Time to Refresh

Lamentations 3:23 (NLT)²³ Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Sometimes in life, we get so used to doing the same little things every day that it becomes more of a chore instead of a benefit to us. Things like cleaning the house, working out, doing homework, and even praying and reading our Bible. All of those activities help us, but sometimes we get to a point where they seem more time-consuming than helpful. We find ourselves saying the same prayers and not gleaning anything from our Bible study.

Reflect

In the New Year, we take time to sit back and reflect on our lives and how to get more out of them in this next year. So why don’t we do the same thing with our spiritual lives? Let’s take a good minute and remember why we take the time to pray and read our Bible.

1. 1. More knowledgeable about our faith: Reading our Bible helps us to learn more about who we are as Christians and the God we serve. This helps us to better share our faith with others.
   2. Grows our relationship with God: We spend time with God when we read our Bible and pray which helps us grow closer to Him. Our God is personal and He wants us to know Him. We do this by reading His words and talking to Him.
   3. Gives us the strength to fight temptation: Sin is a daily struggle and the Bible and prayer are our weapons against it. Without them we are weak and easily give in.
   4. Gives us comfort: Bad things happen to us and there’s no getting around it. Reading the Bible gives us the assurance that God is always there for us even when it seems no one else is. Prayer allows us to be close to our greatest Friend which comforts our soul like nothing else.
   5. Transforms us to live like Christ: The Bible allows us to see how our Savior lived His life and how He wants us to live ours. It’s the guidebook for our life as a Christian. Without it, we wouldn’t know what to do and our life would look like everyone else’s in the world.
   6. Gets rid of worry and anxiety: This is a big one for me. Whenever I get stressed, a simple prayer for help allows me to feel God’s peace. With life getting more hectic every year, reading our Bible and praying gives us the rest and the peace that we crave.

Remember

This New Year, remember why we take the time to read our Bible and pray. When you read your Bible, look for something that speaks to you or that you really like and write it down to look at later. When you pray, just take the time to sit and be with our Lord. Tell Him thank you for the blessings He brings to your life and being there when things are looking pretty dim. God wants us to know Him so take the time this New Year to refresh your spiritual life.

Matt Maher – Lord, I Need You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA