“Guard my words as your most precious possession. Write them down and also keep them deep within your heart.” (Proverbs 7:2 TLB)As we discussed yesterday, one of the most powerful ways you can transform your spiritual life is to learn to memorize Scripture. The Bible says in Proverbs 7:2, “Guard my words as your most precious possession. Write them down and also keep them deep within your heart” (TLB).

You may not believe you can memorize Bible verses, but that’s just not true. You can memorize what you want to memorize. If you’re in the U.S., you’ve probably memorized the Pledge of Allegiance. You may have memorized the Lord's Prayer. You memorize what’s important to you: phone numbers, song lyrics, recipes, and baseball stats. How important is the Bible to you?

It's a matter of motivation rather than skill. David wrote in Psalm 119:72, “The law that you gave means more to me than all the money in the world” (GNB). When you understand how important and how valuable God's Word is, you’ll get serious about memorizing significant portions of it.

Why should you memorize God's Word?

• It’s the number one tool for resisting temptation. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, his only defense against this attack was the Word of God. If Jesus knew a better way to fight temptation, believe me, he would have used it.
• It helps you make wise decisions. I can’t count how many times I've asked God for guidance about something very specific, and he has brought a Scripture I’ve memorized back to mind, showing me what to do. The Bible says, “Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 GNB). The more you know what God says, the more you are going to know how God thinks, because the will of God is found in the Word of God. The more you fill your mind with the Word of God, the more you will know the will of God.
• It strengthens you when you’re under stress. We all get stressed from time to time. And the Bible says this, “Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles” (Psalm 119:49-50 NLT). If you will memorize Scripture, your stress level will decrease dramatically and your confidence level will increase dramatically.
• It comforts you when you’re sad. The Bible is full of comfort. Jeremiah said, “Your words are my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16b GWT). I can't tell you how many times I have been down and read Scripture, and it gave me great comfort.
• It helps you witness to unbelievers. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (NIV). If someone asks you what the Bible says about an issue or what they should do in a situation, what do you tell them? If you have Scripture memorized, it’ll help you be far more effective in sharing because you can share the truth of God’s Word.

Talk About It

• What advice have you shared recently with a friend or family member? Was it based on your own wisdom or the wisdom of God’s Word?

• Are you regularly praying for God’s guidance for big and small decisions alike?

“Whoever looks intently into the perfect law … and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:25 NIV)If you’re serious about being spiritually strong and mature, the greatest habit you can develop is memorizing Scripture. In fact, the Bible says in James 1:25 that it’s one of four habits that leads to a blessed life.

• Read your Bible. “Whoever looks intently …”
• Review the Bible. “… continues in it …”
• Remember the Bible. “… not forgetting what they have heard …”
• Respond to the Bible. “ … but doing it …”

You don’t want to be a spiritual baby anymore. It’s time to grow up and live the blessed life you’re meant to live. Hiding God’s Word in your heart is an important way to start.

You may not think you have a good memory, but you remember what’s important to you.  You remember the phone numbers and dates that you care about. I’ve heard people say they can’t memorize anything, but they can quote songs from the 1960s and rattle off the statistics of their favorite baseball players.

Memory is a skill you can learn. It’s a muscle you can strengthen. In fact, memorizing Scripture will cause your brain to have a stronger memory in other areas. I guarantee it. Study after study has shown this.

Why is it important to memorize Scripture? 

• You’ll always have God’s Word with you. When you need the Bible, it’s never around. When you’re tempted, you don’t have a Bible open or by your side. When you’re witnessing to someone who doesn’t know Jesus, is under stress, needs comfort, or is in a crisis, there’s usually not a Bible around. You need God’s Word in your mind so you can remember it and review it right when you need it.
• You can meditate on Scripture wherever you go. You can’t review God’s Word unless you remember it. If you’ve memorized Scripture, you can think about it when you get into bed at night or as you drive to an appointment. You can think about the Bible because you’ve memorized it. That’s called meditation. The only promise of prosperity and success that God gives us in the Bible (Joshua 1:8) says that meditating on his Word is the key.

Start memorizing Scripture today. Pick a verse a week. In a year, you’ll have memorized 52 verses. In two years, you’ll have memorized more than 100 verses.

Talk About It

• You already know the ways you learn and memorize best. What tools, tactics, or people can help you memorize Scripture?

• How do you respond when God brings Scripture to mind in certain situations?

“You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. And the Scriptures point to me!” (John 5:39 NLT)We’re not really studying the Bible until we do two things. First, write down what we’ve learned, and, second, talk it over with others. God will change your life when you do these two things.

Writing down what you’re learning from the Bible helps you remember it. Whenever you sit down and read God’s Word, keep a pencil and paper nearby (or a computer if you wish). Simply write down what you hear God saying to you. Keep a journal. You’ll be able to go back and review what God taught you for years to come.

Then, talk with others about what you’re learning in God’s Word. That’s why we all need to be in some kind of small group ministry. That’s where you study God’s Word and talk about it with other people. It’s an incredibly important spiritual discipline.

In the Bible we learn about a small group who did this. Acts 17:11 says, “The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth”(NLT).

These believers were searching the Scriptures. They were having a small group discussion. Are you doing the same? Are you in a small group? If not, what causes the delay in joining one?

Talk About It

• When you were a student at school, what tactics did you use to help you remember what you were learning?

• Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start. What are you going to do today to take the first step in joining a small group?

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:22-25 NIV)James calls God’s Word a mirror. The mirror helps us evaluate ourselves. Once you look at a mirror, you can decide if you need to make any changes before you leave for the day. The Bible helps us do that, too.

You can look at the Bible in one of two ways. You can glance at the mirror or gaze into it. On the old TV show “Happy Days,” the Fonz would glance at the mirror. He’d walk past the mirror, stop, look into it, and say, “Hey!” He didn’t have to do anything else. He was pure perfection. He just needed a glance.

That’s not the way you look into God’s Word. You don’t just glance at the Word of God in a rushed, hurried manner and then leave. Glancing at God’s Word won’t change your life. 

Do you want a life that God blesses? It all starts with gazing into God’s Word. James 1:22-25 gives you the blueprint for how to study God’s Word in a way that he blesses.

• Read your Bible. “... whoever looks intently ...”
• Review the Bible. “... and continues in it ...”
• Remember the Bible. “... not forgetting what they have heard ...”
• Respond to the Bible. “... but doing it ...”

Talk About It

• What difference do you notice in your day when you gaze into God’s Word instead of just glancing at it?

• Does the current amount of time you set apart for your quiet time leave you enough time to read, review, remember, and respond to God’s Word?

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)I’ve been a Christian for more than 40 years. I can tell you for certain that no habit is more difficult to maintain than a quiet time. I’ve shared with you some of the most common quiet time stumbling blocks in recent days: the problem of discipline, the problem of dryness, and the problem of distraction.

The problem of discouragement is, by far, the most powerful struggle. It’s the struggle to stick with your regular time with God. Nothing else is harder to maintain than your regular time with the Lord. The world fights you, your flesh fights you, and the devil fights you. They all work together to make sure you’re so busy that you don’t have time for a quiet time.

That’s why I call this the “battle of busyness.” It’s what happens when pressure mounts and you find you have too many things to do. Something has to give. Unfortunately, you drop the most important part of your life: your time with God.

Every time you skip your time with God, you get discouraged, and it’s even harder to get started again. You get discouraged and defeated. The most vicious attacks on your quiet time will come in the area of being consistent and diligent. Satan knows that if he can keep you out of the Word, he’s taken you out of the battle. He has basically removed your sword (Ephesians 6:17).

There are many believers who have told me that dropping their quiet time was the first step in the wrong direction — that led to all sorts of problems.

Talk About It

• We are not meant to struggle through our faith alone. To whom in your life do you turn for encouragement and accountability?

• Is there any task in your day that is more important than your quiet time with God? How will you change your schedule today to show what your priorities are or should be?

“Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:2-5 ESV)So far I’ve shared about the problem of discipline and the problem of dryness. If the first two problems aren’t impacting your quiet time, it’s very likely that the devil will use thepower of distraction to get to you.

It’s what I call the “battle of the brain.” You try to focus on praying and studying God’s Word, but your mind wanders all over the place. It's like spiritual ADD (attention deficit disorder). When that happens, it's very easy to put your head down, close your eyes, and fall back asleep.

Or, you could put up a fight in the battle of the brain by:

• Taking a walk. Ever notice that often when Jesus was teaching people, they were eating or walking. It’s hard to fall asleep as you walk or eat!
• Keeping a notepad nearby. Just write down whatever distractions are coming to your mind. Then you can just forget it, because it’s on a list you can deal with later.

There’s nothing wrong with getting distracted during a quiet time. It’s natural. But you need a plan for when you do.

Talk About It

• Don’t wait until tomorrow morning or your next quiet time to fight the battle of the brain. What can you do right now to help minimize the distractions you might face?

• Consider that the battle of the brain is also fought against Satan, who is trying desperately to take your focus off of God. Make this fight personal, and determine that you will not let Satan have control over your thoughts and where your mind takes you.

“God, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?” (Psalm 10:1 MSG)We all hit walls at times in our relationship with God. They’re simply a part of the package. Even David, whom the Lord calls “a man after God’s own heart” had times when God seemed very distant. David once prayed to God, “God, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?” (Psalm 10:1 MSG)

Yesterday, I started sharing about the four major problems that tend to derail our time alone with God. I started with the problem of discipline. Today, we’ll look at theproblem of dry spells. I call this one the “battle of the blahs”!

We simply can’t judge our quiet times by emotions. Why? Emotions lie. Feelings come and go. Some days it’ll feel like heaven just opened up for you, and you have a great time with God. Then there are other days your quiet time will seem ordinary and bland. Don't expect to have great and glorious experiences every single morning. The issue is consistency.

Yet, if you are having a long period of dryness in your quiet time, you might look at one of these possible causes:

• Unconfessed Sin: God isn’t going to show you anything new until you do what he has already shown you.
• Physically Unprepared: If you’re tired or stressed, it can be hard to have a fresh quiet time.
• Trying Too Much: Pick chunks of Scripture that are too large, and you’ll rush your time with God. You never want to put yourself in a situation where you hurry God.
• Routine: If you do the same thing every time, your quiet time will turn legalistic. Experiment with some fresh ideas. Mix up your quiet time.
• Not Sharing Your Insights: If you’re not putting into practice what God is teaching you, your spiritual life is bound to grow stale.

Spiritual dryness may be common, but it doesn’t have to be incurable. Ask God where your dryness comes from, and let him help you turn things around.

Talk About It

• How can you better prepare for your quiet time so that you are not tired or stressed when you are trying to focus on God’s Word?

• What are some of the methods or ideas that you’ve learned from the last week of these devotionals that might help you mix things up in your quiet time?

"For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly." (Proverbs 5:23 NIV)How have you been doing with your quiet time? If you’re like most people, you struggle with making time for a quiet time. That’s normal. As soon as you start trying to build the habit of a quiet time into your life, you’ll encounter all kinds of roadblocks. Satan will fight you to keep you from meeting with the Lord daily. In fact, there are four very common roadblocks to having a consistent quiet time. Over the next few devotionals, I’ll share with you a different roadblock each day and a few ways you can overcome the roadblock.

By far, the most common roadblock that Satan puts in our way is the problem of discipline. I call this the battle of the blankets! To win the battle of the blankets, you have to get out of bed in the morning even though you’re tired. That’s not easy! The devil will exaggerate how tired you are. This lack of discipline can have disastrous effects. The Bible says in Proverbs, “For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly” (Proverbs 5:23 NIV). To overcome the battle of the blankets:

• Get up immediately! The battle is won or lost in the first few minutes.
• Be aware of time robbers. For you, these could be surfing the Web or watching TV — whatever you’re doing instead of your quiet time.
• Go to bed with Scripture on your mind. Read a piece of Scripture you read in the morning so that you go to bed and wake up with God’s Word on your mind.

You can do this! Tomorrow morning you can win the battle of the blankets!

Talk About It

• What are the time robbers that Satan is using to distract you from your quiet time with God? What adjustments will you make today to give that time to God?

• Consider ways to keep Scripture on your mind, like writing verses on an index card and taping it to your bathroom mirror.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” (James 1:22 NLT)As I’ve taught over the last few weeks, Christian meditation means thinking about Scripture. You meditate on Scripture in the same way a cow chews her cud: by chewing on it and chewing on it and chewing on it.

The “probe-it” method of Bible study is a great way to do that. When you use that method, you probe the text with questions, almost like a jackhammer. To help you do that, I’ll share with you one of the strangest acrostics I’ve ever used: SPACEPETS. Each letter in the phrase is the first letter of a key word of a question you ask of God’s Word.

1. Is there a SIN to confess? Does God’s Word make me aware of something I need to make right with God?
2. Is there a PROMISE to claim? There are more than 7,000 promises in God’s Word. Ask yourself if the passage you’ve read contains a universal promise. Ask whether you’ve met all the conditions of the promise. Every promise has a premise!
3. Is there an ATTITUDE to change? Is there something about which I need to think differently? Do I need to work on a negative attitude, worry, guilt, fear, loneliness, bitterness, pride, apathy, or ego?
4. Is there a COMMAND to obey? Is there a command I need to obey no matter how I feel?
5. Is there an EXAMPLE to follow? Are there positive examples to follow or negative examples to avoid?
6. Is there a PRAYER to pray? Paul, David, Solomon, Elijah, and Isaiah, among others, pray in the Bible. You can use their prayers and know that they’ll be answered because they’re in the Bible and in God’s will.
7. Is there an ERROR to avoid? It’s wise to learn from experience, and it’s even wiser to learn from the experience of others! We don’t have time to make all the mistakes ourselves. So what can I learn from the mistakes of those in Scripture?
8. Is there a TRUTH to believe? Often, we’ll read something in Scripture that we can’t do anything about. We simply have to believe what it says about God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the past, the future, Heaven, Hell, or other topics in the Bible.
9. Is there SOMETHING for which to praise God? You can always find something in a passage you can be grateful to God for, like something God has done or protected you from.

Every question in this list has a verb in it. There is something you can do associated with them. Write them in your Bible or put them on a note card you keep with your Bible. They’ll help you be “doers of the Word” every time you meditate on the Bible.

Talk About It

• After reading about the probe-it method, go back to the Scripture you read yesterday for your quiet time and apply this method to that passage. What new truths do you discover?

• What promise from God are you leaning on today?

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.” (Ephesians 3:16 NLT)

Applying Scripture to our lives isn’t easy. If it were easy, more people would be doing it. Most people who read the Bible don’t really apply what they read to their lives. Why?

It’s hard work! But what makes applying God’s Word so hard? Here are three reasons it’s hard for you and me to apply Scripture to our lives.

• Application requires serious thought. It takes long periods of concentrated prayer and thought before you can apply the Scripture you’re learning. You won’t always understand the application immediately. You have to think about what you’ve read. You have to meditate on it. That takes time most people often don’t want to give.
• Satan fights application. He fights it viciously. The devil's strongest attacks are going to come in your quiet time when you’re trying to apply what you've studied. Satan knows that as long as you’re content with merely hearing the Word or reading the Word, you are not much of a threat to his plans. But as soon as you get serious about making changes in your life, he's going to fight you tooth and nail because he hates doers of the Word.
• We naturally resist change.  It’s human nature; no one likes to change. But that’s God’s main purpose with his Word. He wants it to change our lives. He wants to make us more like Jesus. The key to making us more like Jesus is applying God’s Word. That’s why most churches focus on interpreting Scripture and learning about the Bible’s background. Most people are happy to do that. You can learn all about the people of the Bible, the background of the Bible, and the doctrines of the Bible, and still live carnally. We’re happy to apply God’s Word to other people, but we don’t like doing it to ourselves.

We grow spiritually and become mature Christians by applying God’s Word to our lives. You and I need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us the strength, because we don't have the strength on our own to obey. The Bible calls us to ask God to empower us through his Spirit: “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16 NLT). These obstacles will get in our way every time in our own power. But God has “unlimited resources” to help us apply his Word to our lives. We just have to ask him.

Talk About It

• What are the distractions today that are keeping you from deeper meditation on God’s Word?

• When you pray for strength, God may use people in your life to provide the support you need. Do you have people in your life with whom you share your struggles and who will hold you accountable to grow spiritually?