How 10 Minutes Can Change What You Learn From the Bible

Man praying in a city

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

James 1:25

Have you ever had a bad hair day?

You looked in the mirror, saw that tangled mess, and tried your best to fix it, as fast as you could, before heading out the door. But what if, instead of fixing your messy hair, you completely forgot what you looked like as soon as you walked away from the mirror? What if you couldn’t remember anything about your hair? Was it long? Short? Curly? Straight? That would be pretty unusual, right?

And yet that’s exactly what James says it’s like to listen to God’s Word and then not obey it. It’s like looking in a mirror, glancing at yourself, and walking away… and completely forgetting what you just saw.

This same thing can happen with God’s Word. We read (or listen to) the Bible, and the Holy Spirit speaks to us, convicts us, or encourages us. But if we don’t do anything with what God just revealed to us through the Bible, it will slip away. How many times have we moved on to the next thing in our schedule, without first reflecting on what God was trying to show us?

So, how can we start being intentional, and reflecting on God’s Word?

All it takes is 10 minutes. After you read the Bible, take 5: Spend 5 minutes in silence, and quietly think back on what you just read (or heard.) Then, take 5 more: Spend the next 5 minutes in prayer: thank God for His Word, and ask Him to remind you what action He wants you to take next. If you’re not sure where to start, try praying something like this:

Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to me through Your Word. Please give me the wisdom to know what action You want me to take, and then give me the courage to actually do it. Amen.

Read James 1:22–27

This is the second post in a 3-part series on prayer. Read the first one here and the third one here.

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