Want To
I have been making a push since the start of the year for the members of our congregation to get into the Word this year more than in the past, and for all of us to step up our prayer game, as well. But I realized today that there is an inherent danger in pushing this too hard, and that it isn't enough to just encourage people to read their Bible and pray. People need to do it for the right reason. And constant prompting, regardless of how loving, without emphasizing the reason for it can lead people down a bad road of feelings of inadequacy and guilt.
Now, please don't get me wrong. God wants us reading His Word and He wants us to pray, and it isn't possible to do either too much, if you ask me. But He isn't keeping score. We cannot have the idea that we need to get in our Bibles a minimum amount so we can cross the threshold from "God wants me in the Word more" to "God is pleased with how much I read today." And the same is true for prayer. God isn't timing you. He's not keeping a list of how many times you thank Him or putting a Holy asterisk next to your name in the Book of Life for each day you don't pray.
Truth be told: you can't please God by reading your Bible just to please Him. And you can't please God by praying just to please Him. Because there isn't an "enough" that applies to either of these. Rather, we need to come to God's Word out of love for God. And we need to come to God in prayer out of love for God. We need to do these things not as something we do for Him, but as a response to what He has done for us.
And if you are struggling in your prayer life, or if you are struggling to even want to read the Bible, then maybe you need to consider why you really think you should want to do either of them. Maybe we would all be more eager to get in the Word and pray if these things weren't about us doing them. Maybe we'd be far better off if we believed these things weren't really about what we do at all.
Don't worry about how much you read or don't read each day. Don't force the prayers. Instead, just spend time with Jesus. Love Him. Talk to Him. Hear from Him. That is what we really ought to want to do.
Now, please don't get me wrong. God wants us reading His Word and He wants us to pray, and it isn't possible to do either too much, if you ask me. But He isn't keeping score. We cannot have the idea that we need to get in our Bibles a minimum amount so we can cross the threshold from "God wants me in the Word more" to "God is pleased with how much I read today." And the same is true for prayer. God isn't timing you. He's not keeping a list of how many times you thank Him or putting a Holy asterisk next to your name in the Book of Life for each day you don't pray.
Truth be told: you can't please God by reading your Bible just to please Him. And you can't please God by praying just to please Him. Because there isn't an "enough" that applies to either of these. Rather, we need to come to God's Word out of love for God. And we need to come to God in prayer out of love for God. We need to do these things not as something we do for Him, but as a response to what He has done for us.
And if you are struggling in your prayer life, or if you are struggling to even want to read the Bible, then maybe you need to consider why you really think you should want to do either of them. Maybe we would all be more eager to get in the Word and pray if these things weren't about us doing them. Maybe we'd be far better off if we believed these things weren't really about what we do at all.
Don't worry about how much you read or don't read each day. Don't force the prayers. Instead, just spend time with Jesus. Love Him. Talk to Him. Hear from Him. That is what we really ought to want to do.
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