Often I hear Christians say that in the new year their resolutions are to read their Bible and pray more often in the upcoming year. Is that wise? Should you make that kind of resolution?
What These Resolutions Say
For starters, I commend you if two of your New Year’s resolutions include reading your Bible more and praying more. What this means is that you have evaluated your past year and past practice to determine that you desire to do better, to do more, or to be more consistent. That’s excellent.
A desire to do better in both these areas demonstrates you understand the biblical mandate to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:16-18) and the necessity of Bible intake (Matt 4:4; Heb 4:12; Rom 12:1-2; Ps 119:9; Eph 6:17).
Fellow Christ-follower, if you desire to enjoy a closer walk with God through reading His Word and fellowship with Him through prayer, you are wise.
With 100% certainty I can promise you that reading your Bible more and praying more in a new year will completely benefit you. You can’t go wrong here.
What These Resolutions May Also Say
For review, did you read the last section? I think these are excellent resolutions because they speak to your desire to walk with God through prayer and Bible intake. Fantastic.
But they may also say something else about you.
If you struggle reading your Bible consistently and praying regularly, the issue typically relates to something greater than just simply a resolution or daily discipline.
Let me say that a different way, Bible reading and prayer almost never function as the real problem of sanctification.
If you struggle reading your Bible and praying regularly, the struggle, although real, often masks a bigger struggle. There is a reason you are not reading your Bible and praying regularly. That reason ought to be the focus of your inquiry into your walk with God.
The reality: if you identify an area where you need to grow in Christ and seek to honor Him better, then you will read more and pray more. If you pick an area of spiritual weakness, begin to focus on that weakness as an area for growth and change, then you will read more and pray more.
Why? Because your desire to walk with the Lord in sweeter communion, your desire to be holy, and your desire to honor the Lord as motivated by His incredible love for you all will drive you to the Scriptures and drive you to prayer.
When you identify a place for growth and change, your Bible reading and prayer life demonstrate it.
Possibly then, you do not read more and pray more because you have not identified a compelling enough area to grow and change through self-counsel.
How Can You Be More Consistent?
First, let me encourage you to pick a compelling reason to need to read your Bible and pray more often. Begin with an area of weakness and begin to work toward growth and change.
Second, consider your habits too. Possibly, you can do a bit of work here to help yourself. Let me ask a couple of key questions to help.
- Do you have a dedicated time each day to read and pray?
- Do you have a dedicated process for Bible reading and prayer?
- Are you using electronic media to help you?
I have personally enjoyed using the YouVersion Bible app this past year. It is one of many ways that you can track your progress on reading. The app offers many plans for Bible reading as well as helpful reminders, words of encouragement to you, and a verse of the day (see screenshot example below).
You can always set reminders on your phone as daily alarms to help keep you consistent.
A reading plan of some kind is helpful as well. On the devotional side, a Proverbs a day is a good place to start or a Psalm in the morning and a chapter from Proverbs at night.
The goal: just intentionally start somewhere. As you do though, consider if the problem is not just one of discipline, but instead, reflects a greater neglect to do careful self-reflection and self-counsel.
Again, start somewhere. As Ben Franklin said, “A failure to plan is a plan to fail.”
Image Credit Priscilla Du Preez
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
