I’m hesitant to write a post like this because I think many of us fall into ‘check-the-box’ ruts in our spiritual routines. However, there are others who have never experienced the deep joys of walking in daily spiritual disciplines. If that is you or if it has been years since you have, then I think these words could be nothing short of life-altering for you.
I’m incredibly entertained by staring at a camp fire. I can, and have, sat all day tending and staring at a camp fire – and it was incredible. Starting the fire, well, is a little tricky because you don’t yet have a hot coal bed. Once a fire has been burning a little while and there is a nice bed of hot coals, then you can throw any size or formation of wood on the fire and it is going to burn well.
The burning embers of our spiritual life are three basic things: scripture, prayer, and response
Many times we get so distracted by what books to read, what time of day to read them, how to pray, and what our journal looks like, that we completely neglect the basics of cultivating our relationship with Jesus. The burning embers of our spiritual life are three basic things: scripture, prayer, and response. There are so many different ways this can materialize in our lives, but at the most basic level these are the three things that create those embers that continue to keep our spiritual lives vital throughout our days. I don’t want to wade deep into the waters of detailed strategies of this because I believe that if each of these three are present you can use all sorts of different arrangements to facilitate the joy of growing intimately in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
- The Bible. This is not only our source of truth but it is the very words of God speaking into our lives. If you are attempting to have a ‘quiet time’ (translation from Christianese to english would be spend time with Jesus) and your plan does not include reading the Bible then ABORT ABORT! Everything we need to know about living our lives in a relationship with Jesus is in that book. Reading Christian literature by great authors is extremely helpful, but if we replace our own time in scripture with these books then we are only getting a hand-me-down relationship with Jesus. If you can imagine being married to one person but living with and only communicating with another about your spouse… then your real relationship wouldn’t be with your spouse but with the person with which you were living. Be encouraged by great writing and preaching but do not base your relationship with Jesus on them.
- Prayer. You can’t have a relationship with someone and not communicate with them. You can observe them and learn a lot about them but that is where it ends. God desires for us to communicate with him in prayer. There are not special formulas we have to follow or any secret language we have to use. Our Bible is full of examples of people just thanking God for his work, asking God to help in difficult situations, and even just crying out in frustration to Him. God is not surprised by our needs or feelings. We often find comfort in talking through a difficult time with a friend who knows us well. Imagine what it might do in our hearts if we authentically communicate with the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb. Prayer takes our intellectual relationship with Jesus and makes it intimate and personal.
- Response. I could possibly leave this one out because if we are honestly approaching the Bible as truth and spending time in prayer, then responding will be a natural result. However, it is beneficial for us to remind ourselves that our relationship with Jesus isn’t just about acquiring knowledge. There are many scholars in our world who have studied the Bible extensively and yet are not walking in gospel transformation. When we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit applies the ideas we read to our lives. Sometimes that application is to do something differently. Sometimes the application is to think something differently. But, every single page and word of our Bible is given to be profitable for life change (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Regardless of how long you have been going to church or how much knowledge you have acquired, I encourage you to begin a spiritual routine that includes these three each day. There aren’t many guarantees in this life, but I can guarantee that these three will change your life.
Do you have a daily routine of spending time with Jesus? Would you be so bold as to share how that looks in your life with those reading? It could be a great encouragement to people and help them grow deeper in their relationship with our Savior.
Matt Powell serves as teaching pastor at Crossings Community Church, a body of believers whose mission is to engage, equip, and empower homes for gospel transformation in Katy, TX.
Thanks for posting this, Matt. I couldn’t agree more about the significance of time with Jesus involving both the Bible and prayer. I would like to add three words to your thoughts – meditation, listening, and worship.
1. Meditation on the Bible – I find that it is so easy to skim through a reading plan for the sake of checking off the list. But do we stop and let the Word of God churn through our heart and mind? Do we let it soak in to the depths of our soul? With a difficult passage, are we willing to wrestle with it intensely? This takes time and a willingness to sit in God’s presence through his Word.
2. Listening in Prayer – So often I find my prayer times consumed by my chatter which leaves little time for my heart to be changed (which is one of the greatest affects of real prayer). Instead of telling God all about what I need (although this isn’t a bad thing), am I willing to just stop and ask him to speak to me? Am I too afraid that he might actually speak which would require a response? If God told me through prayer, would I be willing to reconcile with a friend, or share an encouraging word to a coworker, or apologize to my wife?
3. Worship as a Response – The goal of our times with Jesus are to know and love him more. However, so many days I walk away from my time unchanged and without response to Jesus. Do my times in the Word result in an overpowering awe of who God is? Do my times in prayer stir up an overwhelming affection for him? Are my times marked by the joy and passion that always flow from true worship?
Andrew, these are really good questions to ask myself as I examine how I spend time with God and what it means to me as I daily walk to pursue him. Thanks!
Andrew… YES! I think you are absolutely correct… Your comments take my introduction and foundational tools and push them a little bit farther forward.
I love the idea of meditating on the scripture. There have been times in my life where I was so wrapped up in reading X number of chapters or verses that I completely missed the beauty of the words I had read.
Great thoughts!
Great post Matt, and appropriately timed!
I have found that having a quiet time in the morning works best for my schedule, so I make sure to get up early to ensure that I have time to read my Bible and connect with Jesus. However, I have noticed that I am usually too tired to pray authentically, so I actually pray at night before bed.
It’s the routine that I’ve gotten into since graduating college and starting work. It’s always perfect and I modify from time to time, but it has the main components that you talk about. And it works for me.
I’d love to hear how others spend time with Jesus, I’m always up for trying something new!
There morning works best for me too Serge. More than any reasons of time or convenience, it really breathes life into the rest of my day.
Thanks for sharing how things have worked for you… It is always helpful to hear how this plays out in the lives of others.
Here are some strategies that have benefited me.
1. I try to read through the bible each year using the “One Year Bible” reading plan. I miss days here and there. When I’m particularly crunched, I take advantage of the “Daily Audio Bible” podcast, which follows the OYB reading plan. Good for the car. http://dailyaudiobible.com/
2. I try to type up my prayer requests and re-visit them when God has answered in some way. It’s a great way to scan back through and be amazed with how God has worked in my and others’ lives.
3. I take advantage of the amazing quantity of faithful bible teaching resources we have in this day and age:
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/by-series; http://marshill.com/media/sermons; http://www.thevillagechurch.net/resources/sermons/; http://www.gty.org/resources/sermon-series
http://www.crossingscommunitychurch.org/resources/sermons/
to name a few.
Love #2. I find journaling is a huge asset for me in my ‘response’ as I’m reading/praying and it is such a blessing to be able to look back at the various ways God has worked.
I love that you listed The Village Church as a faithful bible teaching resource! Since I am not a morning person, I will totally fall asleep if I try to pray or read my bible at 5 a.m. It’s just simply not going to happen. So lately, I’ve been listening to one of Matt Chandler’s sermons every morning (via ‘The Village Church’ iPhone app) during the week as I am getting ready for work. Then, in the evenings, I HAVE RESOLVED to faithfully spend at least ten minutes in prayer and studying the Scriptures. Hopefully, that ten minutes will increase over time; this is just a start. Setting aside a certain time to seek the Lord in prayer and studying His word is definitely an area that I need to fully commit to if I want to grow in my relationship with Him.
This is awesome, Katie! Using good biblical podcasts can be great supplement in our spiritual journey. You have a great plan here….
Matt Chandler is a good dude to listen to in the morning since he keeps it pretty loud a good portion of the time. A good loud, but loud nonetheless.
One thing I’ve come to understand as true for everyone is the need for MARGIN. We fill out lives up with so much stuff but fail to leave time (margin) to sit and listen.
If we don’t build margin into our life, it will be snuffed out. I find my most rewarding times with the Lord are those when I sit in the quiet of the morning with no agenda and let my thoughts, cares and worries flow freely and let him speak freely back to me either through the Word, prayer or just quietness.
Margin is intentional. It doesn’t just happen. It’s rarely easy but working in time for doing nothing but being quiet is an important part of transformation for me.
Great point.
I know exactly what you mean…. it is very important for me too!
‘It doesn’t just happen.’ That can’t be overstated. Great word.