Your Quiet Time Doesn’t Have to Be Boring By Rick Warren
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”James 1:22 (NLT)
When something is “dynamic,” it’s energetic and productive. It has a kind of life force that leads to change. Did you know that your Bible study times can be dynamic?
But how does that happen? How does something that we often call a “quiet time” become a dynamic time?
Things become dynamic when they become specific. So for your Bible study times to become dynamic, they need to become specific. In other words, when you read God’s Word, you need to look for the specific things that God wants you to do now. You need to focus on the truths that God wants you to apply to your life today.
Here’s a habit to help you do that: After you read your Bible, write a one-sentence application of what you’ve just read. It’ll help you become a “doer” of the Word, not just a hearer.
A good application sentence has four characteristics:
It’s personal. You can’t write an application for somebody else. It’s not about what the world needs to do or what your spouse needs to do or what your kids need to do. It’s about what you need to do!
It’s practical. Your application should be somethingyou can actually do and something you are able to make a plan to do. Broad generalities won’t help you. In fact, generalities will produce little action and will make you feel helpless.
It’s possible. If you can’t actually accomplish your application, you’ll likely get discouraged. If your application says that you need to pray five hours a day, you won’t do it. It’s not practical! But, on the other hand, if your application says that you will not go a day without prayer, that’s practical. It’s something you can realistically accomplish.
It’s provable. In other words, you can set a deadline for accomplishing the goal. If you don’t set a specific goal with a deadline, then it’s just a dream.
You can make an application sentence with any portion of the Bible you’re reading. And when you do, you’ll obey what the Bible says in James 1:22: “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (NLT).
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Your Gift Brings Hope to the World
Transform your prayer life with God’s Word!
True breakthrough from the struggles of life begins with prayer—and there is no better place to start cultivating a powerful prayer life than the Bible.
Discover the biblical wisdom you need to transform the way you pray when you dive into this special collection of verses from God’s Word. You’ll be inspired and encouraged by Scripture as you learn to trust in his promises.
Drawing key verses from Pastor Rick’s "40 Days of Prayer" teaching series, this set of 52 beautifully designed cards will help you memorize God’s Word so you can access it when you need it most—and it’s our thanks for your gift today to help more people experience the transformative power of prayer through Daily Hope!
Thank you for helping share the hope of Jesus Christ. May you enjoy a time of breakthrough as you fill your heart and mind with the truth of Scripture.
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of “current offer” materials you received from Daily Hope.
