Abide in Jesus Daily
Do you love Jesus? How much time did you spend with Him last week?
Many people say they love Jesus, but they don’t obey Him. They don’t spend time with Him. It’s not real. It’s just an idea. Many people do the minimum to maintain a distant relationship and wonder why they’re not growing. But is that love? How much does your life and daily routine differ from that of a non-Christian?
In Exodus 33, God told Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land under the condition that God would not go with them because of their rebellion. Moses rejected the offer, firmly responding, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15 ESV). He desired God’s presence more than His promise. Do you?
Abide in Jesus (Read John 15:1-17)
To abide in Jesus means that we attach our lives to Him. We build our lives upon Him. We conform our lives around Him. We lay our lives down upon the altar as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), For apart from Him, we have no life nor can we give life (bear fruit).
Before you give yourself to ministry, give yourself to Jesus.
If the hardest part of following Jesus is praying and reading the Bible every day, are you actually following Him? That should be the easiest, most refreshing thing you do all day (although it does require discipline).
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 NIV).
How can you take up your cross daily if you won’t take up your Bible daily?
How can you sing that Jesus is worthy of it all, and then with the next breath say that His Word is irrelevant, too difficult, and not worthy to be read? You cannot take up your cross without first taking up His Word.
After Jesus was resurrected, He came to Peter and asked him three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21). He’s asking you the same thing today. “Do you love me?” Does Jesus have your heart? Does Jesus have your time?
What are your biggest obstacles to abiding in His Word and to spending extravagant daily time with Jesus? Be specific.
The Mark of Spiritual Maturity
Spiritual maturity is measured in obedience – not knowledge.
We don’t read the Bible to increase our knowledge or to impress others with brilliant teaching. We read the Bible to be with Jesus, to know Him, and to be transformed into His image. It’s about listening and responding to what the Holy Spirit is speaking each day. We never outgrow our need to be with Jesus.
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7 ESV).
It’s not enough just to be with Jesus. For His words to truly abide in us, we must obey. Let us not become a people whom Jesus rebukes, saying, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46; ESV). Love abides. Love obeys.
Knowledge impresses, but obedience inspires.
Simple Strategy
Make Time // When? How Long?
The morning is recommended because it allows you to start the day focused on God before distractions enter. This may require you to wake up earlier to ensure you have sufficient time.
If you cannot do the same time every day, create a weekly schedule. The key is consistency. Most people fail because they’re “too tired,” “too busy,” or just forget. Don’t let that happen. Decide now. Make time now.
Stop trying to do the minimum. The minimum does not lead to a healthy, meaningful relationship. Abiding in Jesus requires spending extravagant daily time with Him (recommendation: start with at least 30 minutes).
Make a Place // Where?
Place matters. Choose a place free from distractions. Commit to being there. Be consistent.
Make a Plan // What?
Short-term plans lead to short-term success; long-term plans lead to long-term success. Make a long-term plan, and stick to it.
Make it your goal to read through the entire Bible every year or two. The average person can do this by reading for just 12 minutes per day. What’s your excuse? What are you choosing to do instead? Do you truly love those things more than Jesus?
Don’t forget to create a plan for prayer too (i.e., a prayer list).
Pro Tip: If You’re Struggling, Read More — Not Less
Reading one chapter can sometimes take less than one minute, so what do you do with the other 29 minutes of your quiet time? Those 29 minutes can be difficult and discouraging for people trying to develop a consistent quiet time.
It’s counterintuitive, but reading more may make your quiet time easier. The more you read, the more opportunities God has to speak. The more you read, the more structure you have. And when you read more each day, you get a greater feeling of progress and understanding as you finish books faster.
Try reading more, but make sure you leave time to listen, pray, journal, and reflect on what God is speaking.
Two Simple Long-Term Reading Plans
Each day, read the following: 1 Psalm, 3 chapters from the OT, 1 chapter from a Gospel, and 1 chapter from the NT.
Each day, read the following: 1 Psalm, 1-2 chapters from the OT, and 1 chapter from the NT.
Tips
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His Word to you, and take time to listen.
Read the OT and NT every day. This provides balance and makes sure you don’t get stuck reading only the law or statistics for long periods.
When reading the OT, read more than one chapter per day because the books are longer and easier to understand when you read them in larger chunks.
If you ever read something and think, “Now what?”, read it again and ask the following three questions:
What does it teach me about God? About people and myself? About God’s relationship with people?
Journal and underline things while you read. Write down interesting verses, questions, feelings, thoughts, and prayers. Journaling forces you to slow down because you write slower than you think.
Remember, the goal is to spend time with God, not to accomplish a task.
Measure your quiet time in minutes, not chapters. When you’re done reading, you’re not done. Linger in His presence: listen, pray, worship, and journal. Don’t rush through it. Give Him your time.
If you find yourself with a lot of extra time and don’t know what to do, read more.
If you miss a day (or more), don’t try to catch up. Continue where you left off.
Remember your list of obstacles (aka excuses) from earlier? What are you going to do to overcome them? Be specific.
