Developing Life-Changing Bible Engagement
Most followers of Jesus struggle to develop & maintain the habit of Bible reading and journaling. Unfortunately, when the Bible reading and journaling decline, so goes the ability to sense God’s presence and guidance.
Having a specific goal and having some helpful expectations can keep you engaged for a lifetime!
Set the Goal
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11
The ultimate goal of bible reading and journaling is to know God more intimately and to live with Him more powerfully. Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the bible, is essentially a person going on record with how meaningful it is to know God and live with His guidance from the bible.
As you read through your selected verses or chapters, you can regularly ask God, “What do you want me to learn?” As you read with this posture, take note of the verses that catch your attention and capture them in a journal as an “I Believe” statement. Once your reading is complete, look at the verses you selected and ask God, “What do you want me to do with what you have taught me today?” Write the answer you are given in an "I Will" statement.
My journals always contain the answers to both of these questions. Both answers are short and to the point. Reading the bible and journaling this way has helped me know God more intimately and live with Him more powerfully year after year.
Adjust Your Expectations
Thousands of people in this community have a common experience... getting this habit of bible engagement started is extremely exciting. The “I Believe” statements are filled with new insight. The “I Will” statements address specific life issues, catalyzing life-changing results.
Like anything else, however, familiarity changes things. Engaging the bible does not breed contempt as the saying goes, but it does run the risk of breeding indifference. Adjusting your expectations can help significantly.
For instance, early on in reading and journaling your “I Believe” statements may be filled with new insights. The bible will change or revise your thinking regularly. New insights, however, will come less often as you persist in the habit. This is where many get discouraged. You do not need ot be discouraged when this happens. Your “I Believe” statements can be very valuable, even if they are not new.
As the insights come less often, take note of when the bible reinforces, or adds support for, something you already believe. The more you see a biblical idea reinforced, the more intentional you can become in making it a part of your life. Reading the bible also re-affirms your beliefs... which tend to come in handy when you are in a high-pressure situation.
Your “I Will” statements will change over time as well. Early on, most of these statements are prescriptive, directing you to perform a specific action. Prescriptive “I will” statements are often the most exciting because they have immediate results.
Not all readings, however, provide a prescribed action. Sometimes they are more preparative, prepping you for an upcoming situation. For example, if your "I Believe" statement includes, “Be quick to listen and slow to speak.” from the book of James, then your "I Will" statement could be “I will make an effort to listen more than I speak today.” This preparation can save you a lot of unnecessary pain! If you are not sensing God’s Spirit prescribing something specific for you to do, He may be preparing you for something important.
The more you engage the bible, the more your “I Will” statements will become preservative in nature. For example, if you read “A three-stranded cord isn’t easily broken,” and have strong accountability partners in your life, you don’t need to add accountability to your life rhythms. But, the lack of a prescription doesn't render it useless. It has served as a powerful preserver. An "I Will" statement could be, “I will continue to invest in my accountability relationships, and I will thank my partners today for their faithfulness to me.”
Engage For the Long Haul!
God wants you to know Him. God wants to lead you. He has preserved His word, the bible, to make that possible. If you make this your goal and you allow your expectations to change over time, your life will change significantly.