It. Never. Fails. Someone has a better idea. Their “philosophy” is better than mine. Often times though, particularly in our social media world, people with better philosophies have just that: a philosophy. There is no action. No change. Just an idea.
Not long back I was listening to a guy tell me his philosophy of evangelism. He shared some trendy new perspectives that would make any old evangelism professor cringe. It was the BEST…according to this guy. Then…the telling question (or at least my “Dr. Phil” version of it): “How’s that working for you?” The silence was deafening.
Yesterday I wrote about the power of disciplines. Some probably never made it through the article since disciplines and routines are too restrictive for them. In the article, (published HERE if you haven’t read it) I promised to share my daily Bible reading (i.e. devotional) discipline…both for the accountability (you can ask me about it since I am “on the record,”) and because it may be useful to you. Here goes:
My day generally begins around 5:30 AM. That’s when the coffee finishes brewing.
- Coffee. Obviously, this is important or the book of Hebrews wouldn’t be in there. [Think about it].
- Prayer. 2-5 mins. This is more about me talking to God. “Lord, help me to see and hear from you today. Give me wisdom and clarity. Speak to me. Give me the courage to accept You and Your Word as you speak.”
- I read 4-5 devotionals first. 8-10 mins. (Chambers, Piper, Blackaby, Heart of Worship, and some short-term devotional on varied topics throughout the year. Topics like manhood, leadership, marriage, prayer, praise, etc.) These devotionals seem to prime my thinking and the part of my brain that applies truth.
- Bible Reading Plan. 15-20 mins. I read the daily chapters from my plan. (Today was Genesis 9-12; Proverbs 3). While reading, I underline, highlight, and write notes in the margin if my mind is carried to a place.
- Take Note- This is not a deep dive reading process of cross-references or word studies. It is the Scripture at a 5,000-foot level. I am looking for big-picture themes and verses that catch my attention.
- [Also, I try to read in a different translation every year to keep it fresh. This year is the CSB].
- I journal (as led) and pray things that God brings to mind. 15-25 mins. A lot of my journaling is archived here on this site. I also have many notes in my Evernote App that are too seminal to share on this site, or that God is working on me with. My journal notes could also be a prompt for deeper study. That is the bulk of my journaling. As for prayer, this part is about reflecting and listening.
- Extra-biblical reading. (10-20 mins) I read highlights of articles in Baptist Press (I am a church guy after all). I catch the headlines of the news. (honestly, I used to read more but I find the news to be pretty myopic and biased…particularly in an election cycle). I may read articles from favorite theologians, academics, preachers, and some entertaining weirdos [smile]. This time may also include catching up on the latest “twitter rant” or select readings from different-minded publications (I’d put the Huffington Post and half my twitter feed in here).
A couple of considerations:
- I try not to hurry. As you can see, I average around 40-60 mins for the first five items, and 10-20 mins for the extra-biblical stuff. My deadline is 7am. I have to get ready for work and head into the office.
- This is a morning discipline for me. I find my mind is sharpest in the morning, so this is my early routine.
- I don’t have the “extra hour” either. Yep, someone was thinking it. I’d do that but I don’t have time in the morning! Well, neither did I. So, I changed my other routines. I go to bed earlier than most and skip a lot of late television.
- This works for ME. Remember, this is not my philosophy but my activity. It may not work for you. It may be too long, or too early, or too “anything.” Don’t mimic what I do because I do it. Do what works for you, but DO IT in a disciplined manner.
Two quick cautions:
- Don’t set the bar too low. I know some guys tell me that they do their Bible while driving in the morning. I listen to audible books and podcasts too, but this time of devotional discipline is DEVOTED (see what I did there) to the Lord. It is His time. I even have a favorite place to do it. Even if it were 15 minutes a day devoted to Him…might it be worth it to focus on Him rather than the person who almost ran you off the road texting? [smile]
- Don’t get discouraged. If you set a lofty goal and can’t hang with it, adjust it. Shrink it to what you CAN do. Build from there if you find it necessary. That’s what I did.
There’s another tool to help you with this…but I will save it until another day. [shameless tease to get you to subscribe].
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