5 Ways To Stay In The Word
Staying in the Word consistently, if I’m being honest, is something that I struggle with in my own faith walk. But, of the numerous ways to remain in the Word, the following five are my favorite ways to stay connected with God’s Word.
1. Daily Devotionals. This is probably my go-to way of seeking God’s Word. I use the Bible App because they have hundreds if not thousands of different Bible reading plans that you can filter to fit your needs and wants. For example, right now I am doing a 7-day devotional that is about seeking God’s kingdom. A perfect way to start doing that is by being in His Word everyday for a set amount of time, and personally I gain so much peace and guidance by truly devoting time to God’s truth.
2. Verse of the Day. Another way that I try to stay in the Word (again through the Bible App), is by setting a notification to receive verses of the day. I am so appreciative of the verses that I see pop up on my phone screen everyday because I can constantly be looking at it and reflecting on it. Also, it’s a brief way to take less than a minute and focus on a verse and see what I can receive from it. I highly recommend getting the Bible App, considering a lot of us are on our devices everyday and it is simple, easy, and convenient.
3. Bible studies. At the start of quarantine back in March, I asked a friend of mine to partake in a Bible study with me. You can participate in large group studies or small group studies, I think both have their benefits. But, personally the best part is you are being challenged by Scripture every week and you are able to talk about it with someone. We are called to be in community with one another, and we are never supposed to go through our faith alone. So, having someone or multiple people to help guide you through faith is beneficial and takes some of the “pressure” off of doing a Bible study alone.
4. Memorizing Scripture. Outside of the normal setting of a Bible class, I hardly ever spend time memorizing scripture. However, I know that it is something that I need to do more, so that if I’m ever hit with a question about Christianity, I want to be able to respond with Biblical truth. So, taking it one verse at a time will in the end bring you and myself a further understanding of this amazing God that we believe in. We may never know all the answers to every burning question we have, but by memorizing bits and pieces of God’s Word, it is a start to help give us a greater knowledge of His Word.
5. Set Aside Time. Something I have discovered in my own faith walk, and I may be stating the obvious here, but if we don’t set aside time to spend with God, we are never going to grow in our faith. There are 24 hours in a day, and granted we are asleep for roughly 6-8 of those, but we still have so much time to give back to God. All it takes is 5, 10, 15 minutes a day, or however long you want to devote to being in the Word. Although it may be the last thing on our minds sometimes, it is important to give God the respect of using the Biblical truth He gave us, so that we can apply it and benefit others by our knowledge of Scripture.
I know that I am not perfect in all of these ways and I struggle a lot with being consistent in staying in the Word. I will admit that there are sometimes that I will go multiple days in a row without finding some way to seek God’s Word. However, when I do seek His truth, and I do it consistently, I am filled with a greater purpose and I feel fulfilled. So, oftentimes I find myself praying to God asking for guidance and assistance in sticking to staying in the Word. I would then encourage you to do the same because regardless of the struggles we face God wants to hear about them, and if we ask Him to help us further our understanding of Him by seeking the Word, He will never turn us away.