****7 TIPS TO STOP STRUGGLING TO READ YOUR BIBLE****
January 20th, 2020
My mother made sure I read my bible every day. Maybe I should say she made sure we did daily devotionals in our house every day, thanks to that, because that was the only time I opened the bible. Now that I am older, I am a spouse, I am a Pastor, and I am seeking guidance as a full-grown adult, I am embarrassed that I am not consistent with my daily bible reading. This makes me remember mom a lot, and if she could hear me now, I would like to say,"Thank You Mom". Now I know why she made it mandatory. Reading the bible is planting weapons in your mind. Weapons for life's warfare. Affirmations for life's lows, and confirmation that there is a God, a friend, who is always right beside you. We all need to have this knowledge. If you don't have these tools in your heart and in your mind, when life happens, you wouldn't know how to deal. You have to know a deal in order to make a deal, right? Right! Now that my God Mother(Ms Georgia Williams) gave me a brand-new bible, I have been very excited. I have been reading it, but sadly, still not every day. I have taken note of why this habit has formed, and I am doing something about it. I would like to share it with you.
7 TIPS TO STOP STRUGGLING TO READ YOUR BIBLE.
1. Wake up at the crack of dawn: Set your alarm at a specific time, and OBEY it. Mine is 5am. If I'm at work, it is somewhere around 1am or 2am. Put the clock, or phone AWAY from your bed, this way you would have to get up to turn off the alarm, which may prevent you from going back to sleep. Once you are up, sit in your favorite spot and read your bible. An actual bible, not a phone bible.
2. Keep distractions at bay: Don't download the bible app. If you are a phone addict, you will end up not reading the bible, you would just browse from bible app to Facebook, WhatsApp to bible, bible to Instagram. This is God's time now, give it all to Him, uninterrupted. If you remember your 'To-Do' List, have a piece of paper next to you to write 'pop ups' down(Laundry, Call Insurance, Argue with husband :) Etc)
3. Study your bible in the same spot: Yea like I mentioned in number 1. After that alarm clock goes off, immediately go straight to your favorite spot. Of course your bible should already be sitting at that spot the night before. Look forward to reading your bible. Have your favorite drink next to you. Mine is coffee. See it as a date you are having with God. A date where you don't have to dress up. A date with your Creator, who already loves you just the way you are. Look forward to it because you wouldn't see anybody like Him during the rest of the day. This is your chance to be with Him.
4. Be eager to learn something from the Bible: Have a journal, and write down key points that stand out to you. Highlight pivotal verses, and be hungry to receive a specific word that will carry you throughout your day.
5. Get the One-Year Bible: This way you not only achieve reading the whole bible in one year, but you also have segments that have made it easier to read the bible in short paragraphs and topics, that way you look forward to reading because it is not long and cumbersome.
6. Study with your spouse or family: This is definitely key if you are married or have a family, but I have cultivated a culture where I study my bible, and I pray before I then study with my husband. This means I wake up earlier to get my alone time with God first, then with my husband and God. If you don't live with family, you can have a specific time you call your brother, sister or friend and study with them, but in the long run, you will want to have a personal study time with you and God alone.
7. Pray: Don't just read the bible, but use this time to tell God your secrets and pour your heart out to Him. This is called 'Prayer'. Consider this as free therapy, and this is therapy that comes with no judgement, speculations or unsolicited advice. Cry, Worship, Listen to Worship Music while you pray or before you start praying or throughout your duration of studying His word. This is a pure counseling session. You didn't know that? You didn't know God speaks back to you? I may have to write an article on 'How to hear God speak to you".
Until then, these are my tips. I hope they work for you, as they have been working for me. Don't put yourself under pressure. Spend 15 to 30 minutes a day doing this, and eventually, you may find that you are spending hours, even days, fasting, and communing with God. That would be great, wouldn't it? Congrats in advance.
#sanssouci
#OMENESA
