Happy New Year! As 2021 has come to a close, and a new year is upon us, it’s a good time to pause and consider your vision and priorities for the coming year. God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105), so whatever you plan for the year, it’s essential to have Scripture at the forefront of your life. Here are five ways you can incorporate more of it into your daily life.
Listen to Scripture songs
There is a wide variety of passages that have been put to song, whether Psalms or other portions of Scripture. Some are written word-for-word, while others are more loosely based on a passage. Either way, these can be very encouraging to listen to throughout the day. Songs are also easier to recall, meaning you can have truths from God’s Word playing through your mind with less effort – how awesome is that!
Put Scripture to memory
This isn’t something just for the National Bible Bee season. Keep your mind sharpened and God’s Word in your heart by memorizing all throughout the year. Choose a passage you’ve been convicted by, a chapter that has been encouraging, or a favorite book to put to memory. It can be very helpful to do this with someone else, as you can keep each other accountable and discuss what God is teaching you through it. Specifically aim to meditate on these passages, and allow them to convict your heart and encourage you in your walk with the Lord. Need motivation for memorizing? Check out this article for three reasons why memorizing Scripture matters.
Read through the Bible
There are many yearly Bible reading plans available to choose from. Reading through the entire Bible straight through gives a canonical perspective, and encourages reading through parts of Scripture you may steer away from otherwise. During chapters or books you may be tempted to gloss over, it could be beneficial to write down things that stand out to you, thus keeping your mind engaged. Remember that it is all God’s Word, and it all points to Christ. Prayerfully ask God to reveal this important truth to you in every passage you read.
Post Scripture throughout the house
Another way you can be turned to Scripture throughout the day is by placing it in all parts of your house, car, or other places in which you spend your time. Write a meaningful verse and put it next to the sink to meditate on while washing dishes, write it on the bathroom mirror, or stick it next to your bed. Other ideas could be to have a Bible verse as the background on a computer or other device, include Scripture in home decor, or keep a Bible in a convenient location to read when you have a free minute or two.
Pray through Scripture
Praying Scripture helps to align your desires with God’s, and to turn the focus on what is truly important. Believers in Acts modeled the praying of Scripture after Peter and John were released from jail. If you have not already cultivated the habit of praying through Scripture, I encourage you to start now. As you read through the Bible each day, find a portion to turn into a prayer. If you write in your Bible, choose a specific highlighter or pen color and mark verses for praying, to easily find as you flip through your Bible. Keeping a piece of paper with a list of passages would also work.
However you choose to incorporate more Scripture into your year, remember to do so as a way to know Christ in a deeper way, allowing His Word to permeate every area of your life.
“This year, let us ask God to dissolve all our hopes into a single hope, to know Christ and be found in Him. May this be a year to desire a radically transformed, deeper, truer, knowing of Christ as our All-Sufficient One.”
-Elisabeth Elliot
Written by NBB Alumna: Ruth Derby
