…God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain…” (Revelation 21:4). “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18). “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

-Andy Deane, Director of CCBC Murrieta

While there are many preachers more exciting to listen to than myself, students at Calvary Chapel Bible College often ask me how I do sermon preparation. To better serve those that ask me this question, I decided to write down my full 15-step process. It’s important to note that before I start, I pause to make sure I enjoyed my morning devotions. It’s a fail to only spend time with the Lord while prepping a sermon. The following is my step-by-step method for creating a sermon when given ample time to prepare:

1. Spend time READING the passage and PRAYING for understanding.

Printing out the sermon text from BibleGateway allows the passage to be marked up freely. Be sure to understand the context to prevent abusing the passage. It is also valuable to begin thinking about different groups of people who will be listening. For example, what will a non-Christian think when they hear this text? What will an uninformed new Christian think? What will a mature Christian think? What will a Christian wandering away think? How do I engage each of these groups to get them on board?

2. OUTLINE each phrase or verse.

Meditate on the passage, ask questions, write lists, jot down correlating Scripture from memory, etc. At this stage, I avoid looking at commentaries (so I can think for myself), but I may look at other English translations and basic Greek word definitions. These are the important questions to consider while outlining: What will confuse the people when they hear this text that should be clarified? What do they need to know to understand it? What does this text mean, but also what is God looking to achieve by it in our lives? What result is God looking for when he says these words?

3. TRANSCRIBE my handwritten notes digitally.

Sermon preparation can be digitally finished from now on. My sermon notes are arranged in my personal standard sermon format that I always use (margins = 0.25, font size = 21). The font is large because I teach from an iPad. At this font size it’s best to aim for 5-8 pages of notes for a 40-45 minute sermon. I start most messages with three basic sections: introduction, message and conclusion, and modify as the sermon develops.

4. Research CROSS-REFERENCES.

Search for helpful correlating scriptures before looking to commentaries. I use Bible Hub or Logos Bible Software to find good sources. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is also available as a detailed cross reference library.

5. Research COMMENTARIES to make sure the passage is understood correctly.

This is the time to input amazing quotes, correct theological errors (thank you Lord!) and make sure all quotes are cited. It’s a good idea to make notes about how the commentary quote will be used to help jog the memory later on. Commentaries can be found through Bible Hub, Blue Letter Bible and Logos.

6. Finalize the MAIN IDEA & write the CONCLUSION.

At this point with research, the main point of the passage and its application should be decided. I put this main idea in the form of a thesis statement in the introduction. This statement should clarify the reason why people should keep listening. Writing the conclusion (at least in raw form) is helpful for keeping each sermon point on track.

7. Prayerfully ask God to help me REPENT and OBEY the main idea.

One week before the sermon, I ask God to examine my heart for how I have failed in this area of obedience. I repent and preach the gospel to myself about how Christ lived this characteristic perfectly. I then beg the Lord to give me a chance to obey this passage before I preach it. This prayer is a daily part of my devotions in the last week before the sermon, so I can be looking for opportunities to obey.

8. REWRITE SECTION TITLES to correlate cohesively with the main theme.

It helps the sermon flow to title each section with a supporting argument for the main theme. Consider the ways each title can be written for today’s audience in the present tense (NOT “Jonah ran from God…” BUT “We all run from God…”). This is also a good time to edit the sections for consistency and clarity. (I usually repeat this step a few times until the sermon flows better.)

9. Add ILLUSTRATIONS to explain better.

Personal life stories are the easiest to apply (if I am not the hero), but quotes from books and recent news articles (Yahoo Odd News is a funny source) are also helpful for bringing a topic to life. It’s good to have a variety of illustrations: quotes, personal stories, biblical examples, testimonies, news articles, etc.

10. Write the INTRODUCTION last.

The introduction needs to be brief and catchy. It should introduce the main theme of the sermon and share a reason why the congregation should listen. The message theme can be introduced by reading the passage, sharing an illustration, story, quote, article, etc. I usually also give my sermon title, Scripture Passage and It’s Context.

11. EVALUATE the sermon honestly and make changes.

Warren Wiersbe’s questions from The Elements of Preaching are useful for this process:

Is the message based on a correct interpretation of Scripture? Is this what the author was consciously intending to communicate to his audience? Does it exalt the Person and work of Jesus Christ? Will it meet the needs of people and the church’s goals? Is the theme a timeless spiritual truth worth talking about? Is the message organized so that I can preach it clearly and the people understand it easily? Is there a concise and clear statement of purpose? Is there a clear plan of development? Is there practical application? Are all Scripture references and historical facts accurate? Is the message real to me personally so that I may make it real to others? Have I edited out everything that isn’t necessary to the sermon’s goals? Am I preaching to people’s hearts, pleading for obedience to God’s Word? Is the message worth preaching again?

12. Export a PDF and HIGHLIGHT the sermon for iPad use.

I export to a PDF and import it in an iPad app called “Documents” that allows me to highlight the text in different colors systematically and add last minute notes. In case the iPad runs out of batteries (never happened), printing a paper as a backup is imperative.

13. Create the SLIDES for the presentation.

If slides will be used, go minimalist by using large fonts and short sentences. I just highlight scriptures, quotes and main points. Keep it simple by using the same slide design for each series or book of the Bible. If you plan to teach the sermon again, text slides with nice designs age less quickly than images.

14. PRACTICE the sermon by preaching out loud and listening to recordings.

Preaching the sermon to a friend who cares (or a wall alone) helps develop the transitions between points and gives confidence for looking away from the notes. My personal rule is to never stop to write down changes as I am practice-preaching. I pretend people are watching, so if I pause too long, I force myself to move on rather than finding the perfect transition. I try and do this two to three times, once daily, leading up to my sermon. Record the computer reading the sermon notes robotically. Doing this at a fast speed so that the whole 45-minute sermon plays between five and six minutes allows me to listen to the whole sermon multiple times a day (I listen to it 10+ times before actually preaching it). This commits the sermon content to memory, so it’s easily retrieved while preaching. Practically, I do this by having my iPad speak the notes at a fast speed while I record it on my phone.

15. PRAY for the right heart and the people who will hear it.

Pray and repent as necessary (and ask forgiveness of others). It is essential to pray that the motives for teaching are based on giving God glory and love for others, NOT for public praise of clever sermons. The Holy Spirit desires to lead us as we teach and has the authority to steer us in a new direction.

Sometimes I’ll have someone assess my sermon as I preach using THIS CHECKLIST.

To help illustrate these 15 steps, I’ve tracked my progress through a sermon from start to finish. You can VIEW THAT DOCUMENT HERE if you think it will be helpful.

Whether you encounter difficult trials or unexpected joys today, it’s imperative to remember that God is greater than anything you experience. He’s bigger than any obstacle, enemy or tragedy, and He’s better than any material blessing. The Scriptures testify to this. For example, the woman at the well doubted Jesus’ claim that He could offer living water that would quench her thirst. She challenged Him, starting with the all too familiar phrase: “Are you greater than…” (John 4).

It’s a question that each of us poses when we are tempted to discern whether the “passing pleasure of sin” is worth more than “choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God” (Hebrews 11:25). There are several instances in the New Testament where the Scriptures depict God as “greater than” our circumstances or temptations. Be encouraged that God is good—no matter what the day brings.

He’s Greater Than…What Anyone In This World Can Give You:

“Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” (John 4:12). The woman at the well doubted Jesus could give her something better than what was already provided by Jacob, but she would soon learn that Jesus is the “Living Water” (John 4:14). There is no person in your life that is able to provide for you better than your Savior.

He’s Greater Than…Our Idea of Service:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him” (John 13:16). Although we may struggle to understand servanthood, Jesus is the embodiment of service. Today, when you see an opportunity to serve, ask the Lord to expand your heart and sync it with His.

He’s Greater Than…Our Guilt:

“For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things” (1 John 3:20). There’s nothing the Devil likes to throw in our faces more than our mistakes. The blood of Jesus covers your sin so perfectly that our rebellion is totally forgiven by God. Confess your sins and put them behind you, because He’s greater.

He’s Greater Than…Our Perceptions of God:

“I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple” (Matthew 12:6). The religious leaders struggled with Jesus and His disciples because their understanding of God and His heart was misguided. Today, as you face confusion over God’s character, remember that He is far more loving, good and powerful than we can ever understand.

He’s Greater Than…Our Enemy:

“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Our adversary wants you to think that he is unstoppable and that his team is unbeatable. The truth is that the God of the universe dwells inside you, and Satan is no match for Him. We just need to believe this by faith and resist the Devil. God will protect you because He is greater (2 Thessalonians 3:3)!

He’s Greater Than…The Wisdom of This World:

“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). This queen overcame every obstacle to hear Solomon’s wisdom. Today, you’ll face many obstacles as you seek God’s wisdom in the Word. Press on until you meet with Jesus, “…In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

He’s Greater Than…Any Believer That’s Hurt You:

“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41). Jonah couldn’t have been a worse representative for God. Unfortunately, even those in ministry will sometimes let you down. It can be discouraging when a pastor, elder or ministry leader sins against you. By faith, walk in forgiveness and aim for reconciliation. Praise Jesus for being a preacher with integrity. He will never let you down!

He’s Greater Than…Death:

“Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?” (John 8:53). The Jews struggled with Jesus’ words and couldn’t believe that Jesus was alive in Abraham’s day. But we serve a God who is the “Author of Life” (Acts 3:15) and who is alive today. Let these words of Jesus comfort you, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

Please take a minute to consider these scriptural truths, and thank God in prayer for being greater than anything you will encounter today. He’s ready. He’s not surprised. He has a plan to get you through and use it for good in your life. Praise God!

In part one of this article, I shared four tips I gleaned from the New York Times bestseller: The Power of Habit: Why we do What we do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. I’ll add to it with steps five through nine here:

5. DEVELOP A KEYSTONE HABIT

Duhigg allocates a large portion of his writing on research that shows that people who create a “keystone habit” will trigger widespread change in many other areas of their life. For example, people who start exercising also begin to eat healthier, feel less stress and even spend less on their credit cards!¹ Essentially, keystone habits help to create “small wins,” which in turn boosts your overall motivation and gives you momentum to build even more good habits in your life. For the Christian, the keystone habit that will affect the most God-honoring change in life is developing a consistent habit of daily devotions. Starting each day with the Lord will be the most beneficial spiritual discipline you ever develop!

6. STRENGTHEN YOUR SELF-CONTROL IN OTHER AREAS

The author cited experiments that showed self-control as a muscle that could grow. He wrote, “As people strengthened their willpower muscles in one part of their lives – in the gym or a money management program – that strength spilled over into what they ate or how hard they worked. Once willpower became stronger, it touched everything.” He went on to say, “When you learn to force yourself to go to the gym or start your homework or eat a salad instead of a hamburger, part of what’s happening is that you’re changing how you think…People get better at regulating their impulses. They learn how to distract themselves from temptations. And once you’ve gotten into that willpower groove, your brain is practiced at helping you focus on a goal.”²

Christians are actually strengthening their self-control when they consistently practice things like the spiritual discipline of fasting, praying for longer periods of time and even saying no to social events to serve at church. When the alarm goes off in the morning for the daily devotion routine, they are more able to get out of bed and stay focused as they have their quiet time with God, because they’ve already put in the hard work of a disciplined life. Think about the areas in your life that need self-control, self-denial and submission to the Holy Spirit. Practice disciplining yourself in these areas, and you’ll also set yourself up for success in your daily Bible study habits.

7. PREPARE IN ADVANCE HOW YOU’LL HANDLE OBSTACLES

Duhigg shares about a medical study where participants were asked to write down their rehab goals each week. Those that followed this request recovered quickly in contrast to the delayed recovery of those who didn’t write anything down. It doesn’t seem like written goals should make much of a difference, but there was a striking transformation in the results. After correlating the data, they found a common thread in their goals, “They focused on how patients would handle a specific moment of anticipated pain.”³ One patient knew it hurt to stand up from the couch to walk to the bathroom, so he resolved to automatically take the first step immediately so he wouldn’t be tempted to sit back down again.

It would seem that to take some time each week to write down your daily devotion plan and think through some potential obstacles helps to build perseverence and gives you a better chance of success in establishing the habit. I recommend taking 15 minutes each Sunday for the first month you are trying to establish a daily devotion routine to write down the answers to the following questions (along with others you find helpful):

1. My quiet time goals for this week are ____________?
2. If I don’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning, I am going to ___________.
3. If I oversleep in the morning, I am going to instead read at this time ___________.

8. DEVELOP SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES IN COMMUNITY

Duhigg interviewed a man who climbed out of poverty and asked him for the secret to his success. The man said, “I don’t really know…My mom always said, ‘Your going to be the first person to go to college, you’re going to be a professional, you’re going to make us all proud.’ She would ask these little questions, ‘How are you going to study tonight? What are you going to do tomorrow? How do you know you’re ready for your test?’ It trained me to set goals.”⁴

Many Christians share the same goals of reading the Bible every day to meet with the Lord, but find themselves in the same position as others, unable to make a habit out of it. Why not challenge a few friends to start this habit the same time you do? Contact each other throughout the week to encourage each other to “not grow weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9). Brainstorm each other’s game plans and offer suggestions. The community accountability and encouragement can be a healthy force in developing a habit early on.

9. DON’T FORGET IT’S ALL ABOUT GOD’S GRACE!

A not-so-surprising discovery I found in this book was that Christians actually have the competitive advantage in creating lasting habits. The author’s research on Alcoholics Anonymous showed that one of the main secrets to lasting change was “belief,” specifically in God.⁵ This shouldn’t surprise us since our God desires to change us. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 to, “…Not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” If God is asking us to change, then He is going to enable us by His grace to make those changes. Above all else, depend on the Lord as you seek to develop spiritual disciplines that will conform you into the image of Christ!

I believe the mature believer can profit from much of this secular research, while ignoring any parts that bring glory to man or leave out God all together. There is certainly a “man is the captain of his own destiny” type of feel to this book with which I wholeheartedly disagree. Yet the research and scientific discoveries are strong enough that they should not be discounted entirely.

¹Duhigg, Charles. “The Habit Loop.” The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. New York: Random House, 2012. 109. Print.
²Ibid
³Ibid
⁴Ibid
⁵Ibid

While most Christians desire to become more consistent in studying the Bible, many struggle with making it a daily part of their lives. We commonly bear witness to Paul’s battle revealed in Romans 7:15, “…For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” So how can a Christian move from godly desires to godly actions? In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul gave us some insight into that question when he said, “…I discipline my body and bring it into subjection…”

Everyone has attempted to discipline their body at some point by trying to eat better, exercise, read more often, quit smoking, etc. How come some succeed at making these changes while others fail? Jesus told us in John 15:5, “…without Me you can do nothing.” We must abide in Jesus each day and ask Him for the grace we need to empower us to serve Him. The major ingredients for transformation in the life of a believer are God’s grace to strengthen us as well as our will to partner with Him. We must even depend on the Lord for our internal will to serve Him as Paul shares in Philippians 2:13, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Never forget it will be by God’s grace alone by which we draw near to Him!

The difficulty comes on our end when we try and override our flesh’s desire for wickedness, laziness and selfishness. It was with this understanding that I decided to see if a secular book on the science of habits would have any insight as to how God wired our minds to accomplish tasks. I picked up a copy of the New York Times bestseller, The Power of Habit: Why we do What we do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg and read it to see if I could glean some wheat and spit out the chaff.

I’d like to give some practical tips on how Christians can create some wise habits of daily Bible study using the techniques the author mentions, while filtering it with a Christian worldview. The following are some tips I believe Christians can work into their grace-empowered pursuit of spiritual disciplines.

1. UNDERSTAND WHAT A HABIT ACTUALLY IS

Duhigg offers a combination of real life stories and scientific research to help us understand our habits. Much of the book contains his evidence for a simple three-step habit loop: cue, routine, reward. Something happens that causes us to begin a consistent routine of actions that eventually leads to some form of reward that reinforces the habit. The author states, “Researchers have learned that cues can be almost anything, from a visual trigger such as a candy bar or a television commercial to a certain place, a time of day, an emotion a sequence of thoughts, or the company of particular people. Routines can be incredibly complex or fantastically simple…rewards can range from food or drugs that cause physical sensations, to emotional payoffs, such as the feelings of pride that accompany praise or self-congratulation.”¹

He argues, “By learning to observe the cues and rewards…we can change the routines.”² The Christian’s goal would be twofold: to ask God for help to reprogram sinful habits into creator honoring responses and to create new habits that strengthen the inner man. It’s basically “bearing fruit worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8) and “walking in wisdom” (Ephesians 5:15).

Duhigg believes the research reveals a basic truth when he writes, “When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making. It stops working so hard or diverts focus to other tasks. So unless you deliberately fight a habit—unless you find new routines—the pattern will unfold automatically.”³ That is why it can be so tragically easy to give into temptation sometimes. We’ve wired our fallen minds to head in that direction.

2. TALK TO GOD EACH NIGHT ABOUT YOUR SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

The author cites research about why people continue to exercise. He writes, “In one group, 92% of people said they habitually exercised because it made them ‘feel good’ – they grew to expect and crave the endorphins and other neurochemicals a workout provided. In another group, 67% of people said that working out gave them a sense of ‘accomplishment’ – they had come to crave a regular sense of triumph from tracking their performances, and that self-reward was enough to make the physical activity into a habit.”4

He goes on to say that, “If you want to start running each morning, it’s essential that you choose a simple cue (like always lacing up your sneakers before breakfast or leaving your running clothes next to your bed) and a clear reward (such as a midday treat, a sense of accomplishment from recording your miles, or the endorphin rush you get from a jog). But countless studies have shown that a cue and a reward on their own, aren’t enough for a new habit to last. Only when your brain starts expecting the reward – the craving for endorphins or sense of accomplishment – will it become automatic to lace up your jogging shoes each morning. The cue, in addition to triggering routine, must also trigger a craving for the reward to come.”

So what reward do Christians crave? As much as we enjoy coffee, tea and treats, a believer in Jesus craves His presence! Take some time at night praying that the Lord would give you the desire and the strength to be faithful with your morning devotions. Talking to God about the joy of His presence will cement this spiritual reward in your mind.

3. CREATE A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE PLAN

1. Choose a CUE:
The noise from your alarm clock each morning. (Additional cues could be: making your breakfast or coffee, etc.)
2. PERFORM the Spiritual Discipline:
Studying the Bible, praying, worshiping, etc.
3. Reap the Spiritual REWARD:
Enjoying the presence of God! (Additional rewards could be: the peace you feel, the Bible knowledge you gain, etc.)
4. ANTICIPATE that reward:
Each night for the first month before you go to bed, take a few minutes and think what you’ll do in the morning. What book of the Bible will you read? Will you journal? Think about how good it will feel to spend time with the Lord each morning. Remind yourself how past experience has shown you that your best days start with Jesus. Then pray and ask the Lord to give you the strength to get out of bed. (Some people may even want to leave their Bible open to the page they are going to read the next morning and write the date on the journal the night before for added pressure to actually write something.)

It helps to write out your plan in a journal to solidify it in your mind: “When ____________, I will ________________________, because it blesses me by __________________________”.

4. COMMIT TO A ONE MONTH CHANGE

Research varies that it takes between 21-36 days to form a new habit. By then your spiritual discipline has become a healthy routine already and by God’s grace, you will more than likely continue with it. You’ll have “tasted and seen the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8), and you’ll never want to go back.

In part two of this article I’ll share five more tips I gleaned from this book.

RELATED CHARTS:
• How to Create a Habit Flowchart
• How to Change a Habit Flowchart

¹Duhigg, Charles. “The Habit Loop.” The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. New York: Random House, 2012. 25. Print.
² Ibid, 27.
³ Ibid, 20.
⁴ Ibid, 51.

Most believers understand reading the Bible each day would be a great benefit to their walk with the Lord, and yet only a small portion develop such a healthy habit consistently. A recent Barna report stated, “About one-third of all American adults report reading the Bible once a week or more. The percentage is highest among Elders (49%) and lowest among Millennials (24%).” In fact, a LifeWay Research report supports this, stating, “The only time most Americans hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it.”

Maybe you‘re experiencing the same struggle. Do you feel like you just don’t have enough time? Are you too busy? Is the Word just not enjoyable to you? As I explored in a previous post, studying believers from times past can help us overcome these obstacles. C.H. Spurgeon, a man who loved to devour the Scriptures as precious food for his soul, was another great encourager of the faith who gave the following seven practical suggestions for deepening our enjoyment of God’s Word.

1. READ & DEPEND:

“Look up, reader! The next time the book is in your hands, look up before you open it—and while your eyes are running down the page, look up and ask that God would shine upon it!”– C.H. Spurgeon

It is of paramount importance that we do not “just” open our Bibles, read and close them. Jesus declared in John 14:26 that, “…the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…” We must depend on the Holy Spirit to illuminate the passage as we read. Offering a heartfelt request to God before, during and after we read is a necessary declaration of our dependence on the Holy Spirit to aid us.

2. READ & MEDITATE:

“For lack of meditation, the truth of God runs by us and we miss and lose it.”– C.H. Spurgeon

Reading the Bible is a great start, but our souls are most nourished by mediating on the Scriptures. Much of King David’s strength came from this practice of meditation. He revealed his heart when he wrote in Psalm 119:15, “I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.” We too must slow down and ask questions about what we are reading. If we fail to chew on the Word, then we may read too quickly and forget what we have read.

3. READ & APPLY:

“Do with the Bible as the sick man does with the doctor’s prescription—follow it by personally doing what it bids you.”– C.H. Spurgeon

James delivers a warning to believers when he wrote, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). True understanding of the Word leads to application of the Word to our lives through practical obedience. Changing our ways to follow His ways is how transformation begins. Ask God for the grace you need to repent and live according to His Word.

4. READ & PRACTICE:

“The world will learn better and will more likely be brought to know Christ when the lives of Christians are better, and when the Bible of the Christian life shall be more in accordance with the Bible of Christian doctrine!”– C.H. Spurgeon

As we begin to apply the Word privately, we must also look for opportunities to practice it publicly! The Apostle Paul didn’t confine his ministry to letter writing or preaching in house churches alone. He wrote in Acts 20:20 that he, “…taught you publicly…”

5. READ & PRAY:

“A text is like a treasure chest which is locked—and prayer is the key to open it—and then we get God’s treasure!”– C.H. Spurgeon

As we discover God’s heart in the written Word, we can use the scripture as a conversation starter that encourages and builds our relationship with Him. Nothing breathes life into the Word more than prayer. The psalmist desires intimacy with God as he cried out in prayer, “Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.”

6. READ & TRY:

“If you even have a doctrine of God in your mind, find out the text or texts which prove it! If there should happen to be other texts which seem to point the other way, do not cut and pare any of them down, but accept all and wait until the Spirit reveals wherein they really agree! Scripture is not to fit your opinions, but your opinions to conform to the blessed word!”– C.H. Spurgeon

We are to examine our personal and cultural beliefs against Scripture to see if they represent a true and right way to live (Psalm 12:6). Test everything like the Bereans (Acts 17:11).

7. READ AND TELL OUT:

“When you read a passage of Scripture and have any enjoyment therein, go to your sick neighbor and tell what God has said to you.” – C.H. Spurgeon

Being generous with what God has given you in the Word, it actually becomes a really effective way to help us remember God’s Word each day. Find a way to share it with others, and you’ll bless them and God (Romans 10:15). Make it a habit to discuss the Word with your family each morning or with your coworkers at lunch.

I’ve offered a brief synopsis of his ideas, but I encourage you to read all of his 150-year-old sermons. If you think these tips are helpful, take a moment now and write these seven concepts down in your Bible or journal, so that you can begin practicing them today.

In my last post, I discussed the damage digital distractions can inflict on our lives if we don’t find a healthy balance. Not only are we susceptible to physical pains and compromised productivity, but we become insensitive and apathetic to the purposes God has for us. Distractions are causing us to live boring, shallow, mundane lives, all the while pretending we are living an adventure. The quality of our relationships—whether it’s fellowship with friends and family or intimacy with God—also suffers under the weight of mindless activity. I suggest that God’s design is better. If you feel like digital distractions are getting the best of you, then here are four steps that you can take to find a healthy balance with technology.

1. Decide that God’s Plan for Your Life is Better.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 states, “Better a handful with quietness, than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.” A healthy digital balance begins with admitting there is a fuller life available to you in the presence of God. Our Lord Jesus not only calls us to a quiet life, but He modeled it while He was here on the earth. The first 30 years of His life are called “the silent years.” Jesus lived a quiet, simple life, working as a carpenter in His hometown village of Nazareth. He knew He had come to save the world, and yet He found value in living peacefully and waiting for the right time to go public. We also need to prioritize our quiet time with the Lord each day so that we know when we are to follow God’s leading towards the ministry He is calling us to.

Perhaps some of the hesitation on living a quiet life stems from needing to feel purposeful and celebrated with the things you are doing now. You want to feel cared for, justified, encouraged, and the connection social media provides on the day to day events is enough instant gratification to keep you going. But is that really what you want? A few likes and comments on the little mundane things? What about the enduring blessing and encouragement from a job done in obedience to the Lord that provides lasting fruit for the Kingdom? There is value in a slower life, waiting for God’s prompting for meaningful interaction. Our day may come later, but it is worth the wait. Colossians 3:3-4 says, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” On that day, believers will shine brightly with the Lord.

2. Cut the Digital Leash.

There are several practical steps you can take to begin this slower life. For instance, try turning off your cell phone notifications. This effectively cuts the leash of bondage you have to the constant interruptions. According to Roberts in his study published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, “The Dopamine system is especially sensitive to ‘cues’ that a reward is coming. If there is a small cue that signifies that something is going to happen, that sets off our dopamine system. When there’s a sound/visual cue when a text message arrives, it enhances the addictive effect.”

Because of this, I encourage you to deal seriously with this distraction, which can be easily interpreted as sin because it removes our focus from the Lord. Take practical steps, like scheduling the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your phone, making yourself fast from technology or leaving your phone at home. If notifications aren’t constantly interrupting you, the cycle of dependence will break and you can move toward moderation and intentionality. Matthew 18:9 takes anything that monopolized your mind seriously, stating, “And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.”

3. Take Control of Each Day Through Planning.

If you are able to take steps toward lessening the dominance of screens, you will gain space to consider your life and effectively plan your time to include the things you enjoy and the God-given goals you want to accomplish. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17). God’s simple plan for devising how you spend your time is to, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

The more wisely you use your time, the more fulfilling your life will be. I have found that as I prioritize my time for the things God values, I am more rested, but I also end up with enough time for the simple things I enjoy as well. It all fits, as long as we prioritize. This begins with being intentional with our time. Try setting spiritual goals each week and then planning your days to achieve them. When your day is filled with godly objectives to meet, you usually don’t have time for useless digital distractions.

4. Learn to Appreciate Solitude.

Take some time to reflect on what God wants for you in this. The aim is not to throw technology away as evil but to embrace it in moderation. Use it as a tool to get the gospel out, but as you do that, you’ll likely need digital Sabbaths to make sure you put it in its place. If you are constantly plagued by the voices of technology, you won’t be able to hear the still, small voice of God. In solitude, you’ll find the peace, comfort and love for which you’re searching. You are not alone in quietness, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6). Take some dedicated time each week to shut out all distractions to pray and be alone with the Lord. Pascal’s famous line: “I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.” He hears you; He recognizes the struggle, and He will open your heart to an abounding life.

This is a chance for all of us to acknowledge the possible consequences of the technologies to which we are so vulnerable. As author William Powers states so well, “It is time to adopt a new digital philosophy, one that recognizes the value of not just connectedness but disconnectedness.”

A recent study says, “Fifty-four percent of kids think their parents check their devices too often…32% say they feel unimportant when their parents get distracted by their phones.”¹ I don’t want the conveniences of technology to overshadow the simple importance and value of a conversation with my kids. If I am constantly distracted with technology, what am I communicating to them? Even if I’m doing kingdom work through these screens, do my kids know the difference? And if our screens have the power to damage our worldly relationships, how much more do they damage the spiritual relationship with our Father?

In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus acknowledges distractions as a threat to our intimacy with Him. The passage depicts Martha, concerned with serving and upset over Mary’s decision to rest at Jesus’ feet, but Jesus said, “Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” If this is a concern for Jesus, shouldn’t we take the time to determine whether we are concerned with the wrong things too? I’d argue that we are often blinded to the impact of technology. Maybe it’s time to assess our dependency and make adjustments. By allowing technology to weigh so heavily on our list of priorities, we are vulnerable to the following threats:

1. THE THREAT OF ADDICTION:

Addiction may sound like a strong word, but that could very well describe the dependency most of us experience. Can you go a week without looking at social media? Do you feel unsettled when you forget your phone? According to a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions by Dr. James Roberts, behavioral addictions are just as real as substance addiction, sharing a lot of the negative consequences as alcohol and drug abuse. A spike of dopamine is released each time we receive a mobile alert on our phones. Because of this, it becomes harder and harder to stop checking for a new message. We seek more and scroll more, but the chemicals that keep you satisfied can’t keep up with the hits of dopamine that cause you to seek in the first place. This kind of addictive behavior has negative effects on the quality of life. Roberts asserts that cell phone addiction has the unfortunate consequence of “crowding out many more important activities, including family/friends and other pursuits, that might bring us true happiness.”²

Let’s be real here. Even if society is fine with phone addiction, God isn’t. There are several passages that caution us against becoming a slave to anything, like in 2 Peter 2:19, “…For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved,” and 1 Corinthians 6:12, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything.” The problem is not the technology itself; it’s our dependency and constant focus on it.

2. THE THREAT OF ACHES: (PHYSICAL ISSUES)

Aside from psychological dependencies, there are several health drawbacks to persistent use of technology. Look out for headaches from poor posture³ while using phones, carpal tunnel from typing incorrectly and thumb cramps from constant scrolling. Even children are at a far greater risk for developing ADHD⁴ from playing with apps and games than those who have limited screen time.

Merely spending time in the Scriptures may lessen our aches and pains. The Bible promises that the Word of the Lord will bring health and vitality to our lives. Proverbs 3 states, “…Do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity…This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:1-2, 8). Moving away from digital distractions moves us toward strength, satisfaction and peace.

3. THE THREAT OF ATTENTION: (LOSING POWER TO FOCUS)

Have you ever trailed off in a conversation while you attempted to send a text? Your mind is telling you it can’t process information as effectively when it’s doing two or more things at once. When you multitask, you’re subjecting yourself to Cognitive Switching Penalty.⁵ This is the process of having your mind quickly switch from task to task (or screen to screen), relying on your brain to provide contextual, working memory for each item. Your brain is overloaded, and you are spread thin and exhausted without any deeper, productive work completed. Your energy was spent context-switching. James 1:8 reads, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Keep focused, and fruit will increase.

4. THE THREAT OF SPIRITUAL APATHY:

Just last week, I watched a video about something I absolutely didn’t care about but felt compelled to watch to the very end. I now know that there is a solution to street flooding through a newly invented porous concrete,⁶ but my brainpower was spent for two minutes on something that has little consequence to my purposes and priorities. There is an abundance of work to be done for the kingdom. Mindlessly scrolling posts and watching videos dulls our sense of urgency for this work. We are distracted with things we think are interesting, frustrating our capacity to perceive and discern those moments for God’s intents.

Author, Kevin DeYoung, writes: “For too many of us, the hustle and bustle of electronic activity is a sad expression of a deeper spiritual apathy. We feel busy, but not with a hobby or recreation or play. We are busy with busyness. Rather than figure out what to do with our spare minutes and hours, we are content to swim in the shallows and pass our time with passing the time. How many of us, growing too accustomed to the spiritual slothfulness of our age, feel this strange mix of busyness and lifelessness? We are always engaged with our thumbs, but rarely engaged with our thoughts. We keep downloading information, but rarely get down into the depths of our hearts. That’s spiritual apathy—purposelessness disguised as constant commotion.”⁷

5. THE THREAT OF NOT BEING ALONE:

When you keep tabs on the world at large, your thoughts are trained to continually look outward for context and meaning. The inner life of reflection and imagination is stifled. According to Peter Kreeft, author of Christianity for Modern Pagans, “We want to complexify our lives. We don’t have to, we want to. We want to be busy. For if we had leisure, we would look at ourselves and listen to our hearts and see the great gaping hole in our hearts and be terrified, because that hole is so big, nothing but God can fill it. We think we want peace and silence and rest, but deep down we know that this would be unendurable to us.”⁸ Busyness sends more people to hell than unbelief because they fail to reflect on the true purpose for our lives!

Because of these threats, I am convinced that all of us should make changes. Think of the spiritual advances we may grasp by simply balancing technology in our lives! We will be stronger, more influential, more discerning people, sensitive to the great call on our lives to be the hands and feet of the Gospel. Jesus, please show us a better way to live. As I’ve researched this topic, I’ve compiled a list of sources for you to browse to learn more about the detriments of digital distraction and addiction. Visit www.ccbc.info/distract for more insights.

¹ “Many Kids Feel ‘Unimportant’ When Parents Are Distracted By Smartphones, Survey Says”– Huffington Post
² Medscape
³ “5 Seriously Bad Side Effects Of Your Smartphone Addiction” – Good Housekeeping
^4″Possible Link Between ADHD in Children & Cell Phone Use” – Psych Central
⁵“The True Cost Of Multi-Tasking” – Psychology Today
^6″Incredible Concrete Surface Can Absorb 4,000 Litres Of Water In SECONDS Providing A Flooding Solution” – Mirror.co.uk
⁷“Don’t Let The Screen Strangle Your Soul (2 Of 2)” – The Gospel Coalition
^8“Why Are We So Busy?” – The Gospel Coalition

James 1:21-25 teaches one of the most important goals of spending time in God’s Word—we should seek to be changed by it. This passage compares the Word of God to a mirror that helps us to see ourselves in light of God’s perfect standard. Just like when we fix our appearance as we look in the mirror, we study the Bible with the intention of allowing it to transform us. Our goal is not to master it, but rather, to be mastered by it. Therefore, we should come to God’s Word with two basic questions: (1) What does God want to say to me. (2) What does God want me to do? Below is a list of Scriptures that record some of the many responses Christians can have to the Word of God.

Forty-Five ways to respond to God’s Word:

1) Let it fall upon good ground in your heart: Mark 4:20
2) Incline your heart to it: Psalm 119:36
3) Hear it and obey it. Be wise: John 12:47
4) Desire it to be established in your life: Psalm 119:38
5) Keep the Word: John 14:23; Psalm 119:60
6) Be willing to speak it before leaders: Psalm 119:46
7) Let God’s Word abide in you: John 5:38
8) Meditate on it: Psalm 119:48
9) Continue in His Word: John 8:31
10) Walk according to its teachings: Psalm 119:59
11) Live not only on physical food, but the Word: Matthew 4:4
12) Praise His Word: Psalm 56:4
13) Don’t forget it: Psalm 119:61
14) Give thanks for it: Psalm 119:62
15) Choose companions who also fear the Word: Psalm 119:63
16) Magnify His Word even above His name: Psalm 138:2
17) Engraft His Word in your heart: James 1:21
18) Believe it: Psalm 119:66
19) Be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only: James 1:22
20) Desire the milk of His Word: 1 Peter 2:2
21) Value it more than gold and silver: Psalm 119:72
22) Let the Word of God dwell in you richly: Colossians 3:16
23) Desire to learn it: Psalm 119:73
24) Rightly divide the Word of God: 2 Timothy 2:15
25) Hope in the Word: Psalm 119:74
26) Search the Scriptures: John 5:39; Acts 17:11
27) Do not forsake it: Psalm 119:87
28) Find comfort in it: Psalm 119:76
29) Choose His Word: Psalm 119:30
30) Desire for it to change your heart: Psalm 119:80
31) Stick to His Word: Psalm 119:31
32) Run after His Word: Psalm 119:32
33) Seek after it: Psalm 119:94
34) Keep it: Psalm 119:33; Psalm 119:69
35) Consider it: Psalm 119:95
36) Observe it: Psalm 119:34
37) Long for God’s Word: Psalm 119:131
38) Delight in it: Psalm 119:35
39) Order your steps in the Word: Psalm 119:133
40) Seek His precepts: Psalm 119:45
41) Ask forgiveness for sin, so His Word can abide in you: 1 John 1:10
42) Be grieved when God’s Word is not honored: Psalm 119:136
43) Stand in awe of God’s Word: Psalm 119:161
44) Love it: Psalm 119:163
45) Speak His Word: Psalm 119:172 


Now that you’ve quickly reviewed this list, take time to consider how you can respond to the Scripture you read today during your devotions. How is God asking you to be transformed based on what He has revealed to you? Pray over the passage and finish this day being “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Afterwards, thank God for the grace He gave you to move beyond reading into the transformative aspect of living it out.

A few years ago, I had an opportunity to counsel a friend who had received an alleged prophetic word. The prophecy was comically out of line with Biblical principles, saying things like: “sunlight comes out of your mouth;” “when you speak your words shift atmosphere;” “I saw as soon as you sat down, a unicorn;” and even “I saw a bowl of cereal, and I asked the Lord what kind of cereal it was, and HE said, ‘lucky charms.’”

In this article, I’d like to write about how Christians guard themselves from being deceived by false prophecy. I’m not necessarily talking about spotting false prophets who preach a different gospel (Matthew 7:15-20; 2 Peter 2; Jude 5-19), but the sincere believer who honestly thinks they are speaking on behalf of the Lord. Sometimes in the church, we hear people say bold things on behalf of the Lord like, “God told me He wants you to move to _____” or “The Lord told me I am to date you” or “God told me…” Usually, it is followed up by anything but Scripture. We hesitate to speak against it—even if it seems wrong—for how can one compete with God?

So, what should you do when someone says they have a message from God for you? Because these revelations can seem so insightful and often come from people who seem trustworthy, it is essential to follow Paul’s instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 to “test all things; hold fast to what is good.” Here are some ways Christians can guard themselves against false prophecies:

1. JUDGE IT OPTIMISTICALLY BUT CAUTIOUSLY:

Be open to hearing from the Lord through the New Testament gift of prophecy. We are told to, “not despise prophecies” in 1 Thessalonians 5:20. It’s natural to become skeptical when hearing weird things under the label of prophecy, but Paul didn’t want the Thessalonians throwing the baby out with the bath water. There is room in God’s economy for a prophetic word. Praise God if He wants to edify, exhort or comfort us through the gift of prophecy as we see in 1 Corinthians 14:3, “ But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.”

Pastor Chuck Smith exemplified a great balance of optimism and caution when he stated the following in his Holy Spirit series:

“…Well, did the Lord really say it? Is it in keeping with what God has said? We are to judge prophecy. You are not just to accept it. If I come up to you and say, ‘Brother, the Lord has been showing me something about you. He wants you to go to Africa as a missionary.’ You should seek the Lord for yourself, rather than just taking off saying, ‘Well, God has called me to Africa.’ You should seek the Lord for yourself. Judge it. Is this bearing witness with your heart?…A lot of people make the mistake of saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord…’”

2. JUDGE IT BY SCRIPTURE:

Every prophecy must stand up to the test of Scripture. Even the words of the Apostle Paul were tested as we see in Acts 17:11, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” If even Paul’s words had to be tested, the words of believers must also be tested against the truth of the Scripture. This process suggests the great need for Christians to have a personal knowledge of the truth of God’s Word, so they are able to recognize unbiblical statements as they are being shared.

3. JUDGE IT WITH CONFIRMATION:

Is the prophecy a confirmation for something you prayed or read about already? A prophecy can act as a reassuring reminder of God’s providence in your life for something He is already calling you to do. In the Old Testament, Jeremiah wasn’t confident he had heard from the Lord until there was providential confirmation. Jeremiah 32:6-9 reads, “Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, “Buy my field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.”’ Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth…’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. So I bought the field…” We read a similar situation in Acts 10 when Peter saw a vision from the Lord, which God providentially timed with a visit from some gentiles coming from the house of Cornelius. We too sometimes experience this confirmation through life events.

4. JUDGE IT BY THE MESSENGER:

It is quite a responsibility to speak on behalf of the Lord, and there is a humble way to do it. If the person prophesying to you somewhat confidently says, “the Lord told me to tell you…” then your spiritual radar might activate. If, on the other hand, it comes across humbly like, “I’m not sure if this is God or not, but I sense God wants me to tell you something and you can do with it what you want…”, then that takes into account a necessary humility that invites the receiver to test it. Jesus told us that we “will know them by their fruits,” (Matthew 7:16), and the negative fruit of pride should be a red flag for us.

5. JUDGE IT IN COMMUNITY:

John Piper encourages those exercising this gift to “…Have humble expectations that the prophecy will not be taken as a word of Scripture but as a Spirit-prompted human word to be weighed by Scripture, and by mature spiritual wisdom. For a prophecy to be accepted as valid it should find an echo in the hearts of spiritually mature people. It should be confirmed by biblically saturated insight. And it should find a resonance in the hearts and minds of those who have the mind of Christ and are ruled by his peace.” Piper has a great video on the gift of prophecy.

6. JUDGE IT PUBLICLY:

It is important to correct false prophecy with tenderness. Correction helps teach people about the true gift of prophecy and protects the body of Christ. This may even lead to more people speaking out in faith as they hear from the Lord. Randy Alcorn gives church leaders great advice for correcting the misuse of this gift.

Besides the links in this article, I’ve found insights on the gift of prophecy by continuationist scholars Wayne Grudem, Sam Storms and these Calvary Chapel pastors to be helpful.

It may be necessary to vary daily devotionals to preempt the inevitable rut that ensues from a consistent routine. It’s important to maintain daily reading of Scripture, prayer and other key aspects that ground the quiet time routine, but it doesn’t hurt to shake up the method. The following is my favorite routine to date because it is utterly simple and almost impossible not to enjoy:

1. Buy a new Bible before starting a new routine.

You may struggle with the idea of parting with the Bible you’ve used for years, but a fresh start enables you to look at a passage without depending on your previous underlines and notes. Familiarity may bog new perspectives God wants to give. But if you aren’t willing to get a new Bible, use a contrasting color pen or highlighter to differentiate from your previous markings.

2. Read one to four chapters of the Bible each day.

A chapter a day gets you through the whole New Testament in less than a year, but four chapters a day gets you through the whole Bible. I prefer to rotate my readings by alternating one Old Testament book followed by one New Testament book. For example, I start in Genesis and then read Matthew. Then I’m back to Exodus before moving on to Mark. This balances the readings throughout the year so that by the time the New Testament is finished, there is only the Minor Prophets left in the Old Testament.

3. Underline one verse for each chapter.

Choose the verse that impacted you the most and underline it. Restrain yourself to only choosing one verse per chapter. Why? This forces you to meditate more effectively on the passage. This rule may be a struggle when reading Leviticus, and there isn’t a single verse you like—or when you are in Matthew 5 and want to underline the whole chapter—but limit yourself to one verse alone for this method.

4. Circle your favorite verse for the entire book.

After you’ve finished reading the entire book, take some time to go back and review each verse you underlined in every chapter. Decide which of these verses is your favorite verse of the entire book. This is helpful in slowing us down to consider the Scriptures thoroughly. On the title page of that book, write down the verse reference, so you’ll always know which verse was your favorite just by turning to the first page of that book of the Bible.

5. Journal your reasons for each chosen verse.

For each verse you underline, pause and write one to three sentences in a journal about why you appreciated that passage. It’ll only take a few extra minutes for each chapter, but it will help you remember your time with God. Close with a time of prayer based on what you’ve been meditating on that day.

After you’ve read the whole Bible using this method, you’ll have 1,189 favorite verses underlined (one from each chapter) and 66 all time favorite verses (one from each book). You’ll also have significant insight from the correlated passage in your journal. When you hear others speaking about Scripture, you can open your journal and join in the conversation. Imagine asking your friends what chapter they read for their devotions and always having something to encourage them with from that same chapter!

If you enjoyed this technique, you can always read your Bible a second time through, using a different color pen or highlighter to repeat the process—this time choosing a different verse. This is a simple but fruitful way to study the Scriptures, and I hope you enjoy it too.

In my last post, I offered “Five Suggestions for Effective Daily Devotions.” Despite the fact that most believers recognize the benefits, many still struggle to actually succeed at spending time with the Lord on a daily basis. The obstacles faced in prioritizing personal devotional time are widespread among the saints. Thankfully, there are examples of believers overcoming these common stumbling blocks, as evidenced by the following inspiring overcomers:

The Obstacle of DISCOMFORT

The Bible seems less inviting when we have to leave behind a warm bed on a chilly morning. In early 1917, Bertha Smith was called to northern China as a missionary. As told in her autobiography, Go Home and Tell, it was so cold that she had to wear 30 pounds of clothing each day! To get through the frigid nights, she slept under many covers with a hot water bottle. Bertha’s understanding of the necessity for a devotional life caused her to push through this discomfort in remarkable ways. She got up before sunrise, dressed in her 30 pounds of clothing, broke through ice to wash her face and even brushed off the frost from the hay, so she could bow down before the Lord to seek Him. What a heart of perseverance!

The Obstacle of COMMUNITY

If you find yourself in an environment of communal living, it can be hard to find a private place to seek the Lord. Another missionary to China, Isobel Kuhn, demonstrated that hard does not mean impossible. While she was a student at Moody Bible Institute, she found that the demands of school began replacing her personal quiet time with God. After committing to prioritize time with the Lord, the main problem became where to find a private place to seek Him. She wrote in her book, In the Arena, “The only place I could find where I would disturb no one was the cleaning closet! So each morning I stole down the hall, entered the closet, turned the scrubbing pail upside down, sat on it, and with mops and dust rags hanging around my head, I spent a precious half-hour with the Master. The other half-hour had to be found at the end of the day.” While many today would open that closet and laugh at a girl reading her Bible in such an odd place, she had found joy in her secret place because God was there!

The Obstacle of INCONSISTENCY

The slightest change to our routine can impede our devotional time. The conservative Lord Chancellor of England from 1874-1880, Lord Earl Cairns, knew the importance of keeping his time with God consistent for his own sake. R.A. Torrey describes his commitment in his book, Your Life in God, when he writes of Lord Cairns, “…Was one of the busiest men of his day. Lady Cairns told me that no matter how late at night he reached home, he always woke up at the same early hour for prayer and Bible study. She said, ‘We would sometimes get home from Parliament at two o’clock in the morning, but Lord Cairns would always arise at the same early hour’…he is reported as saying, ‘If I have had any success in life, I attribute it to the habit of giving the first two hours of each day to Bible study and prayer.’” His consistency is a reminder that while excuses will abound for why we can skip our devotional time, we are given the grace to persist if we ask for it.

The Obstacle of BUSYNESS

The excuse of being too busy for daily devotions is actually just an illusion when compared to people that are truly busy and still find time in the Word each day. In 1829, George Mueller began reading through the entire Bible systematically, eventually leading him to read the Bible over 100 times in his life. The 1899 edition of the Bible Society Record records him stating, “I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the word of God. Friends often say to me, ‘Oh, I have so much to do, so many people to see, I cannot find time for Scripture study.’ There are not many who have had more to do than I have had. For more than half a century, I have never known one day when I had not more business than I could get through. For forty years, I have had, annually, about 30,000 letters, and most of them have passed through my own hand…As pastor of a church with 1,200 believers, great has been my care; and, besides these, the charge of five immense orphanages, a vast work, and also my publishing depot, the printing and circulating of millions of tracts and books; but I have always made it a rule never to begin work till I have had a good season with God, and then I throw myself with all my heart into His work for the day.” We are never so busy that time with God becomes less of a priority.

The Obstacle of DANGER

Many suffer persecution if they are discovered reading a Bible. Not only should we pray for those persecuted, but we can give thanks to God for the freedom we have by taking advantage of our unhindered access to the Word. Missionary to Burma William Carey had to be strategic in his devotional time to avoid danger. In Young Man in a Hurry: The Story of William Carey, one of his biographers wrote, “He found God especially near among the flowers and shrubs of a garden…at sunrise, before tea, and at the time of the full moon when there was the least danger from snakes, he meditated and prayed, and the Book, which he ceaselessly translated for others, was his own source of strength and refreshment.” Have you ever had to worry about a snake interrupting your devotional time? Let’s thank the Lord for that.

Don’t Let Your Enemy Discourage and Distract You

I’m convinced one of Satan’s most successful schemes against God’s people is in blinding us to the importance and relevance of spending time studying the Scriptures. God’s Word is invaluable. It is a far greater treasure than anything this world has to offer, yet many treat it as though it has no worth. Satan’s primary objective is to prevent Christians from appropriating all that is rightfully ours as God’s children. He wants us to live spiritually bankrupt and destitute lives, and he accomplishes this by keeping us from studying God’s Word. However, when we make time to study the Bible, our lives are enriched and established upon the sure foundation of His truth and promises. When we understand this, we will begin to rightly esteem its value and importance in our daily lives. As we discipline ourselves to set time aside to study God’s Word, we will realize that the regular intrusions of life are better handled after time spent with the Lord.

In my last post I wrote about “Eight Reasons Why Believers Have Daily Devotions.” In this article, I’d like to write about how we actually go about having daily devotions. It’s important to know that a script cannot be written for our quiet times with the Lord. We can be as close to Him each day as we choose to be. He delights in our desire to simply be with Him. So, while I am not going to give you three easy steps to planning a successful quiet time with Jesus, what I do have to offer are some general suggestions that you can prayerfully consider as you sit before the Lord.

1. Pray for the Right Attitude

If you have been spending a lot of time dealing with hectic schedules or anxieties over your business or family life, you cannot expect to pick up the Bible and immediately enter into its heavenly mysteries. Just as you ask a blessing over your meal before you eat it, so to, it is a good rule to ask the Lord to bless you as you partake of this heavenly food. If you don’t take the time to pray before opening God’s Word, it is completely possible that even though you are doing the right thing—reading the Bible—you will be doing it with the wrong attitude. Begin your time with God in prayer, and you will have the right attitude:

• Expectancy: You will expect to have a good time of fellowship.
• Reverence: Your heart will be prepared and still before His Majesty.
• Alertness: You will give Him your best.
• Teachability: You will come for the purpose of doing what God asks.

2. Choose a Consistent Time

Always give God the best part of your day. Make sure you are consistent with that time, and that it is free from as many interruptions as possible. Don’t try to squeeze the Lord into your already tight schedule, have a plan that provides a set time—put it on your calendar if necessary. For most of us, early in the morning usually works best. In fact, Jesus often chose to pray and meet alone with the Father early in the morning (Mark 1:35) and so did king David (Psalm 5:3). Time spent with the Father is more important than an extra hour of sleep.

Pioneer missionary Hudson Taylor once said, “You don’t tune up the instruments after the concert is over.” How true! It’s logical to tune your instruments before you start to play. The same is true for our spiritual lives. If Jesus is really in first place, we ought to give Him the first part of the day. After all, doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast because it determines our energy levels, alertness and even our moods. Likewise, we also need a “spiritual breakfast.” When we start the day with the Word of God, we are beginning on a high note. We will often be able to share what we receive in the morning as an encouragement to others throughout the day. Why not even consider having two quiet times (morning and evening). Stephen Olford, a well-known pastor once said, “I want to hear the voice of God before l hear anyone else’s in the morning, and His is the last voice l want to hear at night.”

3. Decide on the Amount of Time

How much time should we spend with the Lord? Aim to spend not less than 15 minutes a day with God in your personal devotions. Out of the 168 hours we all have in a week that will only take, one hour and 45 minutes of your weekly routine. That seems terribly small when you consider that you were created to have meaningful fellowship with God. Here’s a helpful hint: Watching the clock will ruin your time with God, instead try setting an alarm.

4. Pick a Consistent Location

Jesus had a custom of praying in the quiet garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39). The place you choose ought to be a quiet and secluded place where you can be alone and undisturbed. In today’s noisy world this may take some ingenuity, but it is important. As you consistently meet with the Lord in that place, it will become special because of the wonderful times you have had with Jesus.

5. Have a Basic Plan

It’s been said, “If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it!” To have a meaningful quiet time, you will need some general guidelines to follow. It could be something as simple as:

• Briefly Pray: Invite Jesus to be with you (Psalm 139:23-24).
• Praise God: Read a Psalm out loud or sing a praise song to get your heart and spirit in an attitude of worship.
• Read the Bible: Read slowly and systematically (not randomly), and read only a small portion. If you follow a Bible in a year reading plan, after you have finished your assigned reading for the day choose a small portion of it and review it more devotionally.
• Meditate: You can meditate on Scripture by reading the passage out loud a few times, asking questions, memorizing a verse, reading in a couple of different translations, paraphrasing it in your own words, and so forth. Talk with God about how this verse relates to your life and how He wants you to practically apply this truth.
• Journal: Write down any key thoughts the Lord gives you.
• Close in Prayer: After God has spoken His Word to you; speak to Him. Include times of adoration, worship, thanksgiving, confession, intercession and petition. Occasionally vary your physical positions in prayer (kneeling/standing). Tell God how you desire to respond to Him today.

While these five suggestions can help you in formulating a plan for your daily devotions, remember to guard yourself from the rut that routine can bring. Any good relationship is built on a variety of activities and experiences, and the same holds true with your relationship with God. Maybe you should spend the whole time in prayer or song, maybe one day you can walk as you read and pray, or maybe you should write a letter to God expressing your heart for Him instead of your normal journaling. However you mix it up, keep it exciting—don’t let your devotions become a duty. Never become devoted to the habit—only to the Savior.

One of the greatest priorities that we can have in life is a decision to set aside time each day for personal devotion toward the Father. The purpose of this time is simply to quiet our hearts before the Lord and have fellowship with Him. Our daily devotions are not necessarily meant to be a time of in-depth Bible study, but instead a time to simply draw closer to the Lord through meditation in His Word and communion with Him in prayer. But before any in-depth discussion on what daily devotions are happens, it helps to understand why believers would want to set aside this time to seek the Lord. Below are eight reasons why it’s worth it to make this time a priority in your life each day.

1. GOD CREATED US FOR FELLOWSHIP:

Humans are the only created beings that have the capacity for intimate fellowship with the One who created them (Genesis 1:26). When Adam sinned, fellowship between man and God was lost, but when Jesus Christ died and rose again, He restored the possibility for man to have fellowship with God. All who believe in Jesus have the privilege of enjoying a personal relationship with the Father (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3-4).

2. GOD MODELED IT FOR US:

Personal fellowship with His Father in heaven was a top priority of Jesus’ life on earth (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 22:39-44). Even when His days were filled with exciting ministry, He spent time in prayer (John 5:30). If a time of quiet prayer was a priority for Jesus, how much more do we need to make it a priority in our lives? Have you ever gone without food for a day? If so, you know how quickly hunger sets in. And if you go without food for too long, your strength will begin to diminish. The same is true in our spiritual lives. The Bible is our soul’s food. It is a sign of health for a Christian to have an appetite for the Word of God. It is the only way that we will be well nourished and spiritually strong. Yet, many Christians consistently try to get by with only one meal a week—Sunday morning. You could not survive long, physically, if all you were eating was one meal a week, and neither can you make it spiritually, on such small portions of God’s Word.

3. GOD CLEANSES US THROUGH HIS WORD:

How long would you go without bathing? A daily quiet time is like a spiritual bath (Ephesians 5:26; John 15:3). We wouldn’t have many friends if we went for long periods without bathing. The Bible says that reading the Word of God is what cleanses us—our lives will begin to stink if we neglect the Word.

4. GOD BLESSES US AS WE SEEK HIM:

We gain tremendous rewards from having a quiet time. Another reason we should have a daily quiet time is the tremendous results it brings into our lives. God has promised many things to those who take the time to get to know him through His Word and prayer. Some of the rewards of having a daily quiet time include: joy (Psalm 16:11); success (Joshua 1:8); strength (Isaiah 40:29-31); answered prayer (John 15:7); and peace (Psalm 119:165).

5. GOD DESERVES OUR DEVOTION:

This time allows us to give to God instead of getting from Him. Psalm 29:2 says, “Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Many Christians overemphasize their work for God and neglect to spend time simply worshiping Him. God deserves and desires our devotion (John 4:23). How long has it been since you sat quietly with Jesus and simply told Him that you love Him? When was the last time you sang a worship song to Him outside of a church service?

6. GOD GIVES US DIRECTION:

What a necessary provision that we get direction from Him for our daily lives (Psalm 25:4-5; 40:8). When we sit quietly with the Lord, it gives us the opportunity to hear from God and to get the wisdom and direction we need. In our fast-paced world, we desperately need to slow down and hear from the One who knows the end from the beginning. Pascal once said, “All the troubles of man arise from his inability to sit still.” Ask God to show you His will for your day and commit your schedule to Him.

7. GOD’S PRESENCE IS FULL OF JOY:

Another benefit of our personal time with the Lord is enjoying Him and basking in His presence. The secret of real joy comes from knowing God (Psalm 34:8; Philippians 3:10). Do you know Jesus Christ personally, or do you merely know about Him? When we know a person intimately, we: spend quality time together; enjoy meaningful communication; and know what each other’s likes and dislikes are. When we expect to meet with Jesus during our quiet time each morning, we will never be disappointed. We will always find that He’s waiting to meet with us too.

8. GOD MAKES US MORE LIKE HIS SON:

How do we become more like Jesus? We are made holy through the Word (John 17:17; Romans 12:2). Our sanctification comes directly through the time we spend in the Scriptures getting to know God intimately and allowing His Word to correct our hearts. Acts 4:13 shows us an example of this transformation when it says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

There are hundreds more reasons why we should set aside a private time to seek and honor the Lord, but these eight should be enough to cause us to put down our phone or computer right now if we haven’t met with the Lord personally yet today. I’ll abruptly stop writing in case you’d like to do that now.

Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards wrote, “There are two ways of representing and recommending true religion and virtue to the world; the one, by doctrine and precept; the other, by instance and example.” He went on to state that God, “…Has also raised up some eminent persons who have set bright examples of that religion which is taught and prescribed in the word of God; whose examples have, in the course of divine providence, been set forth to public view.” Who are these people Edwards thought were bright examples who we should all get to know? There is one whose life was so influential; some say he indirectly inspired the founding of Princeton College and Dartmouth College. His name was David Brainerd.

David Brainerd (1718-1747) came to know the Lord during the Great Awakening and was a missionary to the Native Americans for three years in the 1740s. He labored among the Kaunaumeek Indians, the Delaware Indians, and eventually the Indians at Crossweeksung in New Jersey. After a very slow start, at one point only able to communicate through a drunk interpreter, he eventually was used powerfully to bring the gospel to many Native Americans. He died of tuberculosis at the young age of 29 on October 9, 1747, in the house of his friend, Jonathan Edwards. After his death, Edwards helped to publish his diary because, as he states in the preface to the diary, he thought it was a great example of a believer’s devotional life that was “worthy of imitation.” Although admitting that Brainerd was a workaholic, prone to discouragement, Edwards still thought that his life “shows the right way to success in the work of the ministry.” His greatest strength was that he was not only able to discern the spiritual condition of others, but especially of himself. He understood his own feebleness and knew his own heart.

His diary, The Life of David Brainerd, has influenced countless believers over the past 250 years. It has been used to encourage and train many missionaries, like William Carey and Jim Eliot. Recently my wife and I were moved by the grace God gave Brainerd for life as we listened to the audiobook.

Below are seven notable characteristics with supporting quotes from Brainerd’s diary that we can all hope to emulate:

1. He desperately wanted to be used for God.

“O God, let me make a difference for You that is utterly disproportionate to who I am…I have received my all from God. Oh, that I could return my all to God.”

2. He found real joy in God and in His service.

“If you hope for happiness in the world, hope for it from God, and not from the world…It is impossible for any rational creature to be happy without acting all for God. God Himself could not make him happy any other way… There is nothing in the world worth living for but doing good and finishing God’s work, doing the work that Christ did. I see nothing else in the world that can yield any satisfaction besides living to God, pleasing Him, and doing his whole will.”

3. He acknowledged God’s grace empowered him.

“I retired early this morning into the woods for prayer; had the assistance of God’s Spirit, and faith in exercise; and was enabled to plead with fervency for the world, and to intercede for dear, absent friends. At noon God enabled me to wrestle with Him, and to feel, as I trust, the power of divine love, in prayer.”

4. He served God despite sickness and discouragement.

“I was in such an agony, from sun half an hour high, till near dark, that I was all over wet with sweat; but yet it seemed to me that I had wasted away the day, and had done nothing. Oh, my dear Jesus did sweat blood for poor souls! I longed for more compassion towards them…Spent the day in a very weak state; coughing and spitting blood, and having little appetite to any food I had with me: was able to do very little, except discourse a while of divine things to my own people, and to some few I met with…Scarce ever felt myself so unfit to exist, as now: I saw I was not worthy of a place among the Indians, where I am going…”

5. He truly loved the people he served.

“I care not where I go, or how I live, or what I endure so that I may save souls. When I sleep I dream of them; when I awake they are first in my thoughts…Oh it is an emblem of heaven itself, to love all the world with a love of kindness, forgiveness, and benevolence; to feel our souls sedate, mild and meek; to be void of all evil surmising and suspicions, and scarce able to think evil of any man upon any occasion; to find our hearts simple, open, and free, to those that look upon us with a different eye!”

6. He was a man who knew his own heart.

“Road 16 miles to Montauk, and had some inward sweetness on the road, but something of flatness and deadness after I came there and had seen the Indians: I withdrew and endeavored to pray, but found myself awfully deserted and left, and had an afflicting sense of my vileness and meanness.”

7. He looked for fruit before being confident of conversion.

“There were many tears in the assembly; and I doubt not but that the Spirit of God was there, convincing poor sinners of their need of Christ…I was enabled to speak with some freedom and concern to the Indians, at two of their settlements; and I think there was some appearance of the presence of God with us, some seriousness, and seeming concern among the Indians, at least a few of them…There was one, in particular, who had fallen into the sin of drunkenness some time before, now deeply convinced of his sin, and the great dishonor done to religion by his misconduct, and he discovered a great degree of grief and concern on that account. My soul was refreshed to see this.”

If you have trouble finding time to read, then I recommend John Piper’s free ebook, David Brainerd, May I Never Loiter On My Heavenly Journey! It’s only 34 pages and will give you a great picture of Brainerd’s life and influence. John Piper writes, “For me… Brainerd’s life is a vivid, powerful testimony to the truth that God can and does use weak, sick, discouraged, beat-down, lonely, struggling saints, who cry to him day and night, to accomplish amazing things for his glory.” Though it may take you a little longer to read, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd with Notes and Reflections is also available for free. Audio, ebook and paperback versions can be found on most book websites and are worth the cost.

More than just impressed, Jonathan Edwards was blessed.

Jonathan Edwards closed his editorial remarks in The Life and Diary of David Brainerd by saying, “I would conclude my observations on the merciful circumstances of Mr. Brainerd’s death without acknowledging with thankfulness the gracious dispensation of Providence to me and my family in so ordering that he… should be cast hither to my house, in his last sickness, and should die here: So that we had opportunity for much acquaintance and conversation with him, and to show him kindness in such circumstances, and to see his dying behavior, to hear his dying speeches, to receive his dying counsels, and to have the benefit of his dying prayers.”

As we seek to follow Christ, we too can become “bright examples” for other believers.