How Long Should You Spend in the Bible Every Day?
I’ve been telling people to spend time in the Bible, or the Word, for decades now. Almost everywhere I preach, no matter what topic I’m talking about, it seems I always get back to the importance of putting the Word first place in your life. You may have heard me say it a hundred times. But you know, hearing it isn’t enough. It’s doing it that will put you over.
Jesus taught us that principle in Matthew 7. There He told about two men. Both of them had heard the Word, yet Jesus said one of the men was foolish and the other wise. What made the difference between the two? The wise man acted on what he heard and the foolish man didn’t.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it (verses 24-27, KJV).
You may know full well that you need to spend time in the Word. But unless you act on that knowledge, it won’t do you any good when the storms of life come.
“OK,” you say. “I’m determined to spend time in the Word of God every day. But how much time is enough?”
Spend as much time as it takes to get the Word inside you in abundance. I can tell you right now, that doesn’t mean just pulling a scripture out of the “Promise Box” once a day. To have abundance means to have more of something than you can see any way to use.
When you have the Word of God in abundance, you have more of it inside you than anything else! You’re so full of the Word that when trouble comes, the Word is the first thing out of your mouth.
To lay hold of that kind of abundance, you need to do what Joshua 1:8 said. You need to “meditate on the Word.” To meditate means to “fix your mind.” So fix your mind on the Word of God every day. Apply it to yourself, personally. Allow the Holy Spirit to make it a reality in your heart.
Thoughtfully ponder how the Word of God you’ve read applies to your life. Ask yourself, “What does this Word from God say to me? What does it mean in my life? How can it change my situation?” Then place yourself in agreement with what God says about you in that Word. Make up your mind that you are who God says you are. You can do what God says you can do. And you can have what He says you can have. Put yourself in agreement with Him, then receive it.
So take action! Begin now to set aside time for the Word each day. Begin now making it the No. 1 priority on your schedule and experience the difference it makes in your life. Happy studying!