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Do you, your spouse, and your children spend time in prayer and the Word everyday? I struggled to read the Scriptures with regularity for many years. It seemed as if there was always too much to do and too little time. My attempts to faithfully read the Bible usually lasted as long as a New Year’s diet resolution. I was convinced in my mind that it was the right thing to do and I started out with great fervor, but before too many days passed, my guilt waxed and my commitment waned. Faced with the choice of getting up early for devotions or catching an extra 30 minutes of sleep, the latter often seemed much more rewarding. In my attempts to be faithful, I tried utilizing my lunch hour for devotions, but the office environment didn’t seem conducive to quiet contemplation. I tried the evenings, but when I returned home from work, the hours overflowed with activity until I was too tired to think. My sense of guilt lingered throughout the day, but as I turned off the lights and went to bed, reading my Bible was often the chore left undone.

    Over the last several years, something of a transformation has occurred in my life. It is no longer a source of guilt when I fail to read my Bible, but I hardly ever miss. My time in prayer and the Word is definitely not a chore anymore, although it still requires precious time. Have I developed a better sense of discipline? Not really. But my devotional time has become one of those activities, like eating breakfast in the morning, which I don’t want to skip.

    What has changed? Would you believe that I no longer desire to have daily devotions? It is true! I can never be sufficiently motivated by that goal, and I have abandoned it completely. What I do desire is to hear God speak to me. I wish to be cleansed and washed daily by His Word. I long for His direction and guidance. I seek assurance that I am walking in His will. These are goals that I am motivated to pursue!

Hungering and Thirsting for the Word

    Several years ago, I experienced something of a crisis when I realized that attaining the professional goals I had set did not bring lasting satisfaction or meaning to my life. It was devastating to realize that the years I had spent climbing the corporate ladder had such a small payout in the end. In my search for significance and purpose, I began to study the Word with gusto! For perhaps the first time in my life, I drank in God’s Word in big gulps, trying to quench my thirst for wisdom and truth. Studying and searching the Word suddenly became so much more than reading a designated passage for the day. It became a critical part of my life and growth. It became my path to establishing an intimate relationship with Christ and understanding His will. I searched and dug deep to answer the cry of my heart.

    How do you spend time in the Word? Devotionals can be useful as thought starters. Books with solid Scriptural foundations can be helpful guides in focused topical studies. Nevertheless, I have learned that I also need my own Spirit-directed time in the Word everyday. My prayers to God are one half of a conversation, and the Holy Spirit speaks to me and directs me in His Word in reply. I have developed a deep relationship with God by consistently spending time talking to Him and hearing Him speak. I moved from just knowing about God to knowing Him through a love relationship with Jesus.

    Do I occasionally miss a day in the Word? Unfortunately, yes. Is it a struggle for me to read the Bible every day? No! I long to spend intimate time with my Lord everyday. It is my heart’s desire to hear Him speak in response to my prayers. I seek His daily cleansing through the Word to keep my heart pure and holy before Him. I yearn for His guidance and direction in my life.

    As you encourage your family to spend time in prayer and in the Word, remember the goal is not to “do devotions,” but to spend time building a love relationship with Jesus.