I'm often amazed on how professing Believers of all "spiritual ages" have to be seemingly poked and prodded into feeding on the Word of God or having to be coaxed into reflecting a relationship with God by spending time with Him in prayer.Please understand that my concern is not with the amount of Scriptures that are read in one sitting or if you are "timing your time" in prayer. My concern is if you are possibly living in unrepentant sin.
How many times do you have to give that Bible reading plan to someone? How many times do you have to ask your child if they've read the Bible today? How many times do you have to ask your Christian "accountability partner" if they have prayed today and hear, "Nope."?
While we should stand along side each other and help each other in every manner. Eventually, each Christian must stand on their own and have their own "personal" relationship with Jesus Christ. No longer can you read the Bible for them. No longer can you be the mediator between them and Jesus.
I have often pondered, "If a man has been born again, regenerated, is a new creation...has been given the will and the desire of God, then why would that same man fail to read the Bible and commune with God in prayer?"
Examining my own life, I have come to the conclusion that it is sin. Sin keeps us from the Bible and fellowship with God. In the reverse, the Bible and fellowship with God keeps us from the sin of prayerlessness and becoming "unplugged" from the power source of fellowship with God.
This is where Holy Ghost-empowered discipline comes into the picture. I think of the word "disciple" (follower of Christ) and immediately think of the word "discipline".
Do we have a "disciplined" time that we set aside at some point in the day for meditating on God's Word to follow Him? For chewing on His precepts? For sitting in awe of the Author's amazing story of amazing grace?
Do we take some time to rest in His presence? To fellowship with Him? To have a time of prayer where we are not always talking, but rather listening to what the Spirit of God is saying to us?
I think there are two simple reasons for answering "no" to the above questions.
1) You are not disciplining yourself to set aside the time. Remember, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will not "force" you to read the Bible or pray. He desires fellowship with you and will give you the strength you do not have within yourself! You must understand the balance between His empowerment and your willingness. Yeah, I know "the flesh is weak!"
2) Gulp! You simply aren't saved. The lost do not desire God, nor his Word, nor His fellowship. They do not "thirst for righteousness". In fact, they don't want to have anything to do with Him according to Romans 3:11. Please examine yourself according to 2 Corinthians 13:5.
"Clarification Time" - Your salvation does not rest upon what you "do" according to Ephesians 2:8-9, but doesn't it make sense that if you are saved you will desire His Word and fellowship with Him?
God is faithful and just to forgive you. If this is you, be encouraged, repent and start afresh today with your loving Savior!!
