Communication is one of the most vital pieces to a healthy relationship. The more communication there is between people in a relationship, the stronger the relationship gets. We don't simply invest time, resources and effort into a relationship, but rather invest into an avenue to communicate with one another thus growing the relationship.
It's no different in our relationship with God. If we want to grow more in your trust, affection and submission towards God, we must grow in the area of communication. God speaks to us in many ways, but the primary way that He does so is through the written Word of God. The Bible is complete, effective and crucial to following Jesus, and the more we grow in love with His Word, the more we grow more in Christ.
Here are just some of the many practical ways that you can grow in the area of your daily devotionals and make the most out of your Bible reading practices.
Understand the value of the Word
It's undeniable that many non-participant Christians find the Bible boring and irrelevant, but that is only because they do not understand the value of God's Word. Joshua 1:8 reminds us to meditate on the Word of God because "then you will be prosperous and successful." God has over 3,573 promises in the Bible that we can claim. The Bible is the most valuable asset a Christian can ever have, and the sad part is many Christians just don't see how valuable it is.
Be lead by the Spirit
When we read the Bible and are lead by the Spirit, the Word of God just makes more sense. It's always good practice to pray as much as you read and pray before you even start taking in the Word of God. To read the Bible apart from the leading of the Spirit is meaningless. That's why so many non-believers read the Bible and get nothing but more doubts from it because they refuse to be lead by the Holy Spirit in doing so.
Set a time and place
It's easy to get stuck in the busy-ness of our day-to-day life, and it can be hard in the very beginning to build strong Bible reading habits. One good way to start is to create a set time and place for you to meditate on God's Word, and stick to that schedule. The same way that a person builds the habit of exercising, reading the Bible will soon get into your system quicker and more effortlessly.
Focus on the quality, not the quantity
Reading the Bible for all it's worth is not about reading the most that you can in one single day, but getting intensely soaked by God's Word every time that you read it. There is so much truth in the Bible that just one passage can reveal tons of Rhema into a person's life. I know a businessman who jots down pages of notes into his journal from one single verse in the Bible. There is so much depth to the Word of God that we cannot even begin to unfold in one sitting.
Journal
The saying goes that "a short pencil is better than a long memory," so it is greatly supplemental practice to write down any personal revelations and prayers inspired by scripture into a daily journal we can keep. There's really no format and no strict guidelines to journalling. Just write as the Spirit of God leads you through scripture.
Ask Questions
The Bible has withstood countless attacks and challenges, and it has still proven to be effective in leading Christians to God. Although it is never good to doubt the Word of God, it is not good to not ask questions as you read it either. The reason why many believers are ill-equipped is because they don't raise questions as they read their Bible. How can I confirm this to be true? What does the Bible really say about today's issues? Did God really say this, and what was His intention?
Apply
James 1:22 tells us "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Reading God's Word and then applying it into our lives makes it more powerful. That's why claiming promises as we read God's word and looking for commands to follow brings so much life to Christians. If we want to grow more in our understanding of the Bible, we must constantly be on the lookout for opportunities to apply His Word into our life.
