Why is it, so many of us have an unrealistic expectation and idea of what Bible study needs to look like?
Perhaps we have watched others have “successful” Bible study by spending hours studying and journaling.
Maybe we have experienced a retreat-like environment, where we were able to shut off all the noise and soak in the presence of God, so we crave that same experience every time we sit down with our Bible.
I always want my devotion time to be fruitful, but I realized I had placed an unbelievably high expectation on myself for making my time with the Lord “perfect” and “pretty.”
Sometimes, my quiet time is far from quiet. But that doesn’t mean the Lord doesn’t speak to me. Here are three intentional steps to help you make the most out of your quiet time in the Word — regardless of what is going on around you!
1 - Pray for eagerness and a heart change (Hg 1:1-11).
In the book of Haggai, the remnant of Israel has returned out of captivity in Babylon to rebuild the Temple. Opposition comes against them, and they ultimately stop their progress, becoming consumed with their own lives while at the same time forgetting the whole reason God brought them out of captivity in the first place.
Despite their forgetfulness and lack of faith, the word of God comes to them through the prophet Haggai. He brings words of encouragement coupled with words to help them realize how they have turned to disobedience because of the opposition they faced while rebuilding the temple. He brings a call to repentance and worship.
When we approach Bible reading with an already defeated heart posture because of the environment and situations around us, we’re sure to miss God speaking. Instead, we could approach the practice of daily Scripture reading with a prayer for the Lord to light a fire of eagerness inside of us to hear his voice even as we check the boxes each day.
We must take our focus off of ourselves and our circumstances, shifting our focus onto God, praying for Him to do what only He can.
2 - Read and listen with expectation (Mt 11:28-30).
Have you ever sat down to have a conversation with someone and found yourself or them not seeming to hear what you’re saying? How often do we sit down to read our Bibles or sit in a Sunday service, then walk away with nothing because we were distracted by other thoughts or noises?
When we approach a daily practice, such as reading the Bible, we should intentionally expect God to speak to us. Some of us have read certain books and verses in the Bible one hundred times over, yet the power never leaves those words. Oftentimes, when we read things we’ve read before, something new glistens and gleams.
The Bible is the never-changing, living breath of God. It is relevant in all areas of life. We may only be blinded by our own set of standards, unable to see and hear God in the simplest of actions, such as reading our Bibles daily.
Do you forget how much God cares for you? How He is the one who will give us rest? Bringing our own set of standards to Bible reading is counterproductive. God longs to dwell with us (we see a beautiful picture of this in the book of Haggai) and for us to seek Him, reliant on His power alone. Approaching daily Bible study, expecting to hear the voice of God and believing He truly gives us rest could make all the difference for us.
3 - Find someone to do it with you (Mt 18:19-20).
We hear a lot about sharing our lives with fellow believers, carrying each other's burdens, sharing in each other's joy. What if we also grasped the concept of communicating with each other what the Lord has revealed to us through his Word more often?
There are some things the Lord speaks to us that are meant for us, and us only. Then there are other times, probably more often than not, where the Lord reveals things to us, and we simply don’t share them. Let’s start sharing the ways God is moving and speaking to each of us and recognizing that God may be speaking through us to others!
Growing closer to Him through the Word and prayer takes intentional effort. We can’t know our God if we are not seeking Him consistently!
Are you ready to do the work? I can’t promise profound revelation each time you open the Word of God, but I do know He is eager for you to seek Him and for Him to dwell with you.
Lean into the Word and learn more about the God who deeply cares for you!
"How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:103-105 NASB
*This is something I wrote for Living By Design Ministries SOULfood Saturday email. LBD provides free Bible studies on their website. You can also find encouraging words on their blog. Embracing the Silence is another article I wrote that may be of encouragement to you. Check out LBD!
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