Daily Devotions
How to Engage the Mind When Reading God's Word
Title: How to Engage the Mind When Reading God's Word
Reading for April 12: 1 Kings 8-9
Weekly reading for April 8-14: Luke 10-14
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
Luke 12:13
This man's request was very frustrating to Jesus. Jesus had just been preaching about hell, judgment, and the unforgivable sin (Luke 12:1-12). All this man can think about is money.
I wonder how often this is me when I'm reading the Bible. God is speaking to me in his Word and I'm not paying attention. I'm reading the words on the page but my mind is not fully engaged.
Jesus often ended His lessons by saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." What can we do to open our ears when reading?
One thing that I've found that helps is reading the Scriptures out loud. It forces me to slow down and increases my focus and comprehension.
Another good thing is to journal about what you're reading. What you write doesn't have to be life changing or profound. Just observations you have about the text.
Finally, the best thing we can do is pray in response to God's Word. We praise him, we confess our sins, we give thanks, and we even shape our requests by what we have read. This is what makes our Bible reading a meaningful conversation with God.
Father, give us ears to hear what you are saying to us in your Word today!
