o God i want to read !!!

[kingzjewel]

how do you get the fire for reading the Bible back when it's like totally gone? i mean, of course pray, but int he meantime, while im waiting, what else can i do? forcing myself to read isnt working.

 

[Pseud]

Hmm, maybe try reading some christian literature.

The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
and
The purpose driven life - Rick Warren

are both good books to read

 

[SteadyRock]

Stick at forcing yourself! No matter what the emotion. If you pray before everytime you read God will give you something new everytime. Pray bfore that God would help you to enjoy it much more.

 

[KleinerApfel]

I find there are times for devouring great long chunks, and times when it seems a verse or two is all I can manage.
I'm not so sure that it always matters how much you read, it's more what you do with it.

The thing that keeps me from total apathy, when I'm in one of those "can't be bothered/can't concentrate/it doesn't make sense/it's too-strong-and-I-can't-deal-with-it" periods, is having a daily reading guide.

My current one is from Bible Reading Fellowship; "Day by Day with God - Bible readings for women."

It gives me one verse for each day, along with a small page of insight from a contributor, and a short line of prayer.
Each contributor does a couple of weeks on a passage or selection, so you get different styles throughout the quarter.

With the women writing their thoughts and prayers after the Bible verse, I feel like I've got a friend helping me out, and since I don't currently have a prayer partner, that's very valuable.

Sometimes it seems too light, and then it's a useful springboard to read further into the passage, but on days when I'm struggling (often) it's enough to stop me starving and keep the flame alive.

There are times when we can read book after book, and that's good for building up our general long-term store of God's treasures.

There are other times when meditating, (in the biblical sense - I'm not going New-Agey!), on a single verse and trying to fully comprehend it or put it into practice, is more relevant.

Just don't allow the feeling of self-condemnation for not reading "enough" prevent you enjoying the little bit you are up to facing.

A little is always a lot better than none, and if it's the little bite God has for you today, it's better than getting bogged down and not understanding a huge mouthful!

God bless, Susana

 

[SteadyRock]

I find there are times for devouring great long chunks, and times when it seems a verse or two is all I can manage.
I'm not so sure that it always matters how much you read, it's more what you do with it.

I have to agree with that with all my heart!

 

[whatseekye]

There are other times when meditating, (in the biblical sense - I'm not going New-Agey!), on a single verse and trying to fully comprehend it or put it into practice, is more relevant.

lol. so funny (about the New-Agey) and true about getting in to the Word with meditation. Meditation is definately a Christian thing but it means something totally different that what you think of as "eastern religion meditation" which tends to get the person to blank their mind.

Christian meditation is about contemplating and thinking on God. Sadly sometimes these two different types of meditation get confused. I have seen one time in the church, a worship leader who started using eastern style meditation techniques to guide people while they were praying/worshipping...and that was scary. She told us to imagine that we were in a particular place, and described what the place looked like (such as on a beach, etc.) I think she was trying to get us to relax, but it just struck me as very wrong because that's potentially dangerous in my opinion (as it comes from something not from God or his Word). There are examples of Christian meditation in the OT and the NT. In the NT, the examples use words other than meditation but describe reflectiing or keeping thoughts focused on the truth, such as "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." (Hebrews 3:1)

OT examples:

Genesis 24
62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate, [1] and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?"
"He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.

Joshua 1
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 4
4 In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah



Consider the implications of meditation, when comparing these two verses:

Psalm 49:9
Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.

1 Corinthians 3:16
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

Christians go within the temple, inside themselves, to contemplate God.

Susana, you are right. This is definitely a great way for kingzjewel to get back the love for God, and then wanting to read will become something more meaningful.

 

[KleinerApfel]

Whatseekye,

thank you for clarifying what we mean when we speak of meditation in Christian, Biblical terms. I probably should have done so, in order that people aren't led to believe "anything goes."

God bless, Susana

 

[Tavita]

I've found that picking a subject, one you haven't studied before, and going on a search helps. Or even a word search. It's amazing how much you'll learn and how much the Lord will speak to you as you go on one of these journeys through His Word. Use the references in the margins, look up the meaning of words in the dictionary and in the Hebrew or the Greek.
There was a day when I had a lot more time that I would start at one word and find myself still searching a couple of hours later. And as it went on, the more interested I became.
I agree with the others too.. there are seasons, or times, for devouring a lot or just nibbling on a little.

 

[tamtam92]

Don't stop reading the Bible ! It's like food for your faith !

And yes, often it helps to search words, or you can try to find a single verse that's encouraging.

 

[Endure2]

AMEN! YOU NEED THE WORD!

but God never expected you to be able to do this all in your own.
when your forced to do this all by your own will or initiative it becomes fleshly and dry and dead, and it hurts more than it helps.

HE NEVER EXPECTED YOU TO HAVE THE GOODNESS OR PASSION THAT IT TAKES FOR YOU TO BE A CHRISTIAN BY YOURSELF, he knows you were shapen in iniquity and created in sin, and he knows that if he doesnt give it to you, then youll never have it.

thats when you ask God to create in you a clean heart, and renew in you a right spirit. when the fire of God is gone, you dont reach inside and lite it back up, you cant. you ask God to lite it back for you.
your passion for God is not your passion at all, its the passion he puts in you.
you ask God for grace to doit, and ask him to give you the peace and the passion to live this life.
it all comes from him. he doesnt just expect for us to doit.

though there does come a time, when after hes given you all hes going to, you just have to go and doit, and thats you making the choice of what you want in life.

 

[gusto5]

Try and do devotions instead of reading the bible

or read "The Message" really cool

 

[KleinerApfel]

or read "The Message" really cool

Yes, I agree that's a really good book to help stimulate the appetite for the Bible.

(Just be aware that it is not actually a Bible, so don't rely on it in the same way.)

God bless, Susana

 

[kingzjewel]

i actually prefer the NLT. reads more like a story book. i dunno. i get more involved in church and in prayer and all these things...i dont feel far from God, but i feel lacking in His word. it's a hard row to hoe.

 

[kuntrygurl_26]

I use to be the same way. I would read my bible but I really never got into it. Then I started reading proverbs first and went on to Psalms. I read books that interested me instead of going in order. Maybe you could try that?!

 

[Galadriel]

Yeah I know what you mean, its really tough to have the motivation to read the Bible sometimes. If I get like that, well, to be honest Ive never really had the deep want to read the Bible! But I guess just try reading books about it, but be very careful what you read because those are peoples OPINIONS on the Bible, not the Bible itself. Its really tough, especially when the last thing you want to do is slog thro verses that are hard to understand anyways!

 

[Endure2]

im tellin ya,
the passion to live this life does not come from us, but is given by God.
if you seek the holyspirit and ask him to open up the word of God to you, hell begin to use the word of God to change your life, youll fall in love with the word of God becuase when you read it God will speak to you through it.
you dont learn the word, God opens it up for you like a present, and then ITS GOOD!

 

[kingzjewel]

it's not like im a new Christian who doesnt know the value of the Bible, it just feels like i read all i can right now. its a long standing rut i am in and have been in for months now. that is why i said in my first post : i've been praying...but while im waiting for that prayer to be answered, how am i supposed to get into the Bible?

 

[davidoffinland]

From Finland.

I started on a Jewish roots program. It took me about 1/2 yr of reading scripture and seeing what the Jewish commentaries have to say on it. Example, it took over one month to go through Leviticus. If you love to study...discipline and self-control will follow. I consider my self still a student at 65 yrs and hope it will continue.

David.

 

[Endure2]

do you read the bible before or after you worship and pray?
you need to be in a mood of the spirit, or the bible will be dry and dead to you, i think so anyway.

and it could just be that what God wants to do in your life right now isnt going be done by reading the book, but rather by continueing to pray and seek him and get your breakthrough by seeking his face in prayer, and then God will lead you into a deeper time of reading the word.
i do know that reading the bible is not the only important thing in your life, some people mess up becuase they try to read the word but dont know the one who wrote the word, the bible isnt a self study, its something God reads with you as he takes you through experiences and life and your time alone with him. so if you dont know him yourself, through prayer and worship, the word isnt going to what it needs to be. the word is not a replacement for fellowship with God. but i really dont know what the problem is becuase i dont much at all really, and i certainly dont know you very well.

but im not God, he started the work in you and hell finish it.
continue to genuinely seek him with your problems and he will answer you in due time, if your patient, and true.

 

[Lay down all]

You could download the audio bible from here.

http://www.audiotreasure.com/indexKJV.htm

It's not the same as reading and studying, but it can help sometimes, and when you don't quite grasp what has been said it can encourage you to go and study what you just heard.

There's also many audio sermons here.

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/