This is the fourth post in our Good Habits series, which challenges a Christian to establish three spiritual disciplines in their lives.

The first two habits we discussed, Bible reading and prayer, are mostly private disciplines; however, the habit we are examining today is what I would term a “public” habit.  Being involved in a local church is a habit that is very important to the growth and stability of someone who follows Christ.  According to Acts 2:40-47, the church is comprised of those who have believed in Christ and publicly expressed their faith through baptism (Acts 2:40-41).  The early church spoken of in Acts 2 came together for the following purposes: learning the Scriptures (2:42a), fellowship (2:42b), observing the Lord’s Supper (2:42c), and prayer (2:42d).  It is evident that the early church was supposed to consistently gather together; in fact, the early church gathered in the temple daily to worship and then went house to house in order to share in fellowship with each other.  God did not intend for His followers to be alone in their spiritual journey.  He wanted them to be together.

Even though the church did not exist in the Old Testament, I believe the book of Ecclesiastes provides great wisdom concerning the value of being together, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NKJV).  While I agree that one of the primary purposes for the church is offering worship to God for who He is and what He has done, I also believe that God intended those who believe in Jesus Christ to establish good fellowship with each other in order to stay faithful and accountable in their faith.  God knew that we would need others to exhort us in remaining true to Him.

If it is true that Christians need each other, why is it that being with the church is not a priority on our calendar?  I am alarmed when families and individuals cannot even find a couple hours a week to worship Christ corporately and use their gifts to serve Him.  Since Christ gave His life for the church (Ephesians 5:25), the church must be important to Him; therefore, I believe that being involved in your local church is a necessary habit to establish.

Here is a list of all the posts in this series, Good Habits:
Where it All Begins
Bible Reading
Prayer
Church Involvement

This is the third post in our Good Habits series, which challenges a Christian to establish three spiritual disciplines in their lives.

Habits are often thought of in a negative sense but there are certain disciplines which add value to our lives.  This is especially true in the life of a Christian.  Although there are several good habits for a follower of Christ to establish, we are looking at three of them.  In the last post of this series we examined the necessity of reading the Bible since it has the power to transform us.   There are a lot of voices speaking to us each day – friends, media, our feelings – so we must fight to give God a chance to speak.  God uses the reading of  His word to be that voice; however, it is necessary that the reading of the Bible be combined with an obedient response or it is rendered ineffective.

Today we will be discussing prayer, which is another good habit closely related to Bible reading.  While reading the Bible can be understood as listening to the voice of God, prayer can be understood as God listening to my voice.  Prayer is a moment in time when God is my audience.  Because there is no special “formula” found in Scripture concerning prayer, I believe the words we pray must come from a genuine expression of praise, repentance, submission, or desperation.  When I receive good in my life, I verbally acknowledge that all good things come from Him (James 1:17).  If I have sinned, I verbally admit my wrongdoing to God and ask for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9).  When an opportunity enters my life, I verbally submit to do what would best reflect the heart of God (Psalm 40:8).  If I am overwhelmed by circumstances, I verbally confess my need for His help (Philippians 4:6-7).  God will hear these prayers.

Ultimately, prayer is an admission that I need God in my life.  Without Him, I can do nothing of lasting value.

How often or how long should we pray?  There is no right answer to that question; in fact, it is probably a wrong question.  Every moment should be done in prayer.  My heart should always be communing with God – at work, at home, in recreation, in conversations with friends.  Prayer should never be far from my lips.

Here is a list of all the posts in this series, Good Habits:
Where it All Begins
Bible Reading
Prayer
Church Involvement

This is the second post in our Good Habits series, which challenges a Christian to establish three spiritual disciplines in their lives.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul…” (Psalm 19:7, NKJV).  These words were written by David thousands of years ago, but they have remained foundational to why reading the Bible is important.  The law of the Lord (Scripture, the Bible) has the power to convert the soul.  The word converting literally means to turn back.  You and I often find ourselves traveling the path of our own choosing, so how can we turn the other way or begin walking a different path?  The answer is clearly found in words also written by David in Psalm 119:

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9, NIV).

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11, NKJV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105, NKJV).

If you believe these words to be true, reading the Bible must become a consistent habit in your life because true and lasting change does not occur apart from the hearing and heeding of the words found written in the Bible.  There is no substitute for personal Bible reading.  Listening to Scripture taught in church, reading a verse here and there, or participating in a Bible study is NOT personal Bible reading.  You must set aside a consistent time to be alone with God and read the Bible. There are a lot of voices speaking to you each day – friends, media, your own feelings – so you must fight to give God a chance to speak to you.  If you are waiting for Him to speak audibly, it will never happen.  God chose the written word to be the form of communication He would use to speak with His people.

One last thing.  Reading the Bible is only half of the habit.  Obeying what you have read is the second part.  James writes these words, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only….  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”  (James 1:22, 25).  It’s that simple.  Hear the word.  Obey the word.  Be blessed.

As a side note, I often get asked the question, “Where do I start reading?”  This is a great question, but one that is difficult to answer.  In my opinion, someone who has never read through the Bible should start at the beginning.  It’s hard to understand the Bible when you start from the middle or end; however, if you have some knowledge of the Bible, you can begin anywhere but I suggest reading whole books at a time.  YouVersion provides some great reading plans so you can check all of them out here.

Here is a list of all the posts in this series, Good Habits:
Where it All Begins
Bible Reading
Prayer
Church Involvement

Certain habits disgust me.  I will restrain myself from listing the habits that push my tolerance level to the edge…okay, maybe I’ll mention just one.  People that leave toenail/fingernail clippings in public places such as bathroom counters, floors, or really anyplace but the trashcan.  I’ll bet you can make me a list of the Top 5 Most Disgusting Habits, but please don’t.  Habits are not always negative, though.  Exercising, self-control, good hygiene, reading, and listening are all positive habits worthy of consistent discipline.  Practicing these habits regularly will add value to your life.

So what about habits for a Christian?  Are there certain disciplines, if practiced, that can add value to an individual’s relationship with Jesus Christ?  I believe there are three habits or disciplines that deepen a person’s faith in Christ and draw them nearer to His heart.  This list of habits is not exhaustive, but I feel that these disciplines are a good place to start.  Rather than attempting to cram all of these habits into one post, I’ll be doing a series of posts and detailing the following habits:

Bible Reading
Prayer
Church Involvement

Reading your Bible, praying, and attending church do not automatically guarantee transformation of one’s relationship with God; however, these habits give God the tools to work in your life.  Reading your Bible gives God a consistent voice.  Praying enables you to respond to God’s voice.  Involving yourself in a church provides consistent challenge, support, and encouragement from other Christians.  This series of blog posts has the potential to change everything for you!

Developing your relationship with God is not a single act, but a repeated one.

Here is a list of all the posts in this series, Good Habits:
Where it All Begins
Bible Reading
Prayer
Church Involvement

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you” (James 4:8, NLT).  I love those words penned by James, brother of Jesus, nearly 2,000 years ago when he was writing to a group of Jewish believers relatively new to their faith.  These words are at the heart of the Christian faith.  God welcomes those who want a relationship with Him.  Although it is pretty amazing that the Creator of the universe awaits our drawing near, we are often consumed with our own pursuits and interests.  We end up viewing God as someone who is always there, but only when needed.  Let’s be honest.  All of us are guilty of using God – ignoring Him when everything is going our way and desperately seeking Him when life is falling apart.  This type of relationship, human or divine, is unhealthy and selfish.

How do we avoid simply using God?  The answer is wrapped up in James’ advice to “come close to God.”  Since God primarily interacts with us through His word, reading and obeying Scripture must become a consistent discipline in our lives.  Prayer is not enough.  Prayer, in my opinion, is best practiced in response to reading the Bible.  Prayer and Bible reading cannot be separated.  Reading is God speaking to me and prayer is me responding to God.

Call it old-fashioned. Call it legalism.  Call it what you will.  Reading your Bible and praying is still the way an individual comes close to God.