Holy Habits - Week 3

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday           Romans 15:4

Tuesday         Matthew 24:35

Wednesday   Hebrews 4:12–13

Thursday        2 Peter 1:19–21

Friday              Galatians 3:21–22

Saturday         Matthew 6:16-18

Opening Prayer

Gracious God, remind us daily to spend time in Your Word.   In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

DEVOTION:

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While I prefer to start most mornings with my standard three eggs scrambled and a cup of coffee, I must respectfully disagree with this popular sentiment. The single most critical meal you and I should consume on a daily basis consists of a focused time with God in His Word and in prayer (Ps. 1:1–2).

Yet, despite how much you and I need a consistent devotional life, many of us struggle to keep up. We start more Januarys than we care to admit fired up by the grand plans of reading through the entire Bible over the course of the year, but more often than not we fry out somewhere in the middle of yet another sacrifice in Leviticus.

Why this constant swing from enthusiasm to apathy? When I think about my own experience and the experiences of those I have pastored over the years, I believe that the quality and consistency of our daily time in God's Word rises and falls based on our remembering why it matters in the first place.

The truth is, pursuing God through prayer and time in His Word is not always easy, fun, or natural for us. It takes effort and discipline. If you are like me, effort and discipline are short-lived when you forget the why that motivates what you are called to.

The Bible is filled with rich motives for making our devotional lives a priority, but for brevity's sake, allow me to remind you of three.

Ryan Huguley